Gluten Free Donut Holes

These gluten free donut holes are so easy to make, baked instead of fried and perfect for a late night sweet treat. Coat them in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or make them glazed!

We have several gluten free donut recipes on the blog (my apple cider donuts are perfect for Fall) but I was always a donut hole girl growing up, but we called them munchkins. You can coat them in powdered sugar, butter and cinnamon sugar or make a simple two ingredient glaze.

This simple recipe is made with pantry staple ingredients like flour, butter, sugar and an egg and takes just about 10 minutes to prep. If you love this recipe, try my vegan cinnamon sugar donuts next!

Notes before we get baking!

• You do need a donut hole pan if you want that classic round shape, but a mini muffin pan will work if that is all you have!
• Since this is a baked donut recipe, we are not using any yeast and do not need any oil for frying! The egg, baking powder and soda will create the perfect texture without yeast.

How to make gluten free donut holes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 12 cavity donut hole pans (or mini muffin pans) and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until well combined. Whisk in the remaining wet ingredients until smooth.

Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour to measure, don’t scoop from the bag. Whisk until well combined, then let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes.

Scoop into the prepared pans, making sure to only fill about 2/3 of the way up, they will puff up a lot while baking! Bake for 9-11 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

If making the cinnamon sugar option, set up two bowls – one with the melted butter and one with the cinnamon sugar. Dip each donut hole in the butter, then coat in the cinnamon sugar. If doing the powdered sugar, just dip directly in there. For the glaze option, whisk the powdered sugar and milk, then dip the donut hole and place on a wire rack to set. Enjoy and try my gluten free soft pretzels next!

Key ingredients & swaps

Flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour, but King Arthur also works great!

Butter. I suggest butter and not coconut oil for the best flavor. If you are dairy free, you can swap for a dairy free butter like Earth Balance in both the batter and the cinnamon sugar coating.

Milk. Dairy or non-dairy will work here! This adds moisture to the recipe.

Egg. One egg will help create a really fluffy texture, along with the apple sauce for more moisture. Since there is only one, you can most likely safely swap for a vegan alternative without much change. I suggest 3 additional tablespoons of apple sauce, a flax egg or a store bought egg replacer.

Sugar. I used (and suggest) white sugar for the best flavor and texture. If you only have brown sugar that will be fine, but the color of the donut holes will be a bit darker than pictured.

Nutmeg. I know this might seem like a really random spice to use, but just 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg helps give that classic donut flavor without any frying. You can also add in some more cinnamon to the batter itself if you are going to do the cinnamon sugar coating.

Storage tips

To store: Once prepared, these gluten free donut holes will keep at room temperature for about 3 days. I like to store them in a container or a ziplock bag to keep them nice and moist.

To freeze: If you want to freeze, I would do so before adding the cinnamon sugar or any other coating! Be sure to let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

To reheat: If frozen, let the donut holes defrost in the fridge, then reheat until warm through the center at 300. Then toss in the butter and cinnamon sugar or any other coating you prefer. If they were simply in the fridge or at room temp, just pop in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up!

More sweet treats you’ll love!

• Cinnamon Sugar Mini Banana Muffins
• Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Blondies
• Gluten Free Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

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