These Gluten-Free Chocolate Baked Party Donuts have everything you love about an old-fashioned cake donut—rich chocolate flavor, a soft and tender crumb, melty pockets of chocolate, and a light vanilla glaze topped with festive sprinkles. They’re baked instead of fried, making them easy, celebratory, and perfect for parties, birthdays, and holidays. Also try these
Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Chocolate Donuts
• Deep, rich chocolate flavor
• Soft, cake-style donut texture
• Made with a reliable gluten-free flour blend
• Baked, not fried (easy cleanup)
• Perfect for parties and celebrations
• Easy to customize with vanilla or chocolate glaze
Baked, Not Fried Gluten-Free Donuts
Frying donuts at home can be messy and time-consuming. These gluten-free chocolate donuts are baked in a donut pan, giving you the classic cake donut texture without hot oil or extra cleanup. Baking keeps the donuts tender with lightly crisp edges, while still delivering that bakery-style feel.
Cake Donuts vs Yeast Donuts
Yeast donuts are made with a dough that rises before frying, creating a light and airy texture with a chewy bite. Cake donuts are made from a batter similar to cake batter and use baking powder instead of yeast. They’re denser, tender, and especially well-suited for baked donuts like this gluten-free version.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Chocolate Baked Party Donuts
Donuts
1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1; almond flour is not recommended)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup buttermilk (see substitution below)
¼ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
½ cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
1 cup dark chocolate or chocolate chips, melted
Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles
Vanilla Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1–2 teaspoons milk (adjust as needed)
Optional: For a chocolate glaze, add 1–2 teaspoons cocoa powder and a little extra milk.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Baked Donuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with nonstick spray. Silicone donut pans work especially well for gluten-free batters and help prevent sticking.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, yogurt, oil, and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate—small clumps are fine and will create pockets of chocolate in the baked donuts.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pipe or spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the donuts cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
Glazing and Decorating the Donuts
Whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Immediately add sprinkles while the glaze is still wet so they stick evenly.
Do I Have to Use Buttermilk?
You don’t. To make a quick buttermilk substitute, add ¾ teaspoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill to the ¾-cup line with milk or dairy-free milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using. The mixture will look slightly curdled—that’s exactly what you want.
Storing Gluten-Free Chocolate Party Donuts
These donuts are best enjoyed the same day for the softest texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Unglazed donuts can be frozen for up to two weeks—glaze after thawing for best results.
Extra Tips for Gluten-Free Baked Donuts
Use a piping bag or zip-top bag for cleaner filling.
Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the donuts tender.
Let donuts cool slightly before glazing so the glaze sets instead of melting.
Are these gluten-free chocolate donuts really baked, not fried?
Yes. These donuts are baked in a donut pan, not fried in oil. Baking gives them a soft, cake-like texture with lightly crisp edges—similar to an old-fashioned cake donut, but with much less mess.
What is the best gluten-free flour to use for baked donuts?
A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works best for this recipe. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour gives the most consistent texture. Almond flour is not recommended, as it will make the donuts too dense and oily.
Do gluten-free baked donuts taste different from regular donuts?
Not in this recipe. Using a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and adding yogurt and oil keeps the donuts moist and tender, with a rich chocolate flavor that tastes just like a classic cake donut.
Can I make these gluten-free chocolate donuts dairy-free?
Yes. Use dairy-free milk mixed with vinegar in place of buttermilk, dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free chocolate chips. The donuts will still bake up soft and flavorful.
Can I make these donuts ahead of time?
These donuts are best enjoyed the same day, but they can be made a day ahead. Store them unglazed in an airtight container, then glaze and decorate before serving for the freshest texture.
Can I freeze gluten-free baked donuts?
Yes. Freeze the donuts unglazed for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and add sprinkles before serving.
Why do my gluten-free donuts feel dry?
Overbaking is the most common cause. Check the donuts at the 10-minute mark and remove them as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Measuring flour accurately also helps prevent dryness.
Can I make these gluten-free donuts without a donut pan?
A donut pan is recommended for the best shape and texture. If needed, you can bake the batter in a mini muffin pan, but the bake time may vary slightly.
Can I turn these into chocolate gluten-free donut holes?
Yes. Pipe the batter into a mini muffin pan and reduce the bake time slightly. They’ll have the same flavor with a bite-sized, party-friendly shape.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Baked Party Donuts
Ingredients
- DONUTS
- 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour – I love Bobs RedMill 1:1
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup avocado or vegetable oil don’t use coconut oil or it will change the flavor
- 1 cup dark chocolate or chocolate chips melted
- Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles
- GLAZE
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tbsp milk adjust for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray donut molds with nonstick cooking spray – I prefer the silicone version since the donuts come out easier and don’t stick
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, nutmeg, salt, sugar, brown sugar, and baking powder
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, yogurt, oil, and eggs until smooth and fully combined. Whisk in melted chocolate as best as you can; there will still be clumps, but that’s OK since they will create delicious pockets of chocolate in the baked donut.
- Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
- Spoon or pipe the donut batter mixture into the greased donut pan, filling each about 3/4 full. Don’t overfill or your batter will spill over the top.
- Place in the oven and bake donuts for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, remove from the molds, and place onto a wire rack for 5 minutes, then place on a sheet of parchment paper
- GLAZE
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth
- Gently dunk the top of each donut into the glaze and allow the excess to drip off before placing on the parchment paper
- Immediately add the sprinkles evenly over the top of each donut while the glaze is wet.
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