Gluten-Free Baked Jelly Donuts Recipe

This gluten-free baked jelly donut recipe is easy enough for anyone to make! Pillowy soft, filled with your favourite jelly or jam, and irresistibly yummy! The donuts are coated in lightly scented with cinnamon sugar for added deliciousness. 

The yeasted dough is easy to work with, and the donuts are baked in a muffin pan. There is nothing complicated about this recipe. Even a novice baker can make these gluten-free jelly donuts.

Today I will show you step by step how to make these baked jelly donuts. The best part is children LOVE LOVE these donuts.

If you miss jelly donuts because you can’t have gluten, you don’t have to wait any longer. I have received many requests for a gluten-free jelly donut recipe, and here it is. If you like savoury donuts, try our very best Low-Carb Grain-Free Ham and Cheese Donuts.

I wanted to keep these gluten-free donuts healthier, so I baked them. I know you will enjoy these jelly donuts even though they are baked.

Why are baked donuts much healthier?

During the donut frying process, a lot of oil is absorbed into the donut. After frying, the oil makes up approximately 22% of the donut.

As per Healthline, Generally speaking, eating more fried foods is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make

these insanely good gluten-free jelly donuts!

Prepare the yeast dough. I used instant rapid-rise yeast for this donut recipe. This means you can mix it right into the dry ingredients. No need to proof it first. One less step.

Tip – when you mix the dry ingredients with the wet, start by adding only half the dry and mix well with the wet mixture. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

Rest the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll into a log and cut into 12 even pieces. If you want larger donuts, cut the dough into 9 pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled muffin pan

Loosely cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm oven (80 F) for 90 minutes

Bake for 15 minutes or 18 minutes for the larger donuts. They should be golden. Then immediately brush them with butter and roll them in cinnamon sugar. The donuts should be hot when you roll them in sugar, this will help the sugar adhere to the donuts

Fill the donuts; use a long thin knife make a hole in the side of each donut, then fill a pastry piping bag with a Bismarck piping tip with your favourite jelly or jam and fill the donuts. If you don’t have the long Bismarck tip, you can use a round piping nozzle

How much jelly do you use to fill donuts?

I like my donuts to have a lot of filling. However, the rule of thumb is to fill the donuts until the jelly starts coming out of the hole.

To cut back on sugar, I used sugar-free, gluten-free strawberry jam. Feel free to use your favourite jam or jelly as long as it doesn’t have chunks of fruit.

Ways to shape baked donuts

I always like to do things the easiest way possible. So I cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and rolled each into a ball. 

If you want the donuts to look perfect, roll the dough out to about 1-inch thickness and using a round cookie cutter 2 or 3-inch diameter cut them out. Re-rolling leftover scraps of dough until the dough is used up.

Why didn’t my donuts rise?

One reason, the yeast is old. Check the date on the package to be sure the yeast is good. And always store the yeast in the fridge to keep it fresh.

The gluten-free dough needs a warm, draft-free environment to proof (rise). I always use my oven at 80 F, so lukewarm. I preheat the oven, turn it off, and place the dough loosely covered with plastic inside to rise.

How long will gluten-free baked jelly donuts stay fresh-tasting?

As will most gluten-free baked goods, they are the freshest immediately after baking. So I typically make them for Sunday brunch or special occasions like kid’s Birthdays.

If you have leftovers, I like to pop them in a microwave for about 20 seconds to give them that soft pillowy texture. However, I recommend eating them the same day.

Storing?

You should store the gluten-free donuts in an airtight container at room temperature.

Substitutions 

Tapioca Starch – you can use arrowroot starch, corn starch or potato starch. (Not potato flour)

Egg yolks – the yolks add moisture and keep the crumb tender. For 2 egg yolks, use 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of water

Milk – you can use a dairy-free version

Butter – you can use vegan butter

Sugar – I used granulated sugar to coat the donuts. You can also use powdered sugar or coconut sugar

A quick reminder, when measuring flours and starches, do not dip the measuring cup into the flour; instead, use a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off with a knife 

And there you have it. Gluten-free baked jelly donuts are a lot of fun to make. They are a fun project to do with children. Quick hint, their favourite part is filling the donuts!