Delicious Plain Gluten Free Donuts

Plain Gluten Free Donuts are what you’ve been missing since going gluten free! They’re incredibly moist and sweet, and everyone will go crazy for them.

Ingredients for Plain Gluten Free Donuts

Not only are these donuts gluten free, but they’re dairy free also! In place of butter, we’re using palm shortening. Palm shortening has gotten a bad rap for it’s sustainability. Avoid using a brand that is doing more harm than good by searching for one with certain certifications on them.

This palm shortening by Nutiva is a great one to use. Their palm shortening takes care not to contribute to habitat destruction or deforestation.

This recipe also is going to use almond milk instead of dairy milk. You can try other milk alternatives if you like, but almond milk works perfectly and has the right consistency and fat content.

To keep these gluten free, the recipe calls for gluten free all purpose flour. Some brands are definitely better than others!

Pamela’s All Purpose Gluten Free Flour is my favorite. The donut texture and taste is great with this brand! They don’t crumble and fall apart or get hard fast when stored properly. Other brands I’ve tried had a good taste but fell apart very easily, and barely held together when it came time to frost them. No issues with Pamela’s!

To keep this healthier, the recipe calls for coconut sugar in place of white cane sugar. It’s lower on the glycemic index and is less likely to make your blood sugar spike. Thrive Market also has their own brand of coconut sugar which is lower in cost than many other brands!

Trader Joe’s also has an affordable brand. Madhava is a brand that’s easier to find in stores and works great also!

Pairing and Serving Options

The best way to serve these donuts is with frosting of course! Basically all of the frosting you’d find at regular grocery stores contain high amounts of cane sugar, unnatural forms of sugar, soy, and worse.

I particularly like to use the frosting mixes from Whole Foods. They have chocolate and vanilla, which are SO delicious!

Probably the cleanest pre-made frostings are those by Simple Mills. They have chocolate and vanilla as well. The ingredients are very clean, and outside of the powdered sugar, they would be considered paleo.

If you decide to frost them, then sprinkles are a must! Watkins sprinkles are free of artificial dyes which is a huge plus!

In the picture below, the majority of the donuts are plain so they can be frosted. The top three have cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them!

Donut Pans

To make donuts you need a good donut pan! So many donut pans are a miniature size for some reason. Who wants a mini donut?

I also personally would want to avoid non stick surfaces on my donut pan. The material can end up in your food with heated and be unhealthy for you.

My favorite donut pan is of the silicone variety. They seem to be the least toxic type available, possibly even non-toxic.

This is the pan I have, and I love it! It’s a great size and easy to clean too. It can clean in the dishwasher, or easily by hand. It’s heat proof up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so no worries of it melting.

Piping Bags

To make these plain gluten free donuts, you’ll need to use something to pipe them into the donut pan. One option is to cut off the tip of a gallon sized zip lock bag.

If possible, use reusable piping bags! They’re better for our environment since they are reusable, and less plastic is always a win. Plus, you’ll have them for many other baking projects, such as cake or cupcake decorating, or even cookie decorating!

You can also use the pan and and piping bags for making bagels!

If you’re interested in more Paleo or Gluten Free sweet treats, check them out here!

Did you make these plain gluten free donuts? If so, let me know down below in the comments! I’d love to hear how they came out, and how you served them!

Feel free to take a picture and post it on Instagram! Tag me @thecleanhappylife so I can see your creations and re-share them!