Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts Recipe
Updated Apr 24, 2020, Published Jun 29, 2012
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Every once in a while, I do gluten free cooking or baking classes and last week I had two scheduled back to back. They were based on a basic quick baking mix recipe in my latest cookbook Simply Gluten Free Quick Meals.
The idea is that you whip up a basic mix and from there you can make pancakes, muffins, quick breads, biscuits, dumplings, etc. The beauty of this basic recipe is that you can customize the end product any way you like – if you are dairy-free, you can use a non-dairy liquid; if sugar-free, use the sweetener of your choice, that sort of thing.
As I was preparing samples to take to the class, I decided at the last minute to use a basic mix to whip up some gluten free coconut doughnuts – maybe it is not the smartest thing to bake something you have never made before for a hundred strangers but I tell people all the time they need to be fearless when it comes to gluten free baking, so I took my own advice! I made muffins, quick breads and these doughnuts and guess what I got the most compliments on? That’s right, these doughnuts!
The basic mix is simple: just superfine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and kosher salt. From there, you add in eggs (or egg substitute), liquid, fat, sweetener and whatever add ins you like such as fruit, nuts and flavorings.
For my coconut doughnuts I decided to use coconut milk for the liquid, Coconut Palm Sugar from Wholesome Sweeteners for the sweetener and coconut oil for the fat. To top them off, I made my own “powdered sugar” by blitzing some coconut palm sugar with tapioca starch in my spice grinder (a high powdered blender works well too) and to that, I added some more coconut milk to turn it into a glaze. The final flourish was some toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes.
Doughnuts that are gluten free, dairy free, unrefined sugar free, packed with high fiber, whole grain brown rice flour and healthy coconut oil and baked, not fried – well… I think these doughnuts are practically HEALTH FOOD!
What do you think?
Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts Recipe
Ingredients
- Gluten free non-stick cooking spray
- 1½ cups superfine brown rice flour
- ½ cup plus 2 teaspoons tapioca starch , – use divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil, - liquefied
- 1¾ cups Wholesome Sweeteners Coconut Palm Sugar , – use divided
- 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons coconut milk , – use divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two doughnut pans with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, ½ cup tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the coconut oil, 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 cup coconut milk and the vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pans and smooth the tops of the doughnuts, making sure the post in the middle is free of batter.
- Place the coconut flakes on a baking sheet, spread in an even layer. Put the filled doughnut pans and the baking sheet with the coconut flakes in the preheated oven. Cook the coconut for 5 – 6 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Remove the coconut from the oven and continue to bake the doughnuts for another 6 or 8 minutes (12 -13 minutes total) or until golden brown and the doughnuts feel firm to the touch. Let the doughnuts cool in the pans for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack set over a piece of parchment or waxed paper to finish cooling.
- While the doughnuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. Place the remaining 1 cup of coconut sugar in a high powered blended or spice grinder with the remaining 2 teaspoons of tapioca starch and process until it turns into a powder. If using a spice grinder, you will need to do this in 2 batches – ½ cup coconut sugar with 1 teaspoon tapioca starch per batch. Pour the mixture into a small bowl, stir with a fork to break up any lumps and add the remaining coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze is achieved. You may need a little more or less than 4 tablespoons.
- Crush the coconut flakes with your hand into smaller pieces and place on a plate. Frost each doughnut with some of the glaze, then dip the glazed side into the coconut flakes. Set on cooling rack and allow the glaze to dry. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Carol these look and sound so delicious and easy to make, especially given they are from a basic quick mix. I’m definitely trying these this coming week, and probably a few other of those quick and easy recipes as well. I LOVE daring spontaneity with recipes! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Christina! Enjoy.
These sound amazing! I cannot buy a doughnut pan. I just know i’ll bake wa-ay too many of these gluten free doughnuts ;) PS. Yay for fearaess!
Haha – but didn’t you hear me say these were practically health food? :) And thank you!
I can’t wait to make these they look amazing!!
Thank you Heather, enjoy!
Sometimes intuitively you know what will work … I’m sure I’d be right there with the others raving over these doughnuts, Carol! You’ve used some of my very favorite ingredients and delish gluten-free doughnuts are always a treat. :-)
xo,
Shirley
Thank you so much Shirley!
xo,
c
Wish i had a doughnut pan so I could make these. And i also wish someone would invent grab&touch internet so i could eat these!!!
Thank you for the recipe, as celiacs we’re always on the lookout for yummy doughnut recipes!
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Haha – doughnut pans are pretty inexpensive, I love mine!!! Thank you so much.
This looks great! Does anyone know what I could substitute tapioca starch with? Unfortunately I am intolerant to tapioca as well :(
Hi Amy,
Sweet rice flour, cornstarch and arrowroot are good subs for tapioca starch.
xo,
Carol