By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 15, 2023
These tender, chocolaty Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts will melt in your mouth. They only require a few ingredients, and they bake up super quick.
Start your day with a delicious warm donut straight from the oven.
If you love donuts you'll want to make my Gluten Free Vanilla Donuts. My Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are also delicious.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts
I love Gluten-Free Chocolate Donuts, and so do my girls. I use them as motivation for getting my girls out of bed and getting them ready for school. I first shared these gluten-free chocolate cake donuts on the blog in 2014. I've recently given them a refresh.
If they get ready for school on time all week, they get to enjoy a gluten-free donut for breakfast on Friday. What better way to motivate yourself to get through the week than with a donut?
I can't think of any. So, gluten-free donuts it is!
Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts
One of the many things I love about gluten-free chocolate donuts is their versatility. Yes, I just used the word versatility in the same sentence as donuts.
There are so many things you can do with a donut, from its cake base to the toppings. My favorite topping for these gluten-free chocolate cake donuts is chocolate glaze. My girls like to go all-out and add sprinkles. The options are endless.
You can enjoy these Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts plain, or top them with your favorite glaze. Every person who has tried these donuts has said that you can't tell that they are gluten-free.
If you make these donuts, please stop back by and let me know what you thought!
Donut Pan
If you don't have a donut pan, I highly recommend getting one (otherwise you won't be able to make donuts). I use the Wilton Non-Stick Donut Pan (affiliate link to amazon that doesn't cost you anything extra).
It's inexpensive and really is non-stick.
I have two for those days when I want to make a double batch of Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts, or other donuts. I also have a mini donut pan, which I like to use from time to time.
Donut pans are inexpensive. You can usually get one for under $10 and I've seen them priced as low as $5.
Can I make gluten-free donuts in a muffin pan?
Sure. You can make gluten-free donuts in a muffin pan. Just watch the time as donuts tend to cook quicker in a donut pan do to the contact of the pan around the donut and in the center.
Gluten-Free Donuts
If you like donuts (and who doesn't?) you might also like my Vanilla Birthday Cake Donuts, or my Gingerbread Donuts. Or both!
Like I mentioned before, we do donuts every Friday. I have at least ten recipes for donuts on my site and I also have a roundup of gluten-free donuts.
If you are shopping for a donut pan, I use this affordable Wilton Donut Pan(affiliate link) when I make donuts. You can use whatever donut pan you like, just make sure it's non-stick.
Note that most donut pans don't need to be greased before using, but some do.
Can I make these gluten-free donuts dairy-free?
Yes. You can make these gluten-free chocolate cake donuts dairy-free. Simply use dairy-free milk, and dairy-free butter. Make sure to also use a dairy-free chocolate if you are dipping your gluten-free donuts in a chocolate glaze.
If you are looking for other donut recipes simple search for "donuts" in the search bar at the top left of the page. Here are some of my favorite gluten-free donut recipes.
Gluten-free donut recipes:
- Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Espresso Donuts
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Donuts
- Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts
- Gluten Free Gingerbread Donuts
- Best Gluten-Free Donut Recipes
Making gluten-free donuts is easy! Just a few simple steps and every day ingredients, and you have some simple gluten-free chocolate donuts.
Did you make these gluten-free chocolate donuts? Please stop back by and let me know what you thought. I always love hearing from people who make my recipes.
Also, if you made any of my gluten-free donut recipes be sure to let me know what you thought.
Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Glazed Donuts
These tender, chocolaty Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts will melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
- 6 tablespoons (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- ½ cup milk (or dairy-free milk)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter(or coconut oil), melted
For the chocolate glaze:
- 2 tablespoons milk (or dairy-free milk)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
For the vanilla glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the donuts- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the donut baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, dust lightly with gluten-free flour and set aside.
- Place all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk till combined. Add milk, egg, vanilla and butter. Whisk until smooth.
- Fill each donut cup in the donut pan ½ full with the batter. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I recommend starting with the lowest time and checking progress.
- For the glaze- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. You may need to add additional powdered sugar for a thicker glaze. Dip the top of each donut in the glaze. Serve it warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 donutAmount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 6g
This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.
Catherine
Thank you so much for this great recipe! I used Bob’s Red Mill AP GF flour, subbed chia seed slurry for the egg, and they came out GREAT. I made them for my son’s birthday, and he couldn’t have been happier! Thank you for a simple, tasty recipe!
chrystal
You are very welcome. Happy birthday to your son! I'm so glad he loved them.
Best,
Chrystal
Connie
Just tried the recipe for our Donuts with Dad at school tomorrow....girls (who are NOT GF) think they're the best ever. Hubby is excited. They're delicious! Thank you!!
chrystal
I am so glad they love them! Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Amber
Our 6 year old has Celiac Disease and needed some donuts for a school project (reindeer 🙂 ). I found this recipe and make it just as-is. I used Better Batter GF flour blend and Ghirardelli 100% cocoa powder. These are AMAZING! I was so worried I wouldn’t find a good recipe for him to actually eat them, but now I’m afraid they won’t make it to school because he’ll eat them all. Lol. Thank you so much!!
chrystal
You are welcome. I am so glad he loved them 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Susan Burbridge
Easy recipe and I doubled it to get more and share with my daughter.
chrystal
I am so glad you like these donuts. Thank you for stopping by to let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Jennifer
Did you use a piping bag? I’m about to make these today, bought my pans just for this I’m so excited!
chrystal
I like to use a piping bag or a large zip lock bag with the corner cut off. You can also spoon the batter into the pan. I hope you love them!
Best,
Chrystal
Jennifer
Thanks! And yeah I watched the video after I posted silly me. I’ll let you know how they turn out! You’re one of my new go to sites thanks!
Gf friend,
Jen
Jennifer
Nevermind silly me. I just watched the video and answered my own question.
Renee
Great taste. I did add an extra tablespoon of butter but will try adding 2 more to make total of 1/4 cup. I am definitely keeping this recipe. It worked great using my countertop Baby Cakes Donut maker for mini donuts. It made 24.
Addison McClure
Thank you so much for this recipe. I don’t eat wheat because I am allergic and it makes me feel sick but when I found this recipe it made me warm up inside thank you again for this!
chrystal
I'm so glad you like it. I hope you find many more recipes that you love.
Best,
Chrystal
Priscilla
These came out great. My 5yo has celiac and she loved them. Thanks, I'll be saving this recipe.
Lindsay
Yay! I'm so glad that you and she loved the donuts. Thank you for leaving a comment!
Lateisha Romany
These doughnuts are so easy to make and are utterly delicious, thank you for doing this fantastic gluten free recipe for us.
From lateisha Romany and the Romany family
chrystal
I am so glad everyone loved them.
Best
Chrystal
Zenana
Usually I take creative license when using recipes. With these donuts, I followed recipe exactly. Results were much better than I could have imagined. Thank you for posting this. Donuts are one of the things I missed the most after being diagnosed with Celiac. What I liked best is that the cake itself was not too sweet, so I was able to drizzle a little extra icing!
chrystal
I am so glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Caren
Hi Chrystal, thanks for the recipes!y son is newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance and being in Asia, there are so few ready made GF foods. So your recipes are greatly appreciated!
Can I just check for the choc glaze, so I need to cook it under heat? Also, can I just use any brand of GF flour? Will it work just as well?
chrystal
Hi Caren,
Some gluten free flours work well in most recipes, but not all. My recipes don't work with all gluten free flour blends. For example my recipes don't work with Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour (which is different from their 1-to-1 gf baking flour) and many of my recipes don't work with the Namaste gf flour.
For the chocolate glaze, you can heat it over a stove if needed.
Best,
Chrystal
Amanda Allen
Hello!!! What sprinkles do you use?
chrystal
Sweetapolita makes great gluten-free sprinkles. Let’s do Organic has a couple of varieties as well.
Best,
Chrystal
Terry McClure
I haven't had a donut for two years when I had to give up gluten and chocolate cake donuts were always a favorite before and these are amazing! I used Bob's 1 to 1 gf mix for mine.
Kelly
Is the batter supposed to be really thick?
chrystal
Thick but not so thick that you can't spoon it into the donut pan.
Best,
Chrystal
Tammy S
Oh my word! These are SO YUMMY! I tripled the batch and ended up with 24 doughnuts. A single batch of frosting was enough to dip the tops of all 24 into with a little leftover.
They are not really sweet alone but with the frosting, they are absolutely perfect. I used vanilla Chorbani oat milk so I omitted the vanilla. I used coconut oil, and “gf Jules” all purpose baking power. I order it from her website. Unfortunately, Bobs Red Mill triggers my gluten allergy but I’ve had great luck with this brand of flour. Perfect for pies! Anyway, back to these divine creations - friends, you have got to try it!
They are spongy and moist, come together easily, and curb that craving for “real” food. My plan is to freeze them individually so I can pull them out when I need a chocolate fix. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe! I’m thrilled with the results!
Anita
Just made these, their are delicious! My kids will be thrilled. Thank you for the recipe.
Jennifer
I made these and they turned out AMAZING! This is my go to now!
Christina
These are soooooo good. Thank you. I found I needed quite a bit more milk for the glaze and I assumed to glaze donuts still warm? So good. Y kids are gonna go bananas when they see and eat these. Never made a donut in my life. Yum yum. Thank you. I’m hooked.
Lindsay
Hi Christina! So glad you loved them! You can glaze them warm, or let them cool first to keep the glaze thick. enjoy 🙂
Terry
These donuts are great. I got 11 mini donuts and I made half the chocolate glaze recipe. I still had some glaze left. Really nice texture and not too sweet even with the glaze. Next time I have just use powdered sugar but this one is surely a keeper. I used a piping bag with a round hole tip and it worked great!!! Thanks so much!!!!
Wendy Stoltz
Thanks Terry, glad you liked the recipe.
Lauren
What kinds of dairy free milks have been tried? I have a organic almond milk but am worried it may have too strong of a flavor??
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Lauren,
Almond milk is a common dairy-free option that works well in baking. It has a mild and slightly nutty flavor, which should not overpower the chocolate taste of the donuts. If you have organic almond milk, it should work fine in the recipe.