Easy Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Donuts

If you love hot cocoa as I do, wait until you try these Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Donuts! They make a delicious winter treat! These mini donuts are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, just like the donuts you had before going gluten free! Even better? These little donuts are ready in about 20 minutes!

We are getting a lot of holiday baking done early this year...I have been testing out fun recipes each week, and my kids tell me which recipes are worth making for the blog!

Sometimes recipe development is tough work! Getting these donuts to turn out with that rich hot chocolate flavor took three tries! Luckily my kids are still eager tasters.

These cookies are both perfect for dipping in hot cocoa! They love these Gluten Free Chocolate Mint Madeleines dipped too! These cookies are both perfect for dipping in hot cocoa!

Why Make These Donuts:

1. These delicious donuts are like a comforting mug of hot cocoa but in solid form. I am a hot cocoa lover, and by including hot cocoa powder in the donut batter, these little gluten free hot chocolate donuts have the same flavors!
2. Make them in 20 minutes!
3. They freeze really well, so you can enjoy them anytime!

Dip them into melted chocolate and top with mini marshmallows! If you are a donut fanatic like us, you will want to check out all of my Gluten Free Donut Recipes!!

Allergen Information:

These donuts are gluten-free and soy-free. See the Substitution section below for nut-free and dairy-free options.

Top Pick

King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 lbs

This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)

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Ingredient Notes:

• Gluten Free Flour Blend - I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn't mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
• Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn't
• Almond Flour - I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.
• Hot Cocoa Powder - several brands are gluten free. I suggest Hershey's or Swiss Miss for this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter
• Cocoa Powder - most brands are gluten free. I like Anthony's, Rodelle, and Ghirardelli's brands best.

Substitutions:

• Make this recipe nut-free: Use non-dairy milk that doesn't contain nuts, like rice or coconut milk. Next, omit the almond flour and add an additional ½ cup gluten free flour blend. Note depending on your flour blend, you may need to add more liquid.
• Make this recipe dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and ensure your hot cocoa is dairy-free. Also, note that Cup4Cup brand flour has dried milk powder.

Top Pick

Babycakes Donut Maker, Mini

I love making donuts in this BabyCakes Donut Maker. It is so easy to use, and the donuts cook in just 3 minutes. Clean-up is easy too!

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Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Step 1: Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl. I used a lot of almond flour in my donut recipe. I like that the protein helps balance out the sugars in these donuts.

🔑 Sandi says: If your gluten free flour blend doesn't include xanthan gum, make sure you add one teaspoon!

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and blend them into a semi-thick batter.

Step 3: Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix.

Step 4: Add the donut batter to a BabyCakes Donut Maker. (*Note I have an older model of BabyCakes Donut Maker. The newer ones make 4 donuts at a time.)

Step 5: Allow the gluten free donuts to cool. Once cool, dip each donut in melted dark chocolate. Add your favorite sprinkles and the little marshmallows for decoration!

Donut Maker vs Donut Pan

If you don't have a donut maker, you can easily bake these donuts in a donut pan. I like to use this donut maker because it makes the outsides of the donuts slightly crispy and delicious.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Which Sprinkles Are Gluten Free?

There are many brands of gluten free sprinkles out there, but some, including a very popular brand, use shared equipment. If you are Celiac or very sensitive to gluten, try one of these gluten free sprinkles brands:

• Rainbow Sprinkles by Unpretentious Baker.
• Funfetti star-shaped sprinkles by Supernatural.
• Classic bright sprinkles by Sweetopia.

Enjoy a cup of Rumchata Hot Chocolate with these donuts!

More Gluten Free Donut Recipes:

1. Love ripe bananas? This Gluten Free Banana Donuts recipe is full of yummy banana flavor!
2. These special Gluten Free Gingerbread Donuts are perfect for the holidays or year-round!
3. You will LOVE this Gluten Free Jelly Donuts recipe (these are fried and filled with jelly!)
4. No grain, no refined sugar...no problem with this Paleo Apple Cinnamon Donuts recipe.

📖 Recipe

Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Donuts

Sandi Gaertner

Easy gluten free hot chocolate donuts.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Gluten Free Donut Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 24 donuts

Calories 123 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
• ▢ ¾ cup almond flour * see note
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ dash of salt
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ½ cup butter * see note
• ▢ 1 cup almond milk
• ▢ ½ cup hot cocoa powder (Any sweetened brand!)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ▢ ½ cup melting chocolate for dipping

Instructions

 

• Preheat the BabyCakes Donut Maker. (If using an oven, preheat to 350º F.)
• In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
• Add eggs, melted butter, and almond milk to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add a dollop of donut batter to each section in the donut maker. (If baking in a donut pan, add batter to each donut section.)
• Cook in the donut maker for 3-5 minutes until done. (Bake in oven for 20 minutes.)
• Melt dark chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 45 seconds to melt. Dip each donut into the melted chocolate.
• Optional, add sprinkles.

Video

Notes

1. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
3. Make sure to use a sweetened hot cocoa powder with this recipe.
4. I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.
5. Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
6. To make these donuts dairy-free, use vegan butter.
7. These donuts will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 138IUCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

This post was updated with more details from an older 1/2020 post.

(*This post was updated from an older 12/2018 post with more pictures and better step by step instructions.)