Gluten free lemon donuts are the perfect homemade baked donuts to make for breakfast or brunch, and these gluten free lemon donuts are dairy-free too! This easy gluten free donuts recipe is quick; the little lemon donuts are ready to eat in under 20 minutes.
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Lemon gluten free donuts are the snack my kids love when they get home from school. Drizzle icing on top, or eat these lemon gluten free donuts plain! They are bursting with delicious lemon flavor!
Just look at those little lemon gluten free donuts, and you can see how moist and delicious they are! If you love donuts as much as we do, you will check out my BEST gluten free donut recipes! I love to make these donuts for the kids. This easy gluten-free donuts recipe is much less guilty because I used applesauce to keep these gluten-free doughnuts super moist and reduce the sugar in this recipe.
My gluten free lemon tart recipe and my gluten free lemon bundt cake recipes are other great ways to use up those lemons :-). A delicious breakfast addition would be these gluten free lemon poppy seed muffins.
These moist and delicious gluten free donuts are so quick and easy to make with this Babycakes Mini Donut Maker. From start to finish, we had little lemon donuts in under 15 minutes!! If you don’t have a donut maker, I include directions for baking in the oven! For even more delicious lemon desserts, check out my Gluten Free Lemon Desserts!
Allergen Information:
This lemon donut recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. You can easily make this gluten free lemon donut recipe nut-free! To make these nut-free, add 1/4 extra gluten free flour blend instead of the almond flour.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours.
- Almond flour – helps add some protein, so there isn’t a big sugar crash after eating one or two of these….(okay, maybe more like four or five. These are hard to resist!)
- Cane Sugar and Salt
- Baking Powder and Soda- Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Coconut Oil – Or another light oil.
- Apple Sauce and Lemon Juice
- Non-Dairy Milk – I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. Regular milk is also fine to use.
A Note About Gluten Free Flour
Every single gluten free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. This affects the moisture level of what you are baking. If your batter seems runny, you will need to add more flour. If your donut batter is too dry, you will need to add more non-dairy milk.
Variations:
The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily customize the flavor.
- Omit the lemon, and you have a delicious vanilla donut.
- Add white chocolate chips.
- Add blueberries or raspberries, which would taste delicious with this lemon donut.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
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Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until “just barely mixed.” This will help keep your donuts light and fluffy.
Step 4: Preheat your donut maker. When the light indicates it is hot, add batter to each donut section. Close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the cooked donuts and place them on a rack to cool.
Step 5: Allow the donuts to cool completely. Drizzle icing over them or dip them in white chocolate.
Donut Baking Instructions:
I get this question a lot from my readers. I tend to use this little donut maker in most of my donut recipes. It is easy to use, making my donuts taste like they were fried…but they aren’t!
It takes about 5 minutes to bake donuts in a donut maker. If you prefer to use a donut pan, bake these gluten free lemon donuts at 350º F for 20 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place them on a cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I suggest spraying the donut pan or donut maker with a little coconut oil or gluten-free baking spray so the outside of the donut gets a little crispy.
You can definitely use coconut sugar in this gluten free lemon donut recipe. Note your donuts will be more of a brown color as coconut sugar is dark like brown sugar. To make a sugar-free lemonade drizzle, use honey with a small amount of lemon juice.
Store the donuts in an airtight container. I recommend freezing the donuts if you don’t eat them within two days.
Reader Raves:
These were very good. Didn’t have applesauce so used vanilla yogurt. Added a tsp of agar-agar. Used Monk fruit as sweetener. Drizzled with honey and lemon mixture.”
Rachel St. M, Pinterest user.
More Gluten Free Donut Recipes:
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts
- Easy Gluten Free Vanilla Pudding Donuts
- Gluten Free Apple Fritters
- Fried Gluten Free Jelly Donuts
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Lemon Donuts (Dairy-Free too!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cup almond flour * see note
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unflavored applesauce
- ⅔ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup non-dairy milk * see note
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all d1 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup cane sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Whisk to blend.
- In a medium bowl, add 2 large eggs,1/2 cup unflavored applesauce, 2/3 cup melted coconut oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 cup non-dairy milk. Whisk to blend.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Donut Maker:
- Preheat the Babycakes Mini Donut Maker.
- Put a little lemon donut batter into each section of the donut maker.
- Cook in the donut maker for 5 minutes until done.
- Remove the donuts and put them onto a cooling rack.
Oven Baking:
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray the donut pan with gluten-free baking spray if you are baking in a donut pan.
- Pipe or spoon the lemon donut batter into each section of the donut pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes (depending on the size of the donut pan). Remove the donuts from the oven and place them on a cooling rack
- Ice, frost, or eat the donuts plain.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk. I used 1/2 cup, but starchier gluten free flour blends may need more milk.
- These donuts will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container, or for 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, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
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.
Had everything for these and hadn’t used the donut maker I inherited from my grandma yet. Yum! I did have some blueberries I need to finish up, so lemon blueberry donuts for a morning snack. I offered to glaze them, but Hubs preferred them plain.
I love you added blueberries. I saw you post the photo of the donuts you made with this recipe, they looked so good!
When making nut free, you say (in two places) to substitute “1/4 extra” of the gluten free flour in place of the almond flour. Does that mean “1/4 CUP extra”?
Hi Toni, you add 1/4 additional flour blend and omit the almond flour.
Where is the milk in this recipe? I don’t see it in the ingredients, but you mention it in the notes and also in some of the comments.
Hi Laura, You will need 1/2 cup of milk or non-dairy milk. Thank you!
If we wanted to try these as a vegan Donut, do you have any suggestions on replacing the eggs?
I would recommend Bob’s Egg Replacer powder…I used it in this vegan donut recipe: https://www.fearlessdining.com/amazing-gluten-free-egg-free-vanilla-donuts/ I would mirror it and add the lemon juice/zest.
Great, thank you for the feedback. We will let you know how they turn out. 🙂
Do you have to use the almond flour, or can you use all Bob’s Red Mill?
Hi Liza, you can make them nut-free, but you need to use less flour than the almond flour quantity. Almond flour absorbs a lot less moisture. To make these NUT FREE, instead of the almond flour, add ¼ extra gluten free flour blend.
First off, just a quick “housekeeping note”, your actual recipe lists almond MEAL for the ingredient, but the Amazon link, and the footnote, both refer to/strongly suggest using almond FLOUR, NOT almond meal. So that might be worth fixing on the recipe, so as not to confuse readers/cause any problems for those who might skip the footnotes. 🥰
Secondly, We loved these donuts! We did replace the coconut oil with avocado, (with three littles and no microwave, taking the time to melt the coconut oil on stove/oven, and then wait for it to cool a bit so as not to fry the eggs in the batter, is just not going to happen. 🤦🏻♀️) so the batter was on the runnier side. Because of this, we had to fiddle around with the time/temp a bit to find out what worked best, and the *ahem* 2nd, 3rd, or 4th batch we made, we did skimp a bit on the liquid ingredients/added a smidge more flour to help with the batter consistency… so we’re still tweaking to find the best way to use the recipe with avocado oil, but overall, they were super yummy! 😋 TIP: If you LOVE lemon like we do, adding several drops of lemon essential oil really helps punch up the lemon flavor.
Hi Ariel, thanks for the housekeeping note. I will check that. As for the avocado oil, it shouldn’t be any different than the coconut oil. What gluten free flour blend are you using? The starchier mixes tend to turn out more liquidy than others. My guess is that is your problem, not the fact that you are using avocado oil.
Wow! So easy! So good! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed them Kiki 🙂
Would flax eggs work with this recipe?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Can I bake them in the oven? At what temperature and for how long?
Hi Nav, you can definitely bake them in the oven. You can use a donut pan, or in a muffin tin if you are in a pinch.
What temperature would you bake these at…350? 375? In the oven.
Thanks
Hi Brenda, Bake at 350º degrees for about 15-20 minutes. The time will really depend on the size and depth of the donut pan you are using.
Can I still deep fry these? We are having a family donut day and I wanted something for my son in law. I don’t have a donut maker or pan.
Hi Becky, I am not sure if the donuts will keep their shape as the dough is a bit wetter than regular fried donut dough. Try my fried gluten free fried jelly donuts recipe. That dough is better for frying.
To make it nut free, you said to add 1/4 extra gf flour. Do you mean to omit almond flour and add 1/4 cup extra of gf flour or to add 5/8 cup extra? That would be 1/4 of 1 1/4 cup. Thanks!
Hi Linda, You need less almond flour because it absorbs less liquid. You would omit the almond flour and add 1/4 additional gluten free flour blend. I hope this helps.
Hi, what could I use as a sub for the coconut oil? Olive oil, butter?
Thanks, Richard
Hi Richard, I would recommend butter or light oil like canola or avocado. Olive oil would impart too much of an off-flavor. Thank you, Sandi
What can I use to replace applesauce?
Hi Caroline, I haven’t made this without the applesauce. Perhaps a different fruit like pear sauce?
Can canola oil be substituted for coconut oil. My son is allergic to coconut.
Thanks
Hi Betty, I haven’t tried canola oil in this recipe, but I don’t see it would cause a problem…please come back and let us know how it turns out.
I am celiac so i eat truly gluten free which means no grains what-so-ever thus no Gluten free flours. Ay idea on other flours like Cassava to replace the first ingredient in your list… your ” gluten free flour blend”?I have been checking out all of your baking and they look yummy but include this so I would end up in the ER if i used it.man other than that this recipe looks spot on great.
Hi Sandi, that is a tough question. I use Casava flour, but haven’t tried it in this recipe. Cassava is very light and airy compared to the regular gluten free flour blend I used for this recipe (Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Blend.) I will add trying it out with Cassava flour instead of my blend, but it may be a bit before I have time to make it. If you try first, do let me know how it turns out.
I see alot of your recipes are also dairy free. if I substituted milk and butter for your non dairy items in the same amounts would they still work?
Hi Makayla, it should be fine to substitute butter and milk, but please know I haven’t tested it. I would love it if you would come back and let us know how it works for you. Thank you!
When the recipe says it makes 18, that’s 18 mini donuts, correct? We are needing to be gluten free and I never thought I’d get to eat donuts again – yours look so close to the real thing you’ve given me hope!
Hi Diana, you are correct, 18 mini donuts, or 6 donuts if you make these in a donut pan.
I use mini donut pans in the oven (18 mini donuts each) and get at least 80 to 90 donuts from this recipe as written!
Hi Sandi, your recipe looks very interesting. I don’t want to buy a donut maker or a donut pan. Don’t have room for môre gadgets or baking pans. Can I try this with a mini muffin pan. Thanks.
Hi Nikki, I haven’t tried it in a muffin tin, but I don’t see why not. Please come back and let me know how they turned out 🙂
Lovely recipe. I used coconut flour instead of almond flour and they came out great.
I am so glad you liked these Jo. Thank you so much for your kind note. Great that the coconut flour worked well :-).
Is it 1/4 of a tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice? I just wanted to clarify it wasn’t 1/4 or something else plus 1 tablespoon before I made them. Thanks!
Hi Bonnie, it is 1 tablespoon plus 1/4. I wanted a little more lemon flavor in these donuts. Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy these donuts!!
Any suggestions how to cook them without a donut maker please? Thanks
Hi Rosemary,
You could use a donut pan and bake them in the oven. Just spray coconut oil on the pan so the edges get a little crisp. Thank you so much for stopping by 🙂
What temperature and for how long please?
Hi Suhail. I don’t bake the donuts so I can only suggest you bake at 350 degrees and watch to see when they are done. The donut maker cooks them in 4 minutes, but that is very different from the baking you want to try.
I bake these in silicon mini donut pans at 350. 15 minutes is just about perfect. Yum!
Hi Angi, thank you so much for letting us know this recipe works in a donut pan too! I am so glad you liked them 🙂
Hi. Thank you so much for the post. my daugther has egg white allergy. Can I omit the egg igredient completely?
I would think an egg replacer would work fine in this recipe.
These look so good Sandi! We can’t use almond flour either but will sub as you suggested. Will let you know how they turn out.
I hope the boys enjoy it Cindy 🙂 I should just start mailing you care packages!
I’ve always wanted a donut maker. My kids would be in complete donut heaven. I’ve been GF for awhile so these are a great recipe to start with.
If you give it a light spray of coconut oil before putting in the dough, it gives the outsides a crispiness like real donuts.
Any suggested replacement s for almond meal as my LO has but allergy as well.
Hi Megan, to maintain the moistness of these…I suggest substituting the 3/4 c almond flour with 2/3 cup additional gluten free flour blend and then increase the applesauce by another 1/4 cup. Please let me know how they turn out 🙂