These gluten-free lemon donuts are bursting with citrusy flavor and a soft, fluffy texture! Whether you make them in a donut maker or bake them in the oven, they are quick, easy, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat any time of day. Even better? The gluten-free, dairy-free, and ready in under 25 minutes.
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I first started making these lemon donuts when my kids were little and wanted something fun for breakfast, but I didn’t want to deal with frying in oil or a sticky mess. These gluten-free baked lemon donuts were the perfect solution: soft, zesty, and just sweet enough. They still ask for them whenever we have extra lemons on the counter!
I have tested my recipe with both donut pans and a donut maker, and my kids always go for the lemon drizzle first! They taste so good, made either way!
Are you a donut fanatic? Check out my BEST gluten free donut recipes! I love to make these donuts for the kids. Gluten Free Lemon Desserts
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. Other blends also work, but you may need to adjust the liquid or dry ratios. If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum.
- Almond Flour – Helps add protein and keep the crumb tender. Substitute additional GF flour if nut-free, as listed in the Allergen Information section above.
- Cane Sugar – Helps make the outsides a little golden with crispy edges.
- Baking Powder and Soda – Use aluminum-free baking powder. The baking soda helps give more rise in acidic donut batters.
- Cooking Oil – I like using coconut oil for the slight sweetness, but any light oil will work in this recipe.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I used almond milk, but other dairy-free types of milk will work. Regular milk is also fine to use. If using coconut milk or oat milk, keep an eye on the batter’s thickness because some milks may require an additional tablespoon of flour to balance the moisture.
Flavor Variations:
The beauty of this gluten-free donut recipe with lemon is that you can easily customize the flavor in so many delicious ways.
- 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.
- Dust them in powdered sugar.
- Make a glaze by mixing powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Adjust to be thick or thin by the amount of lemon juice you use.
A Note From My Kitchen
If you’re new to gluten-free baking, here’s a key tip for success with donut batter: avoid overmixing the batter. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined to help keep your donuts light and fluffy. The batter should be thick but spoonable. If it feels too thin (especially with a different flour blend), add a tablespoon of flour.
If you’re using a donut maker, fill each mold about ¾ full so the donuts have room to rise without spilling over. You’ve got this, friend!
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.
How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts (Step-By-Step)
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 and stir gently, just until no dry flour streaks remain. The batter should be thick but spoonable.
Step 4: Preheat your donut maker. Each machine has different directions, so cook them according to the manufacturer’s directions. If you haven’t tried the BabyCakes Donut Maker, I absolutely love mine. (The newer version of this donut maker is square-shaped.)
Step 5: Let the donuts cool fully before icing. If using a lemon glaze or melted white chocolate, dip the tops or drizzle it over for a bakery-style finish.
How to bake gluten-free donuts in the oven:
I frequently receive this question 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 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place them on a cooling rack.
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- Store the donuts in an airtight container. I recommend freezing the donuts if you don’t eat them within two days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze them in a freezer-safe container or zipper bag without icing for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add the glaze just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can definitely use coconut sugar in this gluten free lemon donut recipe. Note that your donuts will have a more brownish color, as coconut sugar is darker in color, similar to brown sugar. To make a sugar-free lemonade drizzle, use honey with a small amount of lemon juice.
The batter for these lemon donuts is too wet to be fried.
Spray your donut pan or donut maker lightly with gluten-free baking spray to help crisp the edges and prevent sticking.
Yes! These gluten-free donuts freeze beautifully.
To make these nut-free, add 1/4 cup extra gluten-free flour blend instead of the almond flour.
More Gluten-Free Donut Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free lemon donut recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out, and which pan or flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Best Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts (No Frying Needed!)
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 light oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup non-dairy milk * see note
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 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 light oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons 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. Other blends should work.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- I highly recommend using almond flour instead of almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy.
- I like using melted coconut oil, but any light oil works well in this recipe.
- 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.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
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.