Donuts are overflowing on my kitchen counter and they are looking so good! But these gluten free carrot cake donuts are different – they are not fried or greasy and have the most amazing taste brought on by fresh ingredients like carrots, spices, and sweet glaze or cream cheese frosting.
If you're a carrot cake lover, these donuts are the perfect treat for when you don't have a lot of time to devote to making a whole gluten-free carrot cake. Ready in about an hour, each bite offers a little bit of Heaven as they are light, fluffy, and pure deliciousness. Check out the helpful tips for making these donuts and the step-by-step instructions below.
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Fluffy Baked Carrot Cake Donuts at a Glance
These carrot cake doughnuts taste just like a classic carrot cake, with freshly shredded carrots (see how to shred carrot in this post), making them the perfect choice for an Easter brunch spread or Mother's Day treat. The fluffy texture of these donuts comes from the vegan sour cream (or use vegan Greek yogurt). Besides that, these gluten free carrot donuts also feature:
- Easy-to-bake method in a molded doughnut pan
- Versatile toppings - with cream cheese glaze or frosting options
- Easy substitutions
Ingredients & Substitutions
Simple ingredients list for the donuts:
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is needed for sweetening these delicious donuts. Coconut sugar would work well as a refined sugar substitute. Try Swerve brown sugar sweetener as a sugar replacement.
- Granulated Sugar: The white sugar balances out the brown sugar. Swerve sweetener would be a good sugar substitute.
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is needed for the fat content of the donuts. Other options for the oil include olive oil, melted coconut oil, and canola oil.
- Eggs: This recipe uses 2 whole eggs. If desired, you may use just the egg whites. Or use other egg substitutes, like flax eggs or chia eggs, to make vegan carrot cake donuts. Check out this egg substitute post and this guide to substitutes.
- Vegan Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream: Use either vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream in this recipe as the acid to work with the baking soda base to create lift in the final baked good.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a delicious vanilla flavor to the donuts.
- Carrot: The carrot should be peeled and shredded. There is no substitute for the carrot.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: The gluten free flour blend used in this recipe is balanced with brown rice flour, white rice flour, and starches. I would not recommend substituting it with a single flour or starch like almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour.
- Xanthan Gum: This recipe uses a bit of xanthan gum to bind the ingredients and prevent the donuts from crumbling.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg: Adds delicious spiced flavor to the donuts.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These bases work with the acids (sour cream) to create the fluffy texture of the donuts.
- Salt: The salt brings out the flavors.
- Pecans: Pecans are optional and may be omitted.
Ingredients list for the cream cheese icing:
- Vegan Butter: The vegan butter is needed to cream the powdered sugar.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is a key ingredient in cream cheese icing.
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar is needed to form the icing. A substitute is not recommended.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds a hint of vanilla flavor.
- Almond Milk: The almond milk helps create a light icing. Oat milk, coconut milk or regular milk may be used.
Exact measurements and directions for making this carrot cake donuts recipe are in the recipe card below.
Making Gluten Free Carrot Cake Donuts
STEP ONE: In a large bowl, add the sugars and oil and mix well until full combined.
STEP TWO: Add in the yogurt or sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix again until fully combined.
STEP THREE: In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients - the gluten free flour, psyllium husk powder, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - mix until combined.
STEP FOUR: Add the dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl of wet ingredients and mix until no spots of flour remain.
STEP FIVE: Add in the shredded carrot and chopped nuts and stir until combined.
STEP SIX: After the batter rest time, portion the donut batter into two prepared donut pans (6 donuts each, see below for Recipe Variations).
STEP SEVEN: Bake the donuts at 425F for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350F to continue baking for another 7 minutes.
STEP EIGHT: Allow the donuts to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing form the pan to cool completely. Serve as-is or top with glaze or cream cheese frosting.
Storage Tips
Baked donuts will last for up to 2 days in an airtight container. If they have been frosted or glazed, the topping will take on a 'runny' consistency. It will not impact the taste.
If you need to store them longer, place the donuts in a freezer safe bag and freeze. Defrost donuts in the microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute.
Recipe Variations & Add-ins
There are a few ways to vary this recipe:
- Make mini donuts using a mini donut pan.
- Top the frosted donuts with chopped nuts.
- Sprinkle the unfrosted donuts with powdered sugar.
- Sprinkle the donuts (frosted, glazed, or plain) with sea salt.
- Top the frosted donuts with mini chocolate chips.
Pro Tips
1. Use a piping bag for piping out the batter
A simple plastic bag is one of your best kitchen tools – use it for fillings, frostings AND filling up a donut pan! In this gluten free carrot cake donut recipe, the batter is poured into the bag and then once you snip off the edge, it can be easily portioned into the pan. And you don’t make a mess in the process.
Oh, and wondering what type of donut pan I use? Here’s the one I love: Wilton Donut Pans
2. Toast the pecans
I’ve used untoasted pecans in this recipe before and let me tell you, it is not the same. Toasting the pecans just brings out a deep richness that just doesn’t compare. They’re easy to toast too – just spread them evenly on a plate and place them in the microwave, watching them closely, microwave on high for 1 – 3 minutes, depending on the intensity you prefer.
3. Make the icing
It just doesn’t get any better than homemade cream cheese icing on top of these donuts. And it’s incredibly easy to mix up – just some cream cheese and powdered sugar and you have an icing that’s fit for a king, or donut in this case! Just a sprinkling of pecans and you’re all ready enjoy these little bites of yum.
FAQs
This recipe was tested with the flour blend used here. Other blends may work but they have not all been tested.
These gluten free carrot cake donuts are cake donuts, which are a bit denser due to the lack of yeast in the donut. I should note, they are not dense donuts, but they are not as lightweight as a yeast donut would be!
Feel free to use either a glaze, regular icing, or cream cheese icing, to top these donuts. Or forego all of them and enjoy them as-is or with a dusting of powered sugar.
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Recipe
Best Baked Gluten Free Carrot Cake Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 105 grams brown sugar about ½ cup
- 50 grams granulated sugar about ¼ cup
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegan sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 200 grams gluten free flour blend about 1 ½ cups
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans + ¼ cup toasted optional
Cream Cheese Icing
- 3 Tablespoons vegan butter softened
- 4 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoon almond milk
Instructions
Carrot Cake Donuts
- In a large bowl, mix together the sugars and the oil.
- Add in the vegan sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, mixing well.
- In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.
- Add in the shredded carrot and mix just until combined. Fold in the ½ cup chopped pecans.
- Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Spray two donut pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Transfer the batter to a large plastic bag. Snip off a corner and evenly pipe the better into the donut pans.
- Bake the donuts at 425 F for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 7 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the donuts to a cooking rack.
Icing
- In a medium bowl, beat the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese. Add in the vanilla, then the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add in the milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until the cream cheese icing is thin enough to spread easily.
- Once the donuts are cool, spread the tops of the donuts with a dab of icing then sprinkle with the toasted pecans. Repeat with remaining donuts.
Notes
- Measure the ingredients by weight where weight is given.
- To easily portion these donuts, snip a hole in a plastic bag and portion the batter out.
- Easily toast pecans in the microwave - just be sure to watch them as they can burn easily.
Nutrition
Original pictures:
Michele Nakamura
Can i make these in a muffin pan? Dont want to buy something i may only use one time. Thanks
Christine
Hi Michele,
You could but you'd need to extend the baking time. I have not made them in one but try baking them at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes.
Hope that helps!