Vegan Gluten-free Lemon Donuts Recipe. 1 Bowl or Blender. These baked gluten free doughnuts are amazingly soft and moist. They are Grain-free, Easy, Zesty Chickpea flour Donuts. Use lemon or lime. Baked Vegan Doughnuts. Glutenfree Grainfree Soyfree Yeast-free Paleo Can be nutfree.
I keep trying gluten-free baking on and off. Some recipes that I try from cookbooks turn out ok to a mess. Doughnuts are a difficult baking task esp if made gluten-free, as they are supposed to be soft, moist, airy and a bit chewy. These baked doughnuts come very close. And the best part is that they use a few ingredients(flour lemon, leavening, flavor), no xanthan gum, no rice flour, no oats, no grain!
I looked again to my Indian roots to make these doughnuts. Chickpea flour/besan makes a great dhokla, which is a steamed savory cake. It uses just 1 ingredient, chickpea flour and spices and some leavening and boom, you have a soft, moist cakey bread. I used a similar batter, added a bit of starch to hold the shape better, and some almond flour for texture and volume. You can easily make these without the almond flour. Just add more flour.
These doughnuts come out better with besan. Chickpea flour makes a stronger flavor and slightly less moist version. Yes they are not the same flour. Besan is flour of skinless brown chickpeas or chana dal and chickpea flour in the US is generally white chickpea /garbanzo bean flour. Besan is available online on amazon or in Indian stores(its very cheap in Indian stores). If you use chickpea flour, add more zest and dont store the donught longer than a few hours. The chickpea flour flavor gets more prominent. Lets get to these lemony bites!
* Jump to Recipe!
I used simple sugar glaze on these. Add some chia or poppy seeds on top. or use a cream cheese style frosting. These are good by themselves too. I generally add a drizzle of the glaze rather than dip the entire doughtnut in it. Just a bit of glaze is enough to add the moisture and sweetness.
Fore regular flour Yeasted Classic Doughnuts, see these.
More gluten-free vegan bakes from the blog.
- Zucchini Bread Loaf. GF Gum-free Yeast-free
- Pumpkin Banana Cranberry Bread – GF Yeast-free
- Almond Butter Blondies GF
- Banana Walnut Loaf – GF Gum-free Yeast-free
- Coconut Flour Brownies GF Gum-free
- Lentil Sandwich Bread – GF Gum-free Yeast-free
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So Soft! These take just 1 Bowl or a blender to make! Add a glaze or frosting of choice.
The batter is a thin pancake like batter that is blended and poured into a doughnut pan. The pan is kept on a baking sheet to reduce browning and hence drying of the doughnut surface. Then another baking sheet is kept on top of the pan to trap the moisture during baking, just like steaming a dhokla. This is an essential step so that the baked result is soft and not dry. Almost 3 gm of protein per doughnut, there are pretty filling.
Besan or chickpea flour can be an acquired flavor. The lemon masks a lot of it in these doughnuts. Bake 1 doughnut or a muffin to check how you like the flavor and if the batter is working well. Then adjust the flavor by adding more vanilla, more nutmeg.
If you make these, do let me know how they worked out in terms of flavor, texture. Feedback, suggestions, or anything else, comment on this post and rate the recipe!
Troubleshoot:
Bake 1 doughnut to check the texture and bake time. If the doughnut is a bit gummy, its probably either because it didnt bake through in time, so increase bake time, Or the batter needs more flour (depends on how the flour is packed, other wet measurements, sugar etc). Add a tbsp or so more besan and mix into the batter.
Vegan Gluten-free Lemon Donuts. Grain-free Baked Vegan Doughnuts
Ingredients
Dry:
- 3/4 cup (90 g) besan gram flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch or more besan, you might need an additional tbsp of water with besan
- 2 tbsp almond flour or use more besan
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- Zest of half or whole for zestier a lemon, or whole lime
- 1 tsp baking powder divided
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda.
Wet:
- Juice of a lemon or lime 2 to 2.5 tbsp
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) sugar 1 tbsp more for sweeter
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water scant
- 1/4 cup (56 ml) oil
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup (150 g) raw sugar or powdered
- 1 to 2 tbsp non dairy milk or lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc. Grease the doughnut pan really well. Also keep 2 baking sheets (larger than the pan handy).
- In a blender, add the flour, starch, almond flour, salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder and zest.
- Add the wet ingredients and blend until the sugar is combined and the batter is smooth. you want to add not more than total of 2/3 cup liquid(water and lemon juice). You can also mix these in a bowl. The batter should be like a pancake batter on the thin side.
- Now, add the remaining baking powder and baking soda and pulse a few times to combine or use a spoon to mix in well. Let the mixture sit for a minute to get slightly frothy. The lemon and baking powder will react to make the batter frothy.
- Pour into prepared donut pan. Fill not more than 2/3 of the height. Place doughnut pan on a baking sheet. Place another baking sheet on top. This will create chamber where some of the steam will stay during baking instead of escaping.
- Bake for 11 minutes, them remove the top sheet and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. total 15-16 minutes.
- Take the pan out and let it sit for a minute, then pat to remove the doughnuts. Let the doughnuts cool completely for 15 minutes. Then frost and let the frosting sit for a few minutes then serve. If not serving immediately, store in airtight container for the day.
Easy Glaze:
- Powder the sugar in a blender with 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add to a bowl and add 1 to 2 tbsp non dairy milk or lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. Mix until smooth. Dip donuts in the glaze or drizzle some on the doughnuts. I usually like to drizzle so there is just a bit of glaze and hence less sugar for added moisture.
Notes
If you use chickpea flour, add more zest and dont store the donught longer than a few hours. The chickpea flour flavor gets more prominent. To make these into Muffins/cupcakes: Make the batter by following steps 1 to 4. Pour in a greased muffin pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and place another tall baking sheet on top of the muffin pan. Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees F. Bake for 5 minutes or longer until toothpick from the center comes out clean. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Hello!! I tried baking these donuts, but they didn’t come too well!! I left them for ten more minutes and they never seem to baked right 😢. However, I loved the flavor so I will try to bake them again. One question I’m vegetarian do you have any suggestion so maybe I can use egg or egg whites? I promise I will bake them again and send a picture!!
Can you add more information about what exactly you wasnt right? You can send me a picture so i can see what happened as well
OMG!!!! Why didn’t I find you any sooner?? 😭
My daughter (now 5 yrs old) is allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat, gluten & sesame and THIS is the BEST GF doughnut recipe I’ve found that doesn’t leave an after taste or itches your throat.
Tbh I was a bit sceptic of them tasting like dhokla 🙈 but omg no these are heavenly!! Thank you so much for this 🙌🏼❤️
I’m so happy you found me ! thank yuo
Richa, this is a great recipe, thanks for sharing it! I don’t have a donut pan so I turned these into muffins and they’ve turned out great. My husband and daughter were recently asked to go gluten free due to some health conditions and I follow a vegan diet, and finding vegan + gf recipes that actually work (like this one), is like discovering a gold mine 🙂
that’s great! Thank you for the awesome review
i would love to try it but its just that local stores near me barely have them!
I love all of your recipes, so when I saw vegan richa donut recipe, I knew it will be be good. I didn’t expect to find besan in the ingredients list, nor did I expect them to be this easy. They are delicious! Really really good. As easy as they are, I’ll be making them a lot. My husband wants them with blueberries, so I’ll try that next. Thank you!
These were quite good! I used coconut sugar instead of regular, and I did add that extra tablespoon for added sweetness. I didn’t have a donut pan which is a bummer, but they baked up great in jumbo cupcake pans. I was worried about your warning on the strength of the chick pea flour flavor but I think the coconut sugar may have masked it even more along with the lemon. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
aweesome
Sorry just read your response about the dates. I will try that:)
Hi! Would I be able to substitute the sugar for something else? Like maple syrup or honey?
Thanks!
you can us maple syrup but you would have to reduce the othere liquid in the recipp
Thank you! This looks amazing. Can you recommend a way to make these very low sugar or sugar free or fruit substitute?
you can use some dates and blend them with the water
Thank you! I look forward to trying this!
What a great idea can i do without the glaze ?
Also on the hunt for a gluten free vegan malt loaf recipe and gluten free vegan
Sourdough bread recipe
Do they exist??
Yes you can omit the glaze.
I havent tried a sourdough. You can try this one from one of my blogger friends. https://holycowvegan.net/sourdough-baking/gluten-free-sourdough-baking/
I am not sure what a malt loaf is
I made these as mini muffins this morning, they were divine. They are deliciously lemony with a slightly crisp crust and soft fluffy centre. I used gram flour and the zest and juice of an additional lemon. I’m not sure why it’s necessary to cover the top with a baking sheet. I did this for one muffin pan and it stuck, pulling away the top of the muffins when I removed it. I left the other muffin pan uncovered and it turned out beautifully. Hubby and I polished them off throughout the day, best ever muffins.
Awesome! you need a deep baking sheet, flipped and then put on the pan, so that it has a gap between the top and the sheet. Covering makes them softer and more moist If they are turning out fine without then bake without the sheet.
Hi,
My 18 month old daughter has multiple allergies including but not limited to:
-dairy
-eggs
-soy
-wheat
-PEANUTS!!!!!
-chickpeas
-nuts (except cashew and hazelnut)
:-/
She is now wanting more foods but I am trying to learn all the substitutions for each of the above. I have been feeling defeated but I am trying all that I find.
Your blog is so informative. I feel I have a light at the end of the tunnel.
What are good substitutes for chickpeas?
Do you have a post discussing substitutes?
Thanks so much for your informative blog. It is truly helpful for a newbie like me 🙂
Can she eat other grain flours other than wheat? then you may be able to make these with rye, barley, spelt etc or glutenfree flours such as oat,rice.
I’ve been working with rice flour which doesn’t always work for some of the recipes I tried.
I didn’t realize there were many more alternatives. I will experiment with them all.
Thank you very much!
Yes i dont like rice flour in baking. Low gluten flours like rye, barley, spelt might be your best option.Other glutenfree flours behave like rice flour and dry out a lot on baking esp without added nuts.
Great recipe! I used garbanzo flour with good results, and doubled the lemon peel and juice. Didn’t get a chance to glaze them, they were devoured almost immediately. 😊 Despite copious non-stick sprays on non-stick pans, they still stuck a bit. A little bit crumbly and delicate to pick up but very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
awesome! i think they wont crumble as much if they dont stick. also the glaze will help reduce the crumblyness as it helps like a glue
Can I do these without chickpea/besan? Just almond meal or perhaps a gf flour? I dont care about the grainfree part, but I dont like the chick/besan flours and dont have any on hand. Thanks
You can try them. I made these while experimenting for gluten free donuts, i wasnt aiming for grain free, they just happen to be. Many gf blends taste too earthy too me and i find rice flour blends way too finicky (then end up gummy or too dry etc). Just almond flour + some potato starch (ateast a quarter of the amount of almond flour) should work.
Do you think I could replace the oil with applesauce? Any other oil-free thoughts? Can’t wait to try them – thank you so much!
omit the oil and use 2 tbsp more water
Thanks!
Could I use coconut flour instead of besam/chickpea flour?
nope. coconut flour is a very different flour and needs 10 times more liquid and also needs binding. it will just be crumbly dirt as a direct substitute
They are delicious. Going to have to make another batch.
Made these for a function using mini donut pans.
My teenage (read: picky) daughter came in and ate 1/3 of them – unglazed.
Is their any way to make a chocolate version:
acidify coconut milk?
You can add some cocoa powder, although these do need some lemon for the prebaking rise so you might get lemony chocolate donuts
If you use Dutch cocoa and vinegar for acid you should end up with red velvet donuts.
These are amazing! I made them without looking at the pictures and my batter was definitely thicker than the one shown here, but the result was fantastic. The only comment I have: after I removed the baking sheet on top the donuts were practically as they were when I had put them in the oven 11 minutes before, so I had to cook them a full 15 minutes after this. Maybe because my baking sheets are very thick?
In any case, I’ll keep doing this again and again. Thank you!
hmm,, i am not sure why they took so long. Maybe the thicker batter and taller pan or something?
Not sure… anyway, I made these again, a double batch. I doubled the amount of water, but the dough was still sticky and not liquidy as it looks from the pictures. I think it’s because I didn’t use a mixer, but just stirred all the ingredients together with a spoon. I skipped the step with the cookie sheet on top and still had to bake them a full 30 minutes. The result, once again, was insanely delicious. They remind me of a custardy dessert. Both texture and taste are incredible. Who would think that a dessert made with chickpea flour can be so good? Thanks so much!
hmm that is weird. What flour are you using? The thicker batter/dough might also explain the longer baking time. Can you send me a picture of the flour and the donuts if you have them on my facebook page? or email it to veganricha at gmail. Its interesting that its baking up fine 🙂
Do you think orange would work instead of lemon or lime ? Just picked a bunch off my tree and they are sweet.
the lemon is also adding the sour for the reaction with the baking soda to add air to the batter before baking. Orange should work since it is citrus.
Can I cook these like idlis? I have the pans and pot and I make idlis from time to time and I was thinking that I could do the same with these🧐
Yes you can steam them. If your idli mold has holes, then the batter might leak a bit as its pretty thin.
These are amazing, especially if you need a snack for a long road trip! My boyfriend and I tried these when we drove down to Miami not too long ago. Fab!
Awesome!
I really appreciate all the details you give us with your recipes. Thank you for all your hard work. Take care…
Amaziiingg! Who would have thought chickpea flour rises so much!
Oh wow, these donuts look stunning! I adore anything lemon-flavored! Can’t believe these are grain-free, either!
Have been waiting for this post since you posted the other donut recipe. Thanks! Can’t wait to try them.
Going to try these.! Thanks so much for the recipe. =)
Silly question – but I continue to hunt for a good donut recipe and this could be it – BUT I can’t eat citrus. Beyond flavor, does the lemon have a role as an acid or could I sub a different flavor (pure vanilla, cinammon, etc) and just slightly increase the water?
Thanks for any thoughts you might have,
So these doughnuts work because the citrus reacts with the baking powder and soda to leaven the batter Before it even goes to bake. That part leavening before baking is what makes these light and soft. You could use a different acid to do the reaction. Generally I would use citric acid but that might be citrus as well depending on how it is produced. It might work with some more vinegar but the flavor of the vinegar might show up in the baked doughnut. If you like the cider vinegar flavor, then give it a shot. Make half the recipe. You can also use a stronger flavored glaze or frosting with it.
Thank you!
I have never used besan or garbanzo flour for sweet stuff. I need to try this.
I’m mailing it to my wife who is the gluten free at home and is always complaining about not finding good recipes for sweets.
Thank you Richa! I had only garbanzo flour on had, I’ll try and find besan, and in the meantime maybe make a savory donut with the chickpea? I’ll have to order besan, no Indian grocery stores for 8 hrs! Yum!
you can use garbanzo bean flour. Add a bit more vanilla and eat the doughnuts within a few hours. The flavor gets stronger later with garbanzo.
So what I’m hearing is I can sub the flour as long as I eat all the donuts immediately and share with no one. Got it. Thanks!
You got that right.
Wow, it has been 21 years since I’ve tasted a doughnut. Thank you Richa????
OH MY GOSH! I made these into muffins and they were gobbled up before i could glaze, so making another batch! So good Richa.
It looks good but can we sub corn starch with potato or arrowroot starches to make it totally grain free?
Thanks
yes potato should work fine.
Arrowroot won’t work?
i havent tried it. it should work. When you make the batter, bake 1-2 donuts to check, so you can adjust the batter with a bit more besan flour or additional baking time if needed.
Can I make this with regular all purpose flour? And how much? Thanks
use this reecipe https://www.veganricha.com/2018/10/vegan-lemon-poppy-seed-donuts.html
Me and my nany used this yay