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Home » Breakfast » Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Donuts

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Donuts

March 20, 2020 by Kathryn 14 Comments

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These Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Donuts are so fluffy and soft and packed full of chocolate then dipped in a one-minute chocolate ganache. Perfect for any morning baking project!

Another day practicing social distancing, another baked treat to make with the kids. The future is scary and uncertain right now, but having the kids stick to their normal schedule as much as possible and creating something every day, whether it be these donuts or a painting, has been helping us keep what little sanity we have left.

row of chocolate donuts on cooling rack with white kitchen towel

The kids are obsessed with helping me make stuff in the kitchen, which is fun because I get to teach them what makes things rise, expose them to new ingredients, and maybe...just maybe...have them develop a deeper appreciation for the food that magically pops up on their plates a few times each day.

Kitchen projects also fill up some time...and sometimes on these days that seem like they will never end...this isn't such a bad thing.

side view of donuts covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with gold star sprinkles

The kids especially like the end -- dipping the donuts in a one-minute chocolate ganache and liberally sprinkling the donuts with their favorite sprinkles.

I mean, who doesn't like the therapeutic, slow placing of each sprinkle onto the donuts? It's mind numbingly amazing for me -- and a sharp contrast to the kids' method -- dumping an entire container of sprinkles on one donut.

The Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts You'd Never Know Are Gluten Free

My husband likes to stay away from gluten as much as possible (but he lives with me), so I've been experimenting with more gluten free baking lately. For months I haven't been happy with the texture of so many of my gluten free baked goods I experimented with. They were too tough or too gummy.

hand holding chocolate donut that's been bitten with other donuts in background

After a lot of trial and error, I would challenge you to make these donuts and taste any difference. They're perfect for the gluten-free lovers in your life or the gluten-full...and you could always make these with all-purpose flour if you didn't have gluten free flour on hand (and didn't need them to be gluten free, of course) The correct ratio of gluten free flour and buttermilk are the keys to keeping the batter soft and moist.

Gluten Free Flour

I use King Arthur's Gluten Free Measure to Measure Flour you can get on Amazon or at your local grocery store. As long as the recipe doesn't require yeast (and this one doesn't), this gluten free flour should be a pantry staple, as you can use it in any number of your favorite recipes in place of all-purpose flour. No other special ingredients are required.

bowl with chocolate donut batter ready to be put in plastic bag

Ingredients and Equipment You'll Need

These ingredients make 9 very large, fluffy donuts. Just maybe you could eek 10 out of the recipe, but I'd recommend you double the recipe if you want more! Here's what you'll need:

  • semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • espresso powder (optional)
  • gluten free measure-to-measure flour
  • cocoa powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • granulated sugar
  • egg
  • sour cream
  • vanilla extract
  • buttermilk

I used these donut pans to make perfectly round, smooth-on-top donuts. They're great -- and not very expensive. Other than that, you'll need a hand or stand mixer, a couple of bowls, and measuring cups and spoons.

3 bowls and 1 measuring cup full of ingredients needed for gluten free chocolate donuts

Tips for Making These Beauties

  • Once you've made your batter, place the batter in a quart-sized plastic bag and cut an inch off one of the ends. This will help you pipe the batter neatly into the donut cavities so you have less mess.
  • Once the donuts have cooled a couple of minutes (they don't need very long), go ahead and make your chocolate ganache. By the time your ganache is ready, your donuts will be cool enough to handle.
donut pan with chocolate donut batter in each cavity with bowl and plastic bag next to it.

Decorating is the Best Part

The chocolate ganache is truly a must. It takes one minute to make in the microwave, simply by melting chocolate chips with heavy cream. It's the same chocolate ganache I use in my Double Chocolate Bundt Cake (another great baking project idea!).

The top with your favorite sprinkles. You know the ones -- the ones that put a smile on your face. Those ones. I used these larger gold stars and these smaller star sprinkles to create an ethereal effect that makes me smile.

side view of gluten free chocolate donut

Making Homemade Buttermilk

No worries if you're like me and rarely have buttermilk. To make your own, place 1 Tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and then pour enough milk in the measuring cup until you hit exactly 1 cup. Give it a gentle stir and then let it sit for about 5 minutes until the milk curdles. Voila! Homemade buttermilk!

Storing These Donuts

These donuts can be stored at room temperature. They're still great the next day as long as you store them in an airtight container. These donuts don't last too long in our house, so I've never tested them on Day 3.

up close shot of two chocolate donuts on cooling tray

More Breakfast Sweets

We all need sweets to brighten our days ahead, right? Try this Blueberry Breakfast Cake with Lemon Drizzle or these Baked Mini Donuts. I also love Ina Garten's French Toast Bread Pudding.

Stay safe and be well!
xox

As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Donuts

These Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Donuts are so fluffy and soft and packed full of chocolate then dipped in a one-minute chocolate ganache. Perfect for any morning baking project!
4.67 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast sweets, donuts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 9 donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups gluten free measure-to-measure flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the ganache:

  • ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a donut pan.
  • In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and espresso powder together in 30 second increments until completely melted. Set aside.
  • In a medium sized bowl, combine gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix sugar, egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in melted chocolate and espresso powder. Alternate between mixing in flour mixture and buttermilk until combined.
  • Place donut batter into quart-sized plastic bag. Cut edge off and carefully pipe batter into each cavity until ¾ full. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until center is set when poked with toothpick.
  • While donuts are cooling, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until completely melted. Dip top of donuts in ganache, place on cooling rack, and decorate with sprinkles.
6 chocolate donuts on cooling rack with gold star sprinkles around them

More Breakfast

  • Easy Sourdough French Toast
  • Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie
  • Easy Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
  • Homemade Hash Browns

Reader Interactions

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  1. Amy

    March 21, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    Wow these look fantastic! I can't wait to try them

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 21, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Thanks so much, Amy. They really are SO good!

      Reply
  2. Aimee Mars

    March 21, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    These donuts look amazing and no I can't believe they're gluten-free! I know my kids will love them too. I can't wait to try out this recipe.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 21, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      Yesssss! Let me know how you like them! <3

      Reply
  3. Cindy

    March 21, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious recipe for my family. My son and I have to be GF so we are always hunting for yummy recipes. We found that in yours!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 23, 2020 at 10:22 am

      5 stars
      Thanks so much, Cindy! Hope you love them!

      Reply
  4. Lara

    March 23, 2020 at 12:15 am

    4 stars
    They were really good, but where did the recipe mention to put the semi sweet chips and espresso powder into the batter? I just added it in after I mixed everything. They did taste great and rich and definitely a cake donut since it’s baked. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 23, 2020 at 10:24 am

      UGH, Lara! This is the second time I've done something stupid like this this week. I edited the recipe. You'll add it right after you cream your sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. I'm going too fast for my own good. So glad you liked them!

      Reply
  5. toni

    March 26, 2020 at 7:51 am

    cant wait to make these! Sounds delish!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 26, 2020 at 10:21 am

      Yay! Let me know how you like them!

      Reply
  6. Maureen

    January 11, 2022 at 4:07 pm

    4 stars
    Delicious - easy to make ! Not a heavy testing donut , which I like 😃

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 11, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Thanks, Maureen! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Wilma

    March 26, 2022 at 2:10 pm

    Do you know how these donuts will freeze? I need to make them ahead and would like to freeze them and take them out the day I need them. To busy these day.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 26, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      Hi, Wilma. I've never frozen these donuts so I'm not 100% sure but I don't see why this would be a problem! Let me know how it goes if you try it!

      Reply

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Hey, y'all!

I'm Kathryn! Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.

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