Baked Donuts

These low-FODMAP baked cake donuts swap wheat flour for a gluten-free 1:1 blend and use lactose-free milk, then finish with a simple vanilla or chocolate glaze.

Prep 15 min

Cook 12 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

For the donuts

• 1 1/4 cups (175g) gluten-free 1:1 flour blend, rice and starch based (avoid blends built on chickpea, lentil, or soy flour)
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already lists xanthan or guar gum)
• 1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) lactose-free milk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or 1/4 cup neutral oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze (choose one)

• Vanilla: 1 cup (120g) confectioners' (powdered) sugar, 2 to 3 tsp lactose-free milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate: 1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar, 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 to 4 tsp lactose-free milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Mix the batter

1. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 6-cavity standard donut pan well, including the center posts.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the sugar, egg, lactose-free milk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and scoopable.

Fill and bake

1. Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off, then pipe it into each cavity until about two-thirds full so the center hole stays open.
2. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the donuts out onto a rack and cool completely before glazing.

Glaze

1. Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the vanilla and (for chocolate) the cocoa powder.
2. Add the lactose-free milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Dip the top of each cooled donut into the glaze, let the excess drip off, then set back on the rack for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.

Tips & Substitutions

• Check your flour blend for gums. Many GF 1:1 blends already contain xanthan or guar gum. If yours does, skip the added xanthan so the crumb does not turn gummy.
• Read the flour and sugar labels. Confectioners' sugar is sucrose plus a little cornstarch, both low-FODMAP. Skip any GF blend or specialty sugar that adds inulin or chicory root fiber.
• Keep the cocoa modest. Two tablespoons of cocoa split across six donuts stays well within a low-FODMAP serve. Check the Monash app for the current cocoa serving if you are still in the elimination phase.
• Bring the milk and egg to room temperature. Cold ingredients seize the melted butter into flecks and give you a patchy batter.
• No donut pan. Bake the batter in a greased 6-cup muffin tin for 14 to 16 minutes for donut muffins instead.
• Dairy-free version. Use a neutral oil in place of the butter and a low-FODMAP milk such as almond or macadamia in both the batter and the glaze.

Why This Works

• A gluten-free blend removes wheat fructans. Wheat flour is the main FODMAP concern in a cake donut. A rice-and-starch blend keeps the tender crumb without the fructan load.
• Xanthan gum is low-FODMAP. In the small amount used here it is well tolerated and replaces the structure that gluten normally provides.
• Lactose-free milk keeps it gentle. The lactose in regular milk is the trigger. Lactose-free milk is treated with lactase so the sugar is already broken down, and it carries the same moisture.
• Sucrose and cocoa stay safe. White sugar, confectioners' sugar, and a small amount of cocoa are low-FODMAP, so the donuts and glaze skip honey, agave, and polyol sweeteners.

Storage

Store glazed donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days and bring back to room temperature before eating. Unglazed donuts freeze well: wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw and glaze the day you serve them. They are best the day they are made, since gluten-free baked goods firm up as they sit.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.