If you're looking for classic style gluten free fried doughnuts, with a twist, look no further! This is a twisted take on a classic gluten free doughnut, and while I serve these with cinnamon and sugar, there's nothing wrong with your favorite topping on them.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Twists
Do you miss doughnuts? I did too, and that's why I created this and many other gluten free doughnut recipes.
I went a little crazy once I found a good recipe for gluten free yeast doughnuts. I've done Black Raspberry Jelly Doughnuts and Chocolate Doughnuts and now I'm sharing the gluten free Cinnamon Twists. It feels like I make them all the time now. I don't leave time to miss them.
It was difficult finding and creating a good yeast doughnut recipe. Most of the Gluten free doughnut recipes out there are for cake doughnuts, which are good in their own right, but if you're craving that classic yeast doughnut you're out of luck.
Gluten Free Fried Doughnut Recipe
These doughnuts are an awesome way to treat yourself and friends to a sweet snack. I recommend inviting a few people over so you don't eat most of them yourself. More than once have I found myself eating to many in one sitting.
They are fluffy, yeasty, and flavorful. They are the closest thing to a 'real' doughnut I've had since going gluten free. The base recipe for the dough is perfect for any doughnut topping and I'm working on making fritters with the dough.
Like their gluten cousin, they are best eaten fresh. As they get older they lose their soft fluffiness and become more cake-like and flat. I've had them as day-olds before, they go well with coffee but aren't as satisfying.
How to make Gluten Free Cinnamon Twist Doughnuts
These gluten free cinnamon twist fried doughnuts include just a few simple ingredients.
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Cashew milk or preferred non- dairy milk
- Coconut oil
- Bob's Red Mill's gluten free 1 to 1 flour
- Salt
- Eggs
- Corn Starch
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
That's it, just simple wholesome ingredients.
The first step is to heat milk and coconut oil in a microwave. I use cashew milk to control the fat content and make the recipe dairy free. You can switch to a different milk but I would keep the fat content low. Once this is heated you add in sugar and instant yeast. Leave this to proof for a few minutes until it gets nice and bubbly.
While the liquid is proofing, combine the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda, in a large bowl. After the liquid has proofed add the eggs into the liquid and lightly whisk together. Then add the liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir until it becomes a sticky dough. Let this sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flours to absorb more liquid and become less sticky.
After letting the dough rest, use corn starch to dust your work surface and hands. Then grab a golf ball sized amount of dough, roll into a log and then twist by pulling the two ends towards you and then crisscrossing as far as it will go. If you've used too much corn starch, you can mist with spray bottle of water after you've moved the doughnuts to a baking tray to rise.
Pro Tip: Use a bench scraper or solid spatula to move the raw doughnuts. This dough is very delicate and the scraper will help to keep its shape. Don't worry if the doughnut gets all wonky though, they still fry up wonderfully and taste great. From the pictures, you can see some of mine started to bend.
Delicious fried doughnuts - gluten free!
After you've shaped all the doughnuts and have them placed on a baking tray (misted with water if needed), cover the tray with plastic wrap. Then place in a cold oven. Alternatively, you can place a dish towel over the plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area. Then let the doughnuts rise for at least 40 minutes, they might need longer if it's cold out. They won't double in size like normal doughnuts but they will puff out.
When the doughnuts are about ready you set up your fry oil. I use a cast iron Dutch oven or a countertop fryer but you can use what you have. You want the oil to be at least 1 ½" to 2" deep in whatever pan you use. Bring the oil to 325F for frying. This is a lower fry temp but it allows the doughnuts to cook all the way through without overcooking the outsides. Gluten-free flours don't soak up oil the way wheat flour does so we can get away with having a lower fry temperature.
Once the oil is to temp, use the scraper/spatula to help move the doughnuts into the oil. If you've misted the doughnuts with water they will be very delicate and can loose their shape if you're not careful. Fry the doughnuts, turning often, until all sides are golden brown (less than 2 minutes). I use a metal mesh strainer and a chopstick to help me turn the doughnuts and remove them. Once they are done, removed them from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined tray.
When all the doughnuts are cooked, coat them with cinnamon and sugar and enjoy.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Twist Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup cashew milk Or your preferred non-dairy milk alternative
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill's gluten free 1-to-1 flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cornstartch
Instructions
- Combine the cashew milk and coconut oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Heat for 1 minute in the microwave.
- In your mixing bowl place the yeast and the sugar. Add the heated milk/oil mixture and let it proof for 3 minutes. The yeast should activate and create bubbles.
- While your yeast is proofing combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl.
- After 3 minutes, add the eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk. Then slowly add the flour mixture until it is fully combined and becomes a dough. It will be a little sticky.
- Using the corn starch, dust your working surface, your roller and your hands. Remove the dough, top it with some cornstarch, and roll it out to ½" thick.
- Cut off a 1-inch by 2-inch piece of dough and roll into a long tube about ½ thick and 4-inchs long, then twist into shape. Place the doughnuts on a tray, cover with cling wrap and then a kitchen towel. Leave them in a warm area for 1 hour to rise.
- After 50 minutes, heat your oil. You will want 1 ½" to 2 " of oil in your fry pan. This is also a great time to mix together your cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl or pie plate.
- Once the oil is hot enough (somewhere between 350 and 375F) add in a doughnut (if your pan is large enough you can add more but try not to overcrowd them). The doughnuts will take less than a minute on each side, once they are golden on both sides remove them to a paper towel-lined tray and allow to cool slightly**. Do not overcook or they will burn and crumble.
- Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle place them one at a time in the cinnamon and sugar. Carefully remove the doughnut and enjoy.
Notes
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