Carrot Cake Donuts (Gluten-Free)

Name: Carrot Cake Donuts (Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts; 1 1/4 cup oat flour; 1/4 cup vanilla plant-based protein powder; 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk; 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup liquid egg whites; 2 tablespoons honey; 1/2 cup finely grated carrot; 1/2 cup unsweetened medium coconut; 1/3 cup white chocolate chips; 1/2 tablespoon virgin (cold-pressed coconut oil); 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut

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Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are soft and cakey with a warming mix of spices, coconut and carrot. They're also gluten-free with an irresistible white chocolate and coconut topping, and can easily be made dairy-free.

Overhead view of carrot cake donuts arranged on a cooling rack.

Table of Contents

Details on a few ingredients
How to make baked carrot cake donuts
Frequently asked questions
Recipe tips and substitutions
Other gluten-free baked donut recipes
More carrot cake recipes
📖 Recipe

*This post was originally published in March 2018. It has been updated with new photos and text, including helpful tips for readers and minor adjustments to the recipe.

Easter is just a few days away, and it will be a different kind of celebration this year. While we won't be getting together with family, I still hope to bake some goodies and drop them off on doorsteps.

And these carrot cake donuts will definitely be in the goodie packages.....if I don't eat them all first!

Carrot donuts on a wire rack and topped with white chocolate and coconut.

Details on a few ingredients

Oat flour - This is a whole-grain flour made simply from rolled oats. It's high in fibre and normally gluten-free. It's great in muffins and pancakes, and works well in donuts too.
Protein powder - Vanilla protein powder adds a hint of sweetness to these donuts as well as some extra protein. This recipe has been tested with a plant-based protein powder that's gluten-free and vegan. I haven't tested it with whey protein or unflavored protein powder.
Apple sauce - I love adding apple sauce to baked goods for added moisture. It doesn't affect the taste but enhances the texture. This recipe calls for unsweetened apple sauce in order to minimize the amount of added sugar. But if you only have sweetened apple sauce, you can still use it. Just note that your donuts will be sweeter.
Liquid egg whites - I always have liquid egg whites on hand to make omelettes and protein pancakes, so I used a quarter of a cup in this recipe. If you only have eggs, I would suggest using the egg whites from two whole eggs.

How to make baked carrot cake donuts

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, except the coconut.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, except the carrot.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Mix in the coconut and carrot.

Donut batter being whisked together in a glass bowl.

Use non-stick cooking spray to generously grease a 12-cavity mini donut pan. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts into each cavity.

Chopped walnuts sprinkled into the bottom of each donut cavity in the donut pan.

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Spoon the batter into the donut cavities, spreading evenly but being careful not to disturb the walnuts on the bottom.

Bake on 350F for 13-15 minutes.

Let the donuts cool completely before topping with melted chocolate and toasted coconut.

Baked donuts cooling in the pan on a wire rack.

Frequently asked questions

I don't have oat flour. Is there another type of flour I can use?

Unfortunately, I haven't tested these donuts with other flours. Oat flour is not often substituted for all-purpose or whole wheat flour on a 1:1 ratio, so I wouldn't recommend substituting. However, if you have rolled oats, you can easily make oat flour by blitzing the oats in the blender until they resemble the texture of flour.

How do you store carrot cake donuts? How long will they last?

You can store them without the chocolate topping in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. However, once they are topped with chocolate, I suggest storing them in the fridge as they firm up and the white chocolate hardens. They should last for 5-6 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze these donuts?

Yes, but I recommend freezing them without the chocolate and coconut topping. Just wait for the donuts to cool completely and then arrange them in a single layer in a freezer safe container. If you need to store them in layers, just do so with a sheet of parchment or wax paper in between the layers. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the refrigerator and then top with melted chocolate and coconut.

Donuts arranged on a wire rack, with some dipped in white chocolate.

Recipe tips and substitutions

Oat flour and protein powder can often be lumpy. If this is the case with yours, just sift the dry ingredients together before combining them with the wet mixture.
I often use flaked and shredded coconut in recipes, but I find medium works best in this recipe as it has a finer texture. I also make sure to use unsweetened coconut. You can still use sweetened, but it will add more sugar to your donuts.
To keep these donuts gluten-free, use certified gluten-free protein powder and oat flour.
To keep them dairy-free, make sure the protein powder is dairy-free and forego the white chocolate topping.
This recipe makes 12 mini-donuts, which results in donuts that are about 3-inches in diameter. If you only have a 6-cavity pan that makes larger donuts, you will need to increase the baking time.