Why on earth is it so hard to find a gluten-free jam doughnut? Well, the search is finally over. These little golden nuggets of joy are crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle and oozing with raspberry jam. They’re a little like a cross between a seaside doughnut and a filled jam doughnut — the best of both worlds!

Temperatures

Half-fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and place it over a medium heat until the oil reaches 170°C — test the temperature of the oil with your Thermapen.

Ingredients

• 175g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 55g cornflour
• 60g caster sugar
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 150ml cup milk
• 35g butter, melted and cooled
• Vegetable oil, for frying

To finish

• 50g caster or granulated sugar
• Raspberry jam

Tips

You can happily leave the doughnut shapes on a tray in the freezer for as long as you like. Then simply continue the recipe from the point of frying whenever you fancy some!

Feel free to pipe the batter into rings before freezing to make fried ring doughnuts.

Making it vegan? Use dairy-free milk and a vegan alternative to butter. Replace the egg with 3 tbsp aquafaba (whisked until frothy).

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, add all your dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Add in the egg, milk and melted butter. Mix everything together until smooth and combined (I use an electric hand whisk for this).
• Place some non-stick baking parchment on a baking tray that will comfortably fit into your freezer. Spoon your batter into a piping bag and cut off the end so that you have a nice, wide opening. Pipe your batter straight onto the nonstick baking parchment to create round discs that are 7cm in diameter and just over 1cm tall. If you don’t have a piping bag you can carefully spoon it onto the baking parchment.
• Place the baking tray in the freezer for about 1 hour. Don’t skip this step! It will mean you can easily transfer the doughnut batter to the hot oil without it losing its doughnut shape.
• Half-fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and place it over a medium heat until the oil reaches 170°C — test the temperature of the oil with your Thermapen.

• Remove the chilled doughnut discs from the freezer. Carefully remove them from the baking parchment and gently lower them, in batches, into your hot oil. Cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally. The doughnuts will initially sink but will then come up to the surface of the oil and start to float. Once nice and golden on both sides, remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, place on some kitchen paper and allow to drain.
• When cool enough to handle, spread your sugar onto a large plate. Toss your doughnuts in the sugar until well coated. To fill the doughnuts, place your jam in a piping bag with a small nozzle, ideally a long filling nozzle. Use a chopstick or a skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Push the nozzle into the hole and generously pipe the jam into the middle — the more the better!
• Enjoy the doughnuts straight away while they’re still warm, or later at room temperature — or simply reheat them in the microwave.

This recipe originally appeared in Becky Excell’s cookbook How to Make Anything Gluten Free. 

Photography: Hannah Hughes.

Becky Excell

Gluten Free Recipe Creator & Author

@beckyexcell

"I use my Thermapen literally every single day. It's so versatile, from checking the temperature of oil fried chicken and doughnuts, to having a BBQ and cooking our Sunday roast. I couldn't be without it!"