Maple Pumpkin Mochi Donuts (Printable version)

Soft, chewy baked donuts with pumpkin, sweet rice flour, and maple glaze. A gluten-free fall favorite.

# Ingredient List:

→ Mochi Donuts

01 - 1 cup sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour, e.g., Mochiko)
02 - 1/2 cup tapioca starch
03 - 1 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 cup whole milk
08 - 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

→ Maple Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
15 - 1–2 tbsp milk (as needed for consistency)
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and incorporated.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
05 - Transfer batter to a piping bag or large zip-top bag with corner snipped. Pipe batter evenly into donut cavities, filling each about 3/4 full.
06 - Bake for 20–25 minutes until donuts are puffed and lightly golden. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
07 - Whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, and pinch of salt. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until thick but pourable consistency forms.
08 - Dip tops of completely cooled donuts into glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Return to wire rack and let glaze set before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is absolutely otherworldly, like biting into a cloud that somehow has chew
  • That maple glaze takes you straight to a sugar maple farm in Vermont
  • They stay soft for days, which is basically a miracle in the gluten-free world
02 -
  • Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it to your eggs, otherwise you'll end up with scrambled egg bits in your batter
  • The donuts might look slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but they continue cooking as they cool and will firm up beautifully
  • If your glaze is too thick, add milk literally one drop at a time, because it goes from perfect to runny faster than you'd believe
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly, so take your eggs and milk out about 20 minutes before baking
  • If you don't have a donut pan, a muffin tin works, just adjust the baking time to 15 to 18 minutes

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