Does anyone remember the banana bread craze of the last couple of years? It seemed like with lockdown was in full effect people turned to baking and banana bread was one of the more popular bakes. These Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Donuts give you all of the flavors of banana bread but taken to the next level.

Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Donuts

I love making donuts. Whether it’s my Delicious Gluten Free Churro Donuts or another variety, I love coming up with fun and new combinations. These cozy and comforting donuts combine classic flavors in a fun and new form.

Layers of Flavor

Just like banana bread, these Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Donuts are all about those layers of flavor. The next time you have bananas that are a little too ripe, skip the loaf pan in favor of the donut pans!

There’s no need to go out for donuts once you realize how easy these are. Not only are these donuts easy, they’re also healthier for you being baked and not fried.

As with all sweet confections, donuts are all about the texture. While the ripe bananas ensure there is that naturally sweet kiss of the tropical fruit in every bite, it also keeps these donuts tender and moist.

Yeast adds that lighter airy texture to these donuts. You will find yourself reaching for a second even while that first is in your hand,

Banana’s best aromatic friend cinnamon perfumes the entire donut. For this recipe I am using brown sugar. It adds that molasses/caramel flavor and because of the higher moisture content also helps the texture.

How to Bake Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Donuts

With just a few simple steps, you will be serving up this fun and new take on banana bread.

Time needed: 50 minutes

Get the coffee brewing. In less than an hour you will have hot, fresh donuts straight from your oven.

Pregame!
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray two donut pans with nonstick baking spray.
Mix it up!
Add all of your dry ingredients and the oat milk to a bowl and mix them to combine. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. This will allow the yeast to activate.

Add your remaining ingredients and mix them to just combine. Always be careful of not over mixing.
Divide and Bake
Dive the donut batter between the pans. Bake your donuts for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
Top it Off
Top your Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Donuts with your favorite toppings. Some ideas or a simple glaze of powdered sugar, oat milk, and vanilla, cinnamon-sugar, or powdered sugar.

How to Measure Bananas

We’ve all made banana bread or seen recipes that call for half a cup or a cup of bananas. But how much do you actually need when it comes to measuring bananas themselves? When it comes to measuring bananas, a recipe can state whether it’s chopped, or mashed, as in most banana bread recipes. However, they both measure slightly differently! Keep in mind that when adding bananas to a recipe more banana doesn’t equal more flavor. Instead, it could leave you with a dense or mushy finished product. Instead, you want to use the ripest bananas possible for the most intense banana flavor.

Here is an easy guide to use the next time you need to measure out fresh banana for a recipe.

1/2 banana: 1/3 cup chopped | 1/4 cup mashed
1 banana: 2/3 cup chopped | 1/2 cup mashed
1-1/2 bananas: 1 cup chopped | 3/4 cup mashed
2 bananas: 1-1/3 cups chopped | 1 cup mashed
3 bananas: 2 cups chopped | 1-1/2 cups mashed
4 bananas: 2-2/3 cups chopped | 2 cups mashed

Top Tip

These donuts are made with quick rise yeast. The sugar in the dry ingredients combined with the oat milk help feed and activate the yeast so allowing the mixture to sit for 5 minutes is important. Don’t skip this step!