Comparative Analysis of Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Gluten-Free Doughnuts Prepared from Corn, Millet, and Sorghum Flours

The demand for gluten-free products has increased globally, necessitating research into available gluten-free flours for the preparation of pastries and other baked foods that meets the nutritional, health, and sensory needs of consumers. In this study we investigated the tropical cereals, corn, millet and sorghum, as viable alternatives for the preparation of gluten-free foods by comparing the nutritional and functional properties of their flours and the sensory acceptability of the resulting doughnuts. Proximate composition analysis revealed the highest values of ash and fibre for corn flour, while millet had the highest protein and fat. Additionally, no differences were observed in the pH and total soluble solids content, although the highest and lowest whiteness index was observed for corn and sorghum flours, respectively. Further, corn flour had the highest water absorption capacity, while millet had the highest swelling power. Analysis of textural properties of doughnuts prepared from the flours showed that sorghum doughnut had the highest hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. Among the attributes that were used to describe the doughnut by the sensory panelists included firm and brown for sorghum doughnuts; golden, creamy, and grainy for corn doughnuts; and fluffy, sweet, and dense for millet doughnuts. Overall, millet doughnut had the highest acceptability score, showing the potential of this flour for use in the preparation of gluten-free doughnuts and other pastries.