Nanocrystalline powder of gadolinium-doped-ceria (Gd0.2Ce0.8O1.9, GDC) was successfully synthesized by one step, low cost and environment friendly maillard method, using glucose as organic solvent and urea as addictives. The synthesized GDC powders were analyzed by a range of techniques including TG/DSC, XRD, Raman spectroscopies, FESEM, in-situ XRD and electrochemical impedance. The results reveal that the synthesized powder has a single cubic fluorite structure and forms pure-phase nanoparticles with adjustable size, narrow particle size distribution, and high crystallinity in the range of 10-50 nm. After sintering at 1 550 ℃, the dense GDC electrolyte pellets with an average grain size of 3 μm and small number of grain boundaries is obtained which is pre-sintered at 800 ℃. They have superior electrochemical performance and structural stability. The test results above prove that Maillard method is suitable for the synthesis of GDC.