These Paleo Pumpkin Donuts are sweet, soft, and full of warm spices making them the perfect healthier fall treat that the whole family will love making and eating! Dip them in a healthier icing, dust them in powdered maple sugar, or serve them as is for a feel-good snack or breakfast that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly.
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These delightfully fluffy and tender grain-free pumpkin donuts are made with almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca starch for the perfect texture. Sweet, but not overly sweet, these donuts are something you can eat for breakfast without feeling like garbage.
If you skip the glaze, you can dust them with powdered maple sugar, make a dairy-free cream cheese frosting, or top them with grass-fed butter (I like Miyoko's for a dairy-free option) and a drizzle of maple syrup for a satisfying fall treat.
Looking for other healthier pumpkin treats to make this season? Try these outrageously good Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, this Paleo Pumpkin Fudge, or these healthy Pumpkin Protein Balls made with collagen!
What I Love about these Paleo Pumpkin Donuts
These donuts are arguably the best seasonal treat. Here is why I love it:
- Baked not Fried - These healthy donuts have all the flavor of those apple orchard pumpkin donuts that we dream about but without the seed oils.
- Grain & Gluten-Free - Tender and fluffy, but completely grain-free makes these donuts more satisfying and more blood sugar stabilizing.
- Dreamy Fall Flavor - I love a spicy baked good. They are so warm and comforting. These donuts have the perfect balance of sweetness to spice.
Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
Pumpkin Puree
Any brand of unsweetened pumpkin puree will work. Some brands have a higher water content (Kroger store brand, Libby's) while some are thicker (Walmart store brand, Food Club). The thicker options will make the batter a little harder to work with, but all should work functionally in the recipe. Avoid canned pumpkin pie mix.
Eggs
I did not test any egg substitutes in this recipe. Let me know if you try something that works in the comments below!
Coconut Sugar
Any granulated sugar will work. I also tested maple syrup, and it worked well, the donuts were just a little more moist.
Coconut Oil
Avocado oil can be used instead of coconut oil. Light olive oil will also work. Measure the coconut oil after it is melted.
Flour Mixture
I use mostly almond flour with a little tapioca starch and a pinch of coconut flour. I don't recommend deviating too much from this. This flour mixture allows these donuts to be tender, without being soggy, dry, or gummy.
For the almond flour, use blanched almond flour rather than almond meal (which contains the skin of the almond and is a little coarser). I always buy ultra-fine blanched almond flour from Costco because it is the best deal around.
I haven't tested this, but you could probably substitute the tapioca starch for something like arrowroot starch or cassava flour. Tapioca starch is often called tapioca flour and they can be used interchangeably.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
You can make your own pumpkin pie spice at home with some basics from your spice cupboard. Simply combine 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground allspice, 1 teaspoon of ground gloves, and just a small sprinkle of ground black peppercorn. Mix together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months!
How to Make Paleo Pumpkin Donuts
These donuts are really simple to make. The only thing you will need, outside of normal kitchen items are two 6-count silicone donut molds. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6-count silicone donut molds with coconut oil and place them on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients plus the coconut sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until it is smooth and everything is well incorporated.
Step 3: Add the almond flour, tapioca starch, and coconut flour to the wet ingredients. Mix until there are no lumps.
Step 4: Sprinkle in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger. Mix well to incorporate but avoid overmixing.
Step 5: Use a spoon to divide the batter between 10 donut wells in the prepared molds. Aim for about ⅔ of the way full. The batter will be a little thick, but you can smooth the batter with the back of the spoon.
Step 6: Place the baking sheet with the donut molds into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (20 minutes was perfect for my oven), or until the donuts rise and are done in the center.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the molds.
Icing Tips
This healthier dairy-free icing is optional but adds something a little extra to these baked donuts. Here are some tips for best results:
- Melt the palm shortening in the microwave, then mix in the powdered maple sugar (see instructions for making powdered maple sugar below) or date sugar and place in the fridge to thicken for about 5-10 minutes before dipping or drizzling over your donuts.
- Place donuts with icing in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set. The icing will be soft at room temperature.
- Date sugar is great because it usually comes as a very fine powder and can be a good natural alternative to powdered sugar. You can substitute regular powdered sugar or make maple powdered sugar by processing granulated maple sugar in a food processor until it is finely ground.
- Maple syrup can be used in place of the powdered sugar alternatives. The icing will be thinner, more comparable to a glaze and will not set firm even if refrigerated but it will taste really great.
- If you want to fully dip all the donuts in icing (rather than drizzling), you can double the icing recipe.
- I tested coconut oil in place of palm shortening and didn't love this option. It was thinner and the icing didn't taste quite as good as with palm shortening. Dairy-free butter might serve as a better substitution but I haven't tested this yet.
How to Make Powdered Maple Sugar
Powdered maple sugar can made in just a few minutes and can be used as an alternative to date sugar or regular powdered sugar in the icing, or it can be used to dust the donuts with if you skip the icing.
To make powdered maple sugar, simply add 1 cup of granulated maple sugar to a high powered blender or food processor. Process for about 2-3 minutes or until it is a fine powder. Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, you need to liberally grease a silicone donut mold with cooking spray or coconut oil to ensure the donuts can be removed cleanly. This probably wouldn't be necessary when using conventional flour, but paleo baked goods can be more finicky.
Absolutely. Metal donut pans will work essentially the same. Greasing the pan is even more vital with a metal pan to ensure the donuts will properly release.
Baked donuts are a better option compared to fried donuts. Fried donuts act like a sponge absorbing the, often oxidized and overheated, seed oils that they are fried in. Baked donuts made with cake mix or conventional flour and sugar, although slightly better than fried donuts, are still not something I would consume regularly or choose as a breakfast food; however, these paleo baked donuts are lower in sugar with only 12 grams of net carbs and contain 5 grams of protein for a superior healthy alternative.
Storage
Allow the donuts to fully cool and store them on a plate covered with plastic wrap or tin foil (this method is better if you frost or glaze the donuts) or in a gallon-size resealable bag (this method is better for plain donuts). Make sure they are fully covered to prevent them from drying out. Consume with 3-4 days for best quality.
If you want the icing to set, you can store the donuts covered in the fridge. The icing will be soft at room temperature. To store iced donuts, place in an airtight container or on a plate tented with tinfoil to avoid disrupting the icing.
For longer storage, you can store unglazed donuts in a resealable freezer bag, using pieces are parchment paper to separate the donuts. Simply pull from the donuts from freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature for several hours and enjoy!
Dietitian Notes
- These unglazed donuts contain only 6 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and only 12 grams of net carbs for a blood-sugar-friendly sweet treat.
- Each donut has 5 grams of protein. Pair a paleo pumpkin donut with 3 scrambled eggs and you will have 5 minute breakfast with over 25 grams of protein!
Recipe Tips
- Donut molds can vary slightly in size. Aim for filling the molds about ⅔ of the way full because they will rise.
- The batter is thick and will need to be spooned into the molds. Use the back of the spoon or your fingers to smooth the batter before baking.
- Store donuts after they have fully cooled to prevent condensation, and make sure donuts are fully covered so that they do not dry out when stored.
Other Great Recipes
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
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📖 Recipe
Paleo Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
- 2 6-count silicone donut molds
- Baking sheet
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup Canned pumpkin puree 120 g
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Coconut sugar 90 g
- ¼ cup Coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups Ultra-fine blanched almond flour 165 g
- ¼ cup Tapioca starch 25 g
- 2 tablespoon Coconut flour 13 g
- 2 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
Glaze (optional)
- 3 tablespoon Palm shortening
- 2 tablespoon Date sugar or powdered maple sugar (see "Icing Tips")
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6-count silicone donut molds with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients plus the coconut sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until the ingredients are smooth and well incorporated.
- Add the almond flour, tapioca starch, and coconut flour to the wet ingredients. Mix together until there are no lumps.
- Sprinkle in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger. Mix well to incorporate but avoid overmixing.
- Use a spoon to divide the batter between 10 donut wells in the prepared molds. Aim for about ⅔ of the way full. The batter will be a little thick, but you can smooth the batter with the back of the spoon.
- Place the baking sheet with the donut molds into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (20 minutes was perfect for my oven), or until the donuts rise and are done in the center. To test, you can prick the center of a donut with a toothpick to see if it comes out cleanly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the molds.
Icing (optional)
- Melt the palm shortening in 15-second increments in the microwave, stirring between until it is mostly liquid.
- Whisk in the date sugar (or powdered maple sugar) and a dash salt until it is smooth and there are not lumps. Allow the icing to cool for about 5-10 minutes in the fridge, or until it has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Drizzle the icing over the donuts, or dip the rounded side of the donut in the icing holding it upside down to allow the excess glaze to drip off. if you want to fully dip all of the donuts, you can double the icing recipe.
- Place glaze side up on a plate and allow the glaze to set for another 5 minutes before enjoying. Place in the fridge if you want the icing to harden.
erica morency says
I have made these so many times and everywhere I bring them all kids and adults love them. Super easy to make .
foodbornewellness.com says
I am super happy to hear that, Erica! Thanks for trying out the recipe and I am glad everyone enjoyed them!