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These easy pumpkin donuts are naturally gluten-free and sweetened with coconut sugar, for a healthier way to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings. You can make them in just about 30 minutes!
You have my son to thank for this recipe, as he’s been asking me to make “healthy donuts” for the last two weeks.
We’ve been explaining to him how sometimes certain foods don’t make us feel very good when we eat them too often (like deep-fried donuts), so it’s important to eat them in moderation, with plenty of healthy food, too.
His solution is that I just need to make healthy donuts so he can eat them more often. Ha!
These healthy pumpkin donuts are made with gluten-free oat flour, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, and coconut oil, for a naturally-sweetened treat. The batter can be stirred together in just minutes. (If you’re looking for a grain-free donut, try my Paleo Pumpkin Spice Donut recipe instead.)
I used to be intimidated by making donuts, but they’re almost as fast as making muffins– the extra step is simply pouring the batter into a piping bag of some sort (I simply use a plastic bag with a tip cut-off) so you can pipe the batter into the donut mold easily.
These donuts are lower in sugar than the kind you might buy at a shop, and their texture is a little lighter, too, since I tried to keep the use of oil to a minimum. Think of them as a cross between a muffin and a donut.
If you want a sweeter treat, you can sprinkle the tops with extra coconut sugar or even drizzle some Maple Pecan Glaze over the top for something a little more decadent. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2` cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted), plus extra for greasing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and generously grease a donut pan with melted coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, pumpkin, sugar, melted oil, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and vinegar and stir well until a uniform batter is formed.
- Transfer the batter to a large plastic bag (or a piping bag for frosting) and cut off one of the bottom corners so that you can pipe the batter into the donut pan. Pipe the batter into the 6 donut wells-- this should use all of the batter completely.
- Bake the donuts until they are lightly golden and feel firm to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the pan.
- I think the donuts are easiest to remove by twisting them clockwise in the pan, to help loosen them. Then place a wire wrack or plate on top of the pan and flip it over so that the loosened donuts will release from the pan and fall on to the plate.
- Top with extra coconut sugar or Maple Pecan Glaze and serve. Leftover donuts can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Calories per donut: 191, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 23g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g
Recipe Notes:
- If you’d like a sweeter donut, I think you could add an extra 1/4 cup of coconut sugar into the batter without changing anything else. I’m not sure how other sweeteners, like maple syrup or honey would work, so please leave a comment below if you try those out. I’d guess maybe 1/3 cup of honey would produce similar results?
- The temperature of your ingredients will affect the thickness of your batter, but the final results will be the same either way. In the picture above, my pumpkin puree had been chilled in the fridge, so the batter was thicker than it would have been if the pumpkin puree had been warm or at room temperature. Rest assured that the results are perfectly fine either way!
- I have a feeling applesauce or mashed banana could be used instead of the pumpkin puree with delicious results. Let us know in the comments below if you try something different!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite donut flavor? Our local donut shop makes an Apple Spice Donut that melts-in-your-mouth, so that’s next on my to-do list!
Made these this morning, doubling the recipe and they were gone by 12pm
These were delicious!! Thank you! Just started a vegan detox and am easing into it, so these were a perfect morning treat.
I did have to change the recipe a bit as I didn’t have oat flour or a donut pan, but subbed a mix of gf flours (quinoa, almond, coconut, amaranth, flax and chia) and added a little date syrup. I used a mini muffin pan, filled half way.
These were delicious, Megan! We topped them with a chocolate glaze made out of coconut oil, raw cacao powder, and pure maple syrup. So, so good!
I tried these twice the taste is yummy however my donuts are not being well cooked from.the inside even after leaving the for more than 30 min in the oven at 180c and they are not raising well am wondering why this is happening?
love these! I used 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of the coconut sugar, and used 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of the clove/ginger. Otherwise followed recipe exactly, turned out great! I will be making again and trying them with the maple pecan glaze. Thanks for the recipe!
These are delicious!
What gluten free flour can I use other than oat flour
Thank you
You could try any other flour you like! I just have only tested it with oat flour so far. Please let us know if you try something different!
Love these!! This recipe has been on repeat since last fall. I don’t have a donut pan, so I double the batch size and make them into mini muffins.
These are AMAZING!! My 1 1/2 year old and husband love them just as much as I do!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I made these with apple sauce instead of the pumpkin and they are incredible!