• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Goodness Avenue logo

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Salads
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
Home » Recipes » Dessert » Healthy Pumpkin Donut Holes (Paleo + Gluten-Free)

Healthy Pumpkin Donut Holes (Paleo + Gluten-Free)

Oct 19, 2020 · 9 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

The most delicious homemade paleo pumpkin donut holes with maple glaze! Made with all gluten-free, grain-free and nut free ingredients for a healthy pumpkin donut holes recipe.

Pumpkin donut holes in baking box.

Raise your hand is you lived for MINI cinnamon donuts as a kid?! Yes, that was me. They were my favourite after school treat when my nanna would pick me up and take me to donut king. Oh, they were the days!

These beauties are probably my favourite pumpkin recipe to date. I love that these donuts are somewhat healthy to even be labeled donut. They are made with gluten-free, grain-free and nut-free ingredients. Plus they have no added oil and are quite low in sugar (only 2 grams a pop!). I dip them into a simple maple glaze mixture and dust them with coconut flour (use powdered sugar if you have it!) and they are absolutely to die for. This is step is totally optional but it does make them extra delicious and decedent.

I personally love to eat some sort of sweet thing everyday and these healthier pumpkin donut holes will definitely will be on my snacking rotation!

Ingredients you’ll need

In this recipe, pumpkin purée is mixed with spices, eggs, coconut flour and lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup creating the perfect gluten-free pumpkin donut holes!

  • Eggs – you’ll need 2 eggs in this pumpkin donut recipe to give it the proper texture. I don’t think flax eggs would work here.
  • Coconut flour – this is a great gluten free and grain free flour to help absorb moisture in recipes and also add fiber and nutrition. No need to pack the coconut flour though! I don’t have a sub for this as it behaves very different in recipes.
  • Pumpkin purée – I used homemade pumpkin puree (blended in my vitamix), but canned pumpkin puree will work too! Just make sure to get one with no added sugar.
  • Pumpkin spice + cinnamon – sub with cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and ginger to make homemade pumpkin spice. Otherwise just use cinnamon!
  • Vanilla 
  • Maple syrup – or you can use honey. I don’t use much in this recipe so if you want a sweeter donut, add more.
  • Baking powder 
All ingredients shown.

How to make the best healthy pumpkin donut holes: 

These insanely easy and delicious paleo pumpkin donut holes only require a handful of ingredients and 1 bowl!

  1. Preheat oven to 160C/ 350F and grease a mini muffin tray with coconut oil/ spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla.  
  3. Mix in the coconut flour, spices and baking powder until smooth.
  4. Fill 16 mini muffin holes with batter (about 3/4 full) then bake in oven for about 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing together the melted coconut butter, maple syrup and milk. If it’s hard to mix microwave for 30 seconds and stir until combine. Set aside.
  6. Let donuts cool for a few then dip into a shallow bowl with the maple glaze then dust with coconut flour (or powdered sugar if you desire).
  • Mixture combine.
  • Mixing in muffin pan.

The delicious details on the maple glaze

The star of this donut recipe is by far the maple glaze! It’s dairy free and only contains only 3 ingredients! All you need is:

  • Melted coconut butter (NOT coconut oil)
  • Maple syrup (or honey if you prefer)
  • Dairy free milk (almond, oat, soy or coconut milk)
Pumpkin donut holes on cooling tray.

Pumpkin health benefits

Pumpkin has an amazing nutrition profile. This tasty fruit (yes, it has seeds so is not a vegetable ???? ) is high in micronutrients like:

  • Vitamin A (1 cup cooked provides 457% of your daily needs).
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Magnesium, potassium, manganese, and multiple B vitamins.

It’s rich orange colour is thanks to the pumpkin’s beta-carotene content. Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that have antioxidant properties and converts into vitamin A in the body.

Pumpkin is also an excellent source of dietary fibre, with one cup of cooked squash providing 7 grams.

How to store leftovers

  • Refrigerator: you can store the donut holes glazed or unglazed in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer: Store the donut holes unglazed wrapped in a freezer bag or zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, defrost a slice in the fridge overnight or microwave for about 30 seconds.

More healthy pumpkin recipes to try:

Vegan Pumpkin Bread With Nut Crumble Topping

Close up bite shot.

If you try this paleo pumpkin donut holes recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Pumpkin donut holes in baking box.

Healthy Pumpkin Donut Holes

★★★ 2.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Caitlin Rule
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 16 mini donut holes 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Amercian
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Insanely delicious homemade paleo pumpkin donut holes with maple glaze! Made with all gluten-free, grain-free and nut-free ingredients for a healthier pumpkin donut holes recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

Pumpkin Donut Holes

  • 1/4 cup/ 27g coconut flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup/ 125g pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Maple glaze

  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dairy free milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 160C/ 350F and grease a mini muffin tray with coconut oil/ spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla.
  3. Mix in the coconut flour, spices and baking powder until smooth.
  4. Fill 16 mini muffin holes with batter (about 3/4 full) then bake in oven for about 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing together the melted coconut butter, maple syrup and milk. If it’s hard to mix microwave for 30 seconds and stir until combine. Set aside.
  6. Let donuts cool for a few then dip into a shallow bowl with the maple glaze then dust with coconut flour (or powdered sugar if you desire).


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 donut hole without glaze
  • Calories: 27
  • Sugar: 2.4g
  • Fat: 0.9g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.6g
  • Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 1.1g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @goodnessavenue on Instagram and hashtag it #goodnessavenue

More from my site

  • Beetroot Feta Walnut SaladBeetroot Feta Walnut Salad
  • No-Bake Blueberry Chickpea FudgeNo-Bake Blueberry Chickpea Fudge
  • Raspberry Mug Cake (Gluten-Free + Paleo)Raspberry Mug Cake (Gluten-Free + Paleo)
  • Air Fryer Broccoli & Cauliflower ParmesanAir Fryer Broccoli & Cauliflower Parmesan
  • Coffee & Walnut Loaf CakeCoffee & Walnut Loaf Cake
  • Sweet Potato Quinoa Bites (Gluten-free + Vegan)Sweet Potato Quinoa Bites (Gluten-free + Vegan)

Dessert, Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. B says

    January 17, 2022 at 4:41 am

    Yikes! This recipe did not work for me. The moisture content in canned pumpkin is less than homemade pumpkin puree – this makes the batter dry.

    Reply
    • Caitlin Rule says

      February 16, 2022 at 10:34 pm

      Oh no I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. ???? I’ve always used homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe as we cannot buy the canned version here.

      Reply
    • Léa says

      October 23, 2022 at 2:53 am

      they are really delicious but look nothing like the picture it’s probably my fault tho I used oat flour instead of coconut cuz i didn’t have it. also before baking the batter was really runny but I decided to go for it anyway

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Caitlin Rule says

        November 30, 2022 at 10:56 pm

        Hi Lea, oh no that’s such a shame. Unfortunately coconut flour is really absorbent so isn’t a 1:1 sub for oat flour. I only list subs if I’ve tested them myself. Glad they were delicious though xx

        Reply
  2. Janelle says

    September 29, 2022 at 1:26 am

    Hi there. I’m just making this right now. My glaze doesn’t look near as thick as yours in the photos. Did you add powdered sugar to the glaze to thicken it? Mine is soup…

    Reply
    • Janelle says

      September 29, 2022 at 1:28 am

      I should add I used regular butter not coconut.

      Reply
      • Caitlin Rule says

        September 29, 2022 at 6:46 am

        Hi Janelle, unfortunately regular butter will not work as the consistency/ flavour is very different. Here is a recipe reel of the donuts I posted on instagram.
        I hope this helps! Please let me know how you go ????

        Reply
  3. Meghan says

    October 27, 2022 at 12:44 am

    The texture was eggy for me but the flavor was good.

    ★★

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Five Ways to Make Memories with Friends and Family This Fall Season - madelienejeanne says:
    October 2, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    […] recipe: pumpkin donut holes […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

.

Welcome to Goodness Avenue! I'm an accredited nutritionist (BHSc) sharing simple veggie loaded recipes to help you add more goodness into your everyday life! More About Me →

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Healthy baking ideas

Side shot of strawberry jam thumbprint cookies on a plate.

Strawberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Cut up brownies with salt sprinkled on top.

Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

Cut up banana pumpkin bread loaf.

Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread

Side shot of pumpkin pies with whipped cream.

High Protein Pumpkin Pie Tortillas

COPYRIGHT © 2022 · GOODNESS AVENUE