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Few things say “holidays” like the flavor of gingerbread. The kick of the ginger, the warming, familiar flavor of the cinnamon, and that sweet, sweet sweetness, that just gets you feeling all of the holiday feels! Gingerbread men, and gingerbread houses are an amazing and fun holiday tradition that we all love. However, here’s the thing… they also take quite a bit of work. Especially if you’re paleo and AIP. You just can’t grab a mix or a pre-made gingerbread house off the shelf. Sometimes you’re up for the extra steps, sometimes you’re not. So, I wanted to create an alternative for those who still want all of the gingerbread flavor with an easy shortcut, and unique twist. Gingerbread Donut Holes that are both paleo, and AIP!

When I first made my Pumpkin Donut Holes earlier this season, my first thought was “uh oh… these are way too good! I have to share them immediately!” Luckily, my husband was more than happy to take on the task of my donut hole eating partner, and we were both super happy campers. We were seriously even happier when we tried out these Gingerbread donut holes!

These paleo gingerbread donut holes are perfect for….

  • Leaving out for santa
  • A little holiday treat for two or three to share (the recipe makes 6-8 donut holes)
  • Doubling or tripling the recipe (as you’ll see in the photo below) to bring to a holiday party to share
  • Placing on a holiday cookie tray as something a little fun and different
  • Making with kiddos for a super simple holiday treat

 

Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)

The Ingredients You’ll Need (and a word on substitutions) for these Gingerbread Donut Holes

Tigernut flour, Coconut flour & Tapioca starch

These three flours are all grain and nut free, making them paleo and AIP friendly. I’ve tested this recipe a lot of different ways and have always had the best results with these three flours together. I would not recommended subbing any of them out to get the same results. 

Palm Shortening

Palm shortening helps give these donuts a really cake-y texture. I have not tried it without palm shortening.

Maple Syrup

You can easily sub honey in place of maple syrup.

Vanilla

Vanilla gives these even more of a cookie flavor!

Gelatin

Gelatin basically acts as a binder in this recipe. There’s not need to bloom it (it’s dry in this recipe) and you can use varieties such as Vital Proteins, Great Lakes, or other. However, you cannot sub collagen. 

Ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg

Ahh, there’s that gingerbread flavor! I just love that kick from the ginger. If you’re AIP, sub the nutmeg for mace.

Optional – melted coconut butter and coconut sugar for topping

The topping is optional, but you’ll find that it really makes these donut holes look a lot prettier! On their own, they look a little plain, so a quick extra topping really dresses it up and adds more of that traditional donut hole look to them.

Please note…

  • The recipe makes 6-8 donut holes. You can scale up or down from there!
  • The donut holes are best eaten warm. You can totally store them in the fridge, but I think they’re best warmed up a bit.

 

Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)

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Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)

  • Yield: 6-8 donut holes 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/3 cup tigernut flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup palm shortening
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp gelatin (can use vital proteins, great lakes, etc… do not sub collagen)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tsp clove
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg (sub mace for AIP)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • FOR TOPPING-
  • 2–3 tbsp melted coconut butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1–2 tsp coconut sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  2. Sift together the three flours in a medium sized bowl until evenly combined
  3. Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla and lightly mix
  4. Next, fold in the palm shortening and stir until the mixture is creamy
  5. Add the baking soda, spices, and gelatin and stir well
  6. Form the dough into 6-8 donut holes and place on the parchment lined baking sheet
  7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the donut holes are hardened on the outside
  8. Remove from the oven top with melted coconut butter, cinnamon, and a sprinkle of coconut sugar if desired.. it’s optional, but it really makes it pretty!
  9. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 donut hole
  • Calories: 146
  • Fat: 11.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.8g
  • Fiber: 1.8g
  • Protein: 2.2g

Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)

I mean, can you even?

These donut holes are such great spin on traditional gingerbread cookies, and are sure to make your family smile. But seriously… you’ll want to share these. They’re good enough to eat a bunch of for sure!

Have a happy holiday, and enjoy these yummy treats!

Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)