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These gingerbread donut holes are the easiest little treat for Christmas! They’re paleo, AIP, egg-free, and so easy to make.

A plate filled with gingerbread donut holes with a bite taken out of the top one.

Cookies are king during the holidays, but sometimes it’s fun to mix up the baked goods! Donut holes have been a favorite treat of mine for as long as I can remember, and these gingerbread donut holes are absolutely perfect. They’re incredibly easy to make, they’re allergen-friendly, and super cakey and delicious. Plus, they’re AIP and paleo-friendly!

These paleo gingerbread donut holes are perfect for….

  • Leaving out for Santa
  • A little holiday treat for two or three to share
  • Doubling or tripling the recipe o 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

The Ingredients for the Gingerbread Donut Holes

  • Tigernut flour, Coconut flour and 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. The only swap I would recommend is arrowroot starch in place of tapioca starch.
  • Palm Shortening. Palm shortening helps give these donuts a cakey texture. I have not tried it without palm shortening.
  • Maple Syrup. You can easily substitute 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 no need to bloom it (it’s dry in this recipe) and you can use varieties such as Vital Proteins, Great Lakes, or others. However, you cannot sub-collagen. 
  • Ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg/mace

How to make Gingerbread Donut Holes

  • Step one. Prep the dough by combining the flours together, and the wet ingredients separately. Combine to make a dough.

A bowl of gingerbread donut holes dough being mixed.

  • Step two. Form the donut holes. Form the dough into 8 rounded donut holes and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Gingerbread donut holes rolled out and ready to be baked.

  • Step three. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the donut holes are hardened on the outside

A serving plate filled with gingerbread donut holes.

 

Tips & Tricks

  • Scale up for a crowd. 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.

A hand holding a gingerbread donut hole with a bite taken out of it.

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Paleo Gingerbread Donut Holes (AIP)

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 donut holes 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/3 cup tiger nut flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp clove
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg (sub mace for AIP)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup palm shortening
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp gelatin
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR TOPPING 

  • For AIP – 2-3 tbsp melted coconut butter
  • For non-AIP – traditional glaze (like this, omitting the lemon)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

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. Stir in the baking soda, spices, and gelatin.
  3. In a seperate bowl, cream the palm shortening, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Add it to the bowl with the flour and stir until a dough forms. The dough will be fairly thick.
  4. Form the dough into 8 rounded donut holes and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the donut holes are hardened on the outside
  5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Top with a traditional glaze or melted coconut butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  6. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

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

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Global

Nutrition

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

Keywords: gingerbread donut holes

This recipe was published in 2017 and updated in 2023.