Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes (Paleo & AIP)
These pumpkin pie donut holes are the easiest paleo and AIP treat for fall! They taste just like the real thing, but are made with healthier ingredients.
Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes
Remember donut holes? If you have food intolerances it may feel like an eternity since you last had them. I never thought I would be able to have donut holes that taste like the real deal again, and you may feel the same way, but these will change your mind!
These pumpkin pie donut holes are the ultimate donut hole if you’re grain-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, complete with a coconut-based glaze.
The Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes
- Tigernut Flour. I really love baking with tigernut flour because it’s a grain free, nut-free way to get really great baked goods. Tigernuts are a tuber, not a nut, and they taste great in these donut holes.
- Coconut Flour. This helps to offset the moisture from the pumpkin. I haven’t tried subbing this out.
- Tapioca Starch. These help bind and make the donut holes more “doughy”. You can sub arrowroot in it’s place, and possibly even cassava flour.
- Maple Syrup. Gotta sweeten donuts! You can also sub honey.
- Palm Shortening. Palm shortening makes this super cake-y! I typically work with coconut oil, but I love the texture that palm shortening gives these donut holes.
- Pumpkin Puree & Cinnamon. These ingredients give it the pumpkin pie element.
- Gelatin. Gelatin helps to bind the donut holes, however, you can add it in without blooming it like a gelatin egg for this recipe. Just scoop it in dry 🙂
- Coconut Butter. Also known as coconut mana or coconut cream concentrate. This acts as a glaze over top the donut holes. You can leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.
How to make Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes
- Sift together the flours.
- Cream together the palm shortening and maple syrup.
- Combine the palm shortening, maple syrup, and flours.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients. Add in the pumpkin, dry gelatin, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- Roll the dough into donut holes. Place on the parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to lightly cool.
- Make the glaze. Combine the ingredients for a glaze in a bowl and spoon over the donut holes.
Can you swap out different flours in this recipe?
I’ve found that this specific flour blend works best, and I wouldn’t swap out any of the flours in this recipe. The only swap that could work 1:1 here is arrowroot starch instead of tapioca starch!
Can you make this recipe ahead of time?
This recipe is definitely best fresh, but you can store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Can you make this recipe without the palm shortening?
I find that the palm shortening gives this recipe a cakey crumb. I haven’t tried it with alternatives like coconut oil.
You’ll also love…
Just look at that yummy, cake-y texture! So, so good! Here’s how you make them…
Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes (Paleo & AIP)
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tigernut flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- FOR THE GLAZE, optional
- 2 tbsp coconut butter, melted
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flours and set aside in a separate bowl. Cream together the palm shortening and maple syrup until thoroughly combined.
- Combine the palm shortening, maple syrup, and flours and stir. Then add in the pumpkin, dry gelatin, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine.
- Roll the dough into donut holes (you'll have 6-7) and place on the parchment paper, evenly spaced. Bake for 15 minutes or until baked through and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to lightly cool.
- Combine the ingredients for a glaze in a bowl and spoon over the donut holes.
Notes
This post appeared on Unbound Wellness in 2017 and was updated in 2021.
Recipe by Michelle, Unbound Wellness. Photos by Eat Love Eats
Has anyone tried these with a flax egg instead of the gelatin?
You could try to use dry ground flax seed instead
These are so good even my friends who aren’t on restrictive diets are asking for them!
Yay!! I always love that!
Omg these were so good! The best AIP sweet treat I’ve tried! I had trouble with the glaze- it was too thick to drizzle so I added hot water, maple syrup and vanilla and it came out great.
So glad you liked it!!
These are really, really good! I made them just as directed. The pumpkin flavor was a little weak and they were a bit dry, so I think next time I’ll try adding more pumpkin and a little mace. And maybe roll them into smaller balls.
Also the icing was really weird and gritty when the donut holes were warm but when I chilled them in the fridge, it was great! So I think next time I’ll have a few un-iced while hot and then chill the rest.
So glad you enjoyed this!!
For anyone asking – I’ve been making these for about a year, and have never had palm shortening on hand. I’ve always subbed coconut oil 1:1, and they come out amazing. I heat it for like 12 seconds in the microwave so it creams with the maple syrup, and the donut holes come out absolutely epic.
Your recipe has become a staple to my health! Helps me stay on track when we’re craving something sweet.
Thanks for sharing!!
These look delicious! If I wanted to sub the cinnamon and turn it into a carob donut, what would you recommend for carob measurements? (I’m avoiding cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. I’m unsure about mace and clove.) I’ll probably try doubling this and use a duck egg since your previous comment said eggs will work. (I can tolerate duck eggs but not chicken. Yay!)
Thanks in advance. I’m trying to find a dessert for my birthday! 🙂
Almost forgot….will agar agar work? Would I use it dry too? I tried a plantain bread yesterday and swapped gelatin out for agar agar and it was NOT the same. I crumbled it up for breadcrumbs or stuffing instead. I’m new to agar agar but supposedly it’s a 1:1 gelatin replacement, so for avoiding beef, I bought it and actually haven’t used it much.
I actually haven’t used agar agar a lot so I’m not sure!
I actually have a carob donut hole recipe in my cookbook that has the exact measurements!
I’m so bummed by the number of recipes that call for Palm Oil! It rapes the environment! But I’m glad you shared an alternative with your preference. Can’t wait to try these! They look and sound delicious. Also, thank you for this awesome site. It’s a lot of work, but it’s so wonderful to have such a great resource at the beginning of such a daunting lifestyle change. <3
So glad you are loving the recipes, good luck with all the lifestyle changes!!
This recipe is another winner! The crumb of these donut holes is so cake-like! A delicious call treat! Now to excercise some self-control! The only thing that didn’t work for me is the glaze. I used the double-boiler method to melt the coconut manna, but I also added the sugar before it melted. I also wonder if it’s old? I’d def try again, but the donut holes really don’t need the glaze!
So glad you enjoyed!!
Love these! Taste amazing and so easy to make!