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
These were sooooo delicious! The texture of them is amazing, and the taste is awesome. Thanks for a great recipe!
These are absolutely fabulous! The only substitution I did was I dusted with an AIP Cinnamon-Sugar mix that I had. It made 11 donut holes for me! Yum!
Ridiculously good!! I subbed arrowroot for tapioca starch ‘cause that’s what I had. Turned out great! Made 10. You are my hero! Keep turning out those recipes!
Thank you so much Lori!! I’m so happy you liked them!!
I like be reading your recipes. I have to follow an AIP diet and I am unable to digest Tigernut flour or Cassava flour. Both tigernut flour and cassava flour produce a beautiful end product, but unfortunately I cannot tolerate either. However I just purchased sweet potato flour and green banana flour as alternatives to almond, coconut, cassava and tigernut flours. I only mention this to you because you are so creative in the kitchen and maybe someday you’ll create recipes with these flours. In the meantime I’m experimenting, even tho I lack your expertise. Thank you for all the inspiration and hard work you put into your recipes, I really appreciate your passion.
Thank you so much, Elaine! I haven’t played with those flours much, but I will totally add it to my wishlist 🙂
Great recipe!! Thanks so much!!
Thank you so much Nathalie!!!
The pumpkin pie donut holes are amazing! I did not have Tigernut flour so I substituted almond meal. Turned out great, though they spread more than in your photo, which doesn’t bother me. I didn’t have Coconut Manna so we skipped the glaze. They don’t really need it. I’m ordering Tigernut flour to make them again. This recipe will be made often! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Oh. My. Word. These are AMAZING. Every recipe I try of yours…you totally hit it out of the park. These were quick and easy and taste like those cake pops you get at Starbucks. I’m in heaven.
This is counter-intuitive to your recipe, but I’m mostly Paleo (about 1/3 AIP)… don’t have Tigernut flour, is there something I can sub?
Thx
If you tolerate almonds, you can try it.
I subbed the tigernut flour for almond flour and arrowroot starch for the tapioca and they came out wonderfully! I also didn’t have any palm shortening on hand so I used half coconut oil and half red palm oil and they turned out great! The orange of the red palm oil doesn’t change anything because the pumpkin already makes it nice and orange. 🙂
Yum! Thanks for sharing those subs, Samantha!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
These are amazing! They have the taste and texture of traditional baked goods! Such a yummy treat!
Thank you so much Nicole!! So happy you like them 🙂
Can I use coconut oil instead of the palm?
Palm shortening has a different texture than coconut oil and gives these more body. Coconut oil wouldn’t give it the same cakey texture.
These are delicious! With or without the glaze I love them as does my family! Thank you, absolutely loving them!!
Just made these!! Can’t wait to eat them for dessert for Thanksgiving!!
Hi! Would cassava flour or extra coconut flour work instead of tigernut flour? 🙂
I haven’t tried the swap, but let me know if you do!
This looks great! Can I use collagen powder instead of gelatin here?
Thanks!! Collagen won’t swap for gelatin here, but you can use an egg in its place if you can tolerate it
Yum!!!
Thanks girl!! ????