These Gluten-free Baked Pumpkin Donuts are easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. This baked pumpkin donut recipe is perfectly sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and no refined sugar. You’ll love how satisfying and tasty these pumpkin spice donuts are.
This post has been updated from the original posted September 8, 2019
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Donuts. Love ’em? Hate ’em? Love to hate them? OR….Hate that you love them? I hear you…on all fronts. As a teenager, I absolutely LOVED donuts. They didn’t really love me, but it wouldn’t be my only one sided crush at that age!
Where were the healthy baked pumpkin donuts when I was struggling? It took many years for me to discover how to eat so I felt my best and it took many more years for me to learn how to nourish without giving up foods that I really loved.
Sounds so simple, right? Well, it can be. You can have your cake (er…donut) and eat it too….when you make sure the ingredients you are using agree with you. Sugar isn’t my friend. It’s been a rocky road with me being lured in over and over again…only to find that my skin breaks out, my sleep is compromised, my belly gets bloated and I am irritable.
Maple syrup sweetened pumpkin donuts are easy to make, they taste incredible and I still feel great after enjoying them. Hello fabulous solution!
Donut Ingredients and Substitutions
- Canned Pumpkin: NOT pumpkin pie filling. I have subbed mashed bananas here, but then, they’re banana donuts, not pumpkin donuts!
- Eggs
- Maple syrup: You don’t need much to make perfectly sweetened pumpkin donuts without any refined sugar.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Almond flour
- Arrowroot powder
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have any, follow my easy substitute for pumpkin pie spice recipe.It offers so much flavor so additional sweetener isn’t needed.
Baked Donuts for Breakfast?
Why not?!! Pumpkin provides nutrients like potassium, Vitamin A and iron. Eggs, almond meal and chia seeds provide protein, healthy fats and fiber….all must haves to regulate blood sugar and help you feel full for longer. I usually omit the glaze if I’m eating baked pumpkin donuts for breakfast…they are still super tasty, and whole lot less messy!
How to make the donut batter
- Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, syrup, apple cider vinegar and vanilla.
- Sprinkle almond flour, arrowroot powder, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spices, baking soda, baking powder.
- Mix well until everything is thoroughly incorporated and batter in uniform in consistency.
How to make Baked Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Brush donut pan with oil. Use avocado or olive oil.
- Scoop batter into donut pan, or pour batter into pastry bag and pipe the batter into donut wells.
- Allow room for donuts to rise. Do not fill more than ¾ full.
- Bake for 15 minutes
- Let donuts cool in pan for about 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
No donut pan? No problem.
Donut pans are easy to use and make clean up easy, but if you don’t have one and you want to make these baked pumpkin donuts RIGHT NOW, I’ve got a hack for you!
Roll a small piece of aluminum foil into a ball, the size you want your donut hole to be. Place that in the center of your muffin tin. Spray with oil and spoon/pipe batter into tins as described above, then bake as directed.
How to make maple glaze for donuts
- Whisk together tahini and maple syrup.
- Add water until you reach desired consistency.
- If you’re looking for chocolate glaze without refined sugar, add in cacao powder, as directed in the recipe card.
Glaze Donuts
When donuts are cool, dip one side in either the chocolate or plain maple glaze and then place back on the wire rack until the glaze sets.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Do not fill muffin tins more than ¾ full. Allow room for them to rise.
- Make sure to mix your new jars of tahini REALLY WELL. Tahini thickens up this donut glaze without powdered sugar. Your tahini needs to have consistent texture that isn’t too runny.
- Place a paper towel under the wire rack with the donuts so the extra glaze has something to drip onto.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup organic pumpkin
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon oil olive or avocado
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Maple Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons water
Chocolate Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 4 teaspoons cacao powder
- 4 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease donut pan with olive or avocado oil.
- Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, syrup, ACV and vanilla. Sprinkle dry ingredients on top and then whisk until everything in thoroughly combined.
- Carefully spoon into prepared donut pan, or pour batter into pastry bag (you can also use a zip top bag with a hole cut into one corner) and pipe the batter into donut wells. Do not fill more than ¾ full.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- While donuts bake, make glaze. Whisk ingredients together. Add more water 1 teaspoon at a time as needed for desired consistency.
- Allow donuts to cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.
- Dip donuts into glaze of choice, or drizzle glaze over donuts.
- Donuts can be stored UNGLAZED in air-tight container for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes?
Pumpkin Bliss Balls are one of my favorite ways to use up some pumpkin puree.
Another favorite pumpkin recipe that is awesome for a healthy breakfast or snack is these Pumpkin Overnight Oats. A great choice for busy mornings since you can meal prep them in advance.
Gloria
I LOVE baking donuts. These sound fantastic. I am a pumpkin lover. The combination of pumpkin and chocolate certainly sounds perfect to me.
Sandra Shaffer
Pumpkin fan here and I also try to bake without granulated sugar. Time to break out my donut pan. I have a mini sized one, so I’ll get to enjoy these for twice as long!
Debra Klein
OH…mini donuts. How fun. I think I might **NEED** one of those pans!
Pam Greer
I love that you made these without any refined sugar!! I bought a donut pan and haven’t found any recipes that sounded like something I wanted to make – these donuts – though these sound amazing! I can’t wait to try them!
Debra Klein
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I knew I wanted to enjoy a donut from time to time….AND I knew I didn’t want to compromise on the refined sugar.
Jenni LeBaron
These baked pumpkin donuts look so delicious! I love that they are naturally sweetened. I also think baking them is brilliant to make them feel a bit more healthy for breakfast. I would gobble up so many of these!
Debra Klein
Gobbling up so many can definitely be an issue….if I’m the only one home after I bake these, I throw most of them in the freezer to avoid eating too many!
Sarah
I love your tip about using a muffin pan for these! But yes a donut pan does sound easier lol! These sound so delicious- I can’t wait to try it!
Debra Klein
I made baked donuts for years using a muffin pan and some foil. I wouldn’t let not having a donut pan stop me! My goal is for these donuts to be accessible for all!
Dana
I love baked donuts! The first time I had them was last year—and they were pumpkin spice! They were so good I ended up buying a donut mold. Can’t wait to whip these up!
Debra Klein
Totally agree…they’re the best…and the reason I bought the pan. I can’t stop making them.
Trish Bozeman
I’ve never been a huge donut fan, but this healthier pumpkin version I can totally get behind! Perfect for a fall weekend baking sesh.
Debra Klein
Right? It’s a good way to enjoy a pumpkin baked good with everyone else.
Tracy
Oh my gosh a donut without sugar?! Thank you! And my post sugar bloated belly thanks you too! Sugar isn’t my friend either but I miss donuts so thank you so much!!!
Debra Klein
Oh that sugar is sneaky….befriending folks and then behaving badly! Enjoy these donuts!
Letty / Letty's Kitchen
I’m looking forward to tasting one of these fresh from the oven. My donut pan needs a workout!
Debra Klein
Ha….never a good idea to let that pan get dusty!