These easy pumpkin donuts are naturally gluten-free and sweetened with coconut sugar, for a healthier way to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings. You can make them in just about 30 minutes!
You have my son to thank for this recipe, as he’s been asking me to make “healthy donuts” for the last two weeks.
We’ve been explaining to him how sometimes certain foods don’t make us feel very good when we eat them too often (like deep-fried donuts), so it’s important to eat them in moderation, with plenty of healthy food, too.
His solution is that I just need to make healthy donuts so he can eat them more often. Ha!
These healthy pumpkin donuts are made with gluten-free oat flour, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, and coconut oil, for a naturally-sweetened treat. The batter can be stirred together in just minutes. (If you’re looking for a grain-free donut, try my Paleo Pumpkin Spice Donut recipe instead.)
I used to be intimidated by making donuts, but they’re almost as fast as making muffins– the extra step is simply pouring the batter into a piping bag of some sort (I simply use a plastic bag with a tip cut-off) so you can pipe the batter into the donut mold easily.
These donuts are lower in sugar than the kind you might buy at a shop, and their texture is a little lighter, too, since I tried to keep the use of oil to a minimum. Think of them as a cross between a muffin and a donut.
If you want a sweeter treat, you can sprinkle the tops with extra coconut sugar or even drizzle some Maple Pecan Glaze over the top for something a little more decadent. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Healthy Baked Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2` cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted), plus extra for greasing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and generously grease a donut pan with melted coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, pumpkin, sugar, melted oil, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and vinegar and stir well until a uniform batter is formed.
- Transfer the batter to a large plastic bag (or a piping bag for frosting) and cut off one of the bottom corners so that you can pipe the batter into the donut pan. Pipe the batter into the 6 donut wells-- this should use all of the batter completely.
- Bake the donuts until they are lightly golden and feel firm to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the pan.
- I think the donuts are easiest to remove by twisting them clockwise in the pan, to help loosen them. Then place a wire wrack or plate on top of the pan and flip it over so that the loosened donuts will release from the pan and fall on to the plate.
- Top with extra coconut sugar or Maple Pecan Glaze and serve. Leftover donuts can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Calories per donut: 191, Fat: 10g, Carbohydrates: 23g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g
Recipe Notes:
- If you’d like a sweeter donut, I think you could add an extra 1/4 cup of coconut sugar into the batter without changing anything else. I’m not sure how other sweeteners, like maple syrup or honey would work, so please leave a comment below if you try those out. I’d guess maybe 1/3 cup of honey would produce similar results?
- The temperature of your ingredients will affect the thickness of your batter, but the final results will be the same either way. In the picture above, my pumpkin puree had been chilled in the fridge, so the batter was thicker than it would have been if the pumpkin puree had been warm or at room temperature. Rest assured that the results are perfectly fine either way!
- I have a feeling applesauce or mashed banana could be used instead of the pumpkin puree with delicious results. Let us know in the comments below if you try something different!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite donut flavor? Our local donut shop makes an Apple Spice Donut that melts-in-your-mouth, so that’s next on my to-do list!
Do you think it would be ok to sub gluten-free flour for the gf oat flour?
I’ve never tried it that way, so I have no idea. I imagine they will have a different texture with GF flour… but they will probably still be tasty!
I had the same question. Have you tried it yourself and if so how did turn it?
Can I pulse steel cut oats in my Vitamix to create the oat flour? Is it the same as buying a bag?
Yes, as long as you have a high-speed blender you should be able to make your own oat flour from steel cut oats. I have tips on that at the bottom of this post: https://detoxinista.com/oat-flour/
These look amazing.
Any thoughts on cooking them as if they were waffles?
I know they would be dense but then I don’t have to buy a new baking pan 🙂
They’d probably be delicious as waffles! Just make sure you grease the waffle maker really well.
Hi Megan! These look amazing! I don’t keep coconut sugar around all the time, so could I use brown sugar or Morena sugar instead? Any idea of the amount I would need for similar sweetness? Thank you for all your amazing recipes! I’m gearing up to try lots of your soups as the weather cools. 😊
Yes, I think brown sugar would work just fine in this recipe. If you use a 1/2 cup like the recipe calls for, they’ll probably taste a little more like a “real” donut, which could be a good thing! Or, you could try reducing it to 1/3 cup for a less sweet option.
Wow – they look delicious and such a simple recipe! I don’t have a donut pan. I wonder if I could make them on a cookie sheet (with some coconut oil wiped on it to prevent sticking). I thought I might be able to form circles of the “dough”. Any thoughts on this?
They might spread more into muffin tops on a cookie sheet, so you might try using a muffin pan instead and extend the baking time a bit.
i don’t have a donut pan either, so when I made donuts in the past in the oven on a baking sheet, I would make aluminum foil rings, then put dough inside the rings, and then put an aluminum foil ball in the middle of each to form the donut shape.
These look delicious. I don’t have a doughnut pan. Is it worth experimenting with mini muffins? Do you think the dough would work as a muffin?
Yes, I think they’d make awesome muffins! The mini muffins might bake around the same amount of time the donuts would… I think a standard muffin tin would have to be baked a bit longer.
I do n have a donut pan either but i have used the pan with 12 mini bundt cakes and it worked great! Tasty and pretty and i didn’t have to buy a new pan.
I used a mini muffin pan and your awesome maple pecan glaze. They baked perfectly in the 18 minutes. So easy! My kids will love making these next time. Thank you!
Would it work to use just plains GF flour and not oat GF flour? Look so yummy! Thanks so!
Is the 1/4 cup coconut oil only for greasing the pan?
Nope, I just forgot to add that ingredient in the instructions! Thanks for catching that– I just updated it. 🙂
These are fabulous. Made them with oat flour and then also another batch replacing it with 1/2 c buckwheat flour and 1/4 c sorghum for my son who can’t have oats. Couldn’t tell a difference. First thing the kids asked for this morning. Thanks once again for a new family favourite. You’ve made real food a joy to make and feed my young family.
Hi Megan
What do you use to grease the donut pan?
I use the same pan and have tried coconut oil, butter,and ghee but my doughnuts always stick (especially if they are gluten free).
thank you
This recipe is amazing!! I couldn’t resist; I almost ate all the donuts.. Thank you for sharing this recipe Megan, it’s definitely a winner.
Thank you for posting this recipe. My kids loved these and my husband actually did too! And normally he won’t eat any of the gluten free dairy free stuff! These were quite yummy. I added an egg, cause eggs just always seem to help things bake up nicely. I’m just getting into the gluten free dairy free paleo cooking for some diet problems our kids have. So I was happy to find this recipe! Oh also I did half coconut sugar, half honey.
Hi Megan,
Thank you so much for this recipe. My son and I have had fun baking some of your desserts. We tried the vegan chocolate cake and also this one today. We follow the directions exactly except we used coconut flour instead of oat flower. Both recipes turned out very crumbly and actually fell apart after baking. They seemed dry- as if an ingredient was missing. We love how helpful they are and everything seem so perfect would love any suggestions so that they turn out better . I noticed someone said that they added an egg. Is that something we should try?
Coconut flour can’t be swapped for any other flour in baking– it usually requires a LOT of eggs for structure, and you usually much less coconut flour than you would any other flour. If you want to use coconut flour, I actually have a pumpkin spice donut recipe here on my website that calls for it: https://detoxinista.com/pumpkin-spice-donuts-grain-free-nut-free/
Mystery solved! Thank you! Love your recipes. Keep them coming!
This recipe looks great and I would love to try it. Do you think we can freeze any leftovers and reheat them later?
Yes, definitely! I think they’d freeze well.
Holy smokes these are amazing. My toddler and husband ate them almost instantly! Thanks for all your amazing recipes…they really do add value to the lives of families like ours!!
I love you recipes. Do you think you would be able to use almond flour instead?
I made these and they are delicious!
These donuts are the bomb!!! Can’t stop making them, so delicious and so allergy friendly. Thank you for this recipe!!
I made these this morning-delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!
Love these!
Can the ginger, clove, and cinnamon be subbed for pumpkin pie spice? If so, do you think 1 tsp will be right? Thanks!
Hi i did these twice without changing anything in the recipe. They are tasty but not rising at all and not well baked in the inside even at 180c and keeping them for more than 30 min… am wondering why
I made these with apple sauce instead of the pumpkin and they are incredible!
These are AMAZING!! My 1 1/2 year old and husband love them just as much as I do!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Love these!! This recipe has been on repeat since last fall. I don’t have a donut pan, so I double the batch size and make them into mini muffins.
What gluten free flour can I use other than oat flour
Thank you
You could try any other flour you like! I just have only tested it with oat flour so far. Please let us know if you try something different!
These are delicious!
love these! I used 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of the coconut sugar, and used 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of the clove/ginger. Otherwise followed recipe exactly, turned out great! I will be making again and trying them with the maple pecan glaze. Thanks for the recipe!
I tried these twice the taste is yummy however my donuts are not being well cooked from.the inside even after leaving the for more than 30 min in the oven at 180c and they are not raising well am wondering why this is happening?
These were delicious, Megan! We topped them with a chocolate glaze made out of coconut oil, raw cacao powder, and pure maple syrup. So, so good!
These were delicious!! Thank you! Just started a vegan detox and am easing into it, so these were a perfect morning treat.
I did have to change the recipe a bit as I didn’t have oat flour or a donut pan, but subbed a mix of gf flours (quinoa, almond, coconut, amaranth, flax and chia) and added a little date syrup. I used a mini muffin pan, filled half way.
Made these this morning, doubling the recipe and they were gone by 12pm
These were so delicious and perfectly sweet on their own. I doubled the recipe making 12 regular size and 12 mini; they were devoured in about 2hrs.
I did not find the gluten free oats flour at the local stores so i made the first batch using gluten frer all-purpose baking flour. The donuts turn out very good and yammy!!! Thanks for the recipe. Now i just discovered that it is possible to make your own gluten free oats flour by using gluten free rolled oats (old fashioned oat) and grinding it in a food processor or a fast blender. I will try that for my next batch!!!
This was Soooo good. I made it so many times that I forgot
The coconut oil in the last batch but still taste good! Thank you!
Wow! These were AMAZING! I was honestly just hoping to get rid of my pumpkins, and came across this recipe. Definately making them again!! I must say, I was a little worried how the kids would react to the pumpkin spices, but they loved it and finished it within minutes! Oh, and i also made the maple pecan glaze to go with this! Such a treat!!! Will make these again tonight, ‘cos the kids loved it so much, thank you!!
These are so good that I ordered a bulk supply of oat flour and canned pumpkin off amazon just to always have ingredients on hand!
To make them school/more allergy friendly, I sub white sugar for coconut (but use 1/2 the amount) and canola oil or applesauce for the coconut oil. And I’m lazy, so I just liberally add pumpkin pie spice. They always turn out beautifully. Even my preschoolers love them. Thank you!
I made this yesterday.My family loved it.I used unsweetened applesauce instead of coconut oil.I used 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 1/2 cup.They still came out great.This recipe is a keeper.
Loved these especially with the maple glaze, where I substituted walnuts instead of pecans as that’s what I had on hand. Highly recommend the glaze. For donuts — Used half homemade oat flour plus gluten free APF as didn’t feel like grinding more oats. Worked well. Batter was thick and I used small cookie scoop to evenly distribute dough. Definitely needed to cool 15 min before removing though I was unsure as I always remove donuts soon after coming out of oven, but wait on these as instructions say. They are delicate.
I made these in a muffin tin and they turned out really great. I doubled it to make 12.
I made these in a muffin tin using tinfoil balls which worked fine. I tripled the recipe. Used 2/3 cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup maple syrup instead of 1.5 cups coconut sugar which was ok. They taste good but turned out really dense. Definitely have a muffin texture. I put cinnamon sugar on top which turned out delicious. Overall I like this recipe but not sure where I went wrong with the texture.
Your pumpkin donut recipe is DEEEEELICIOUS!!! I made a couple substitutions, extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil, ground dates in place of the sugars and pumpkin pie spice in place of the ginger and cloves. I topped with your maple pecan glaze recipe… YUMMM!!! Super moist & full of flavor, you would never guess that these are healthy! This is a favorite for me! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
This is one of my favorite donuts. I actually often half the sugar and add some mini chocolate chips.
Any way to use a different gluten free flour for these? I’m allergic to oats
I’m the biggest fan of all your recipes – you never ever disappoint! I need to watch saturated fat – could I swap olive oil for the coconut oil? Thank you for everything!
Oh my gosh! These are amazing! The spices are what really makes them delicious. Literally Fall in a donut. Thank you for another great recipe. Next time I will double the batch to make more since they were gone so fast.
These are easy and amazing!
I just baked this. Oh my! They are delicious, cakey and soft. I melted a little bit of coconut butter and drizzle on top. It added a nice touch. It’s perfectly sweet.
I made two batches this weekend. Both batches I subbed the coconut sugar for brown sugar to give them a sweeter taste for my family, who are used to eating donuts.
One batch I made as-is with the oat flour and one batch I subbed GF flour. The GF flour batch was fluffier (which my kids liked better) & the oat flour was crispier (which I liked better).
Overall, a fabulous recipe. My family was very impressed that I could make donuts…and I was thrilled to have a healthy treat!
Can this be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator?
hi! pumpkin puree… hm, i am not a fan. can i use something else? but no bananas please 😉 maybe apple sauce/ if so, how much should i use? thanks!
These are excellent! Just the right amount of sweetness! Exquisite with the maple glaze, and good enough even for those who eat gluten.
Hi! Could you bake these in a muffin tin? You said they’re a cross between a muffin and a donut…
I already have a Vegan Pumpkin Muffin recipe made with oat flour if you want to give it a try!