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    Home » Donuts

    Healthy Butternut Squash Donuts (Baked)

    Published: Oct 13, 2023 · by Katie

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    These healthy butternut squash donuts are made with pureed butternut squash, sweetened with coconut sugar, baked in the oven and topped with a thick maple icing. This squash donut recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.

    Top view of frosted butternut squash donuts.

    While I do love pumpkin desserts during the fall, squash baked goods are also a favorite of mine!

    Squash is naturally sweet, has a delicious, buttery flavor and creates the perfect moisture for baked goods.

    These squash donuts are soft and moist with a nutty, buttery flavor and sweet maple icing. They're made with pureed squash and almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar.

    Why You'll Love these Butternut Squash Donuts

    • Paleo friendly - made with real, whole food ingredients
    • gluten free and grain free - squash donuts made with almond flour
    • dairy free - no butter or milk and the icing is coconut based
    • easy to make - a one bowl batter that's baked in a donut pan
    Bite shot to show the inside texture of the squash donuts.

    Ingredients

    Here's a list of what you'll need to make these gluten free butternut squash donuts:

    Squash Donuts

    • pureed butternut squash
    • large eggs
    • melted palm shortening (or butter)
    • vanilla extract
    • blanched almond flour
    • tapioca starch
    • coconut sugar (or preferred granulated sugar)
    • baking powder
    • cinnamon
    • salt

    Maple Icing

    • coconut cream
    • maple syrup
    • powdered monk fruit sweetener
    • tapioca starch

    For this squash donut recipe, I pureed my own butternut squash. You can do this by cubing a squash and then steaming it in a steamer pot. Once soft, cool the squash a few minutes, then blend the squash in a food processor or high powered blender. The other option is to buy canned butternut squash.

    Although I have only tested this recipe with butternut squash, most squash varieties should work for this recipe. You can even swap the squash for pumpkin puree.

    To make these donuts nut free, use tigernut flour in place of the almond flour.

    Ingredients in squash donuts.

    How to Make Squash Donuts

    For these paleo squash donuts, you'll need a mixing bowl, whisk, spatula and listed ingredients to make the batter. Then you'll need a ziplock bag to pipe the batter and a silicone donut pan/s and baking sheet for baking the donuts. (I like to set the silicone donut pans on a baking sheet to make things easier.) Other donut pans should work, but baking time may vary.

    Before you get started making the batter, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the silicone donut pans on a baking sheet and grease 8 slots in the donut pans with palm shortening (or butter).

    Make the Batter

    Combine the wet donut ingredient in a large mixing bowl. This includes the pureed squash, eggs, shortening and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

    Mix in the dry ingredients: almond flour, tapiocas starch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

    Butternut squash donut batter.

    The batter will be thick, but still smooth enough to whisk.

    Bake the Donuts

    Scoop the batter into a ziplock baggie and cut a large hole on one end. Pipe the donut batter into your greased donut pans. You should get 8 donuts.

    Place the donuts in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.

    Piping the batter in a donut pan using a ziplock baggie with a hole cut on one end.
    Baked donuts in donut pan.

    Cool the Donuts

    After baking, cool the donuts for 5-10 minutes in the donut pans. Removing them right away will result in them crumbling apart.

    Place the squash donuts on a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature before adding the icing.

    Freshly baked squash donuts coolin on a wire cooling rack.

    Top Donuts with Icing

    Lastly, make the icing for the donuts. Combine all icing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

    One at a time, dip the donuts into the icing, covering the entire top half of the donut. Place the donuts back on the wire cooling rack. Some of the icing will drip off the donuts, so you can place the wire rack over a baking sheet or parchment paper to catch the excess.

    Side view of donut.
    Holding a butternut squash donut.

    Toppings

    After icing these healthy squash donuts, I added some cinnamon and bee pollen. These are optional toppings of course! Some other options would be to add chopped nuts or seeds, mini chocolate chips or sprinkles.

    Storage

    These donuts can be kept out at room temperature for serving, but need to be stored in the fridge. Place them in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge, for up to one week.

    More Unique Butternut Squash Recipes

    Muffins on wire cooing rack

    Chocolate Butternut Squash Muffins

    butternut squash cookies on wire cooling rack

    Squash Cookies

    bowl of paleo squash tots

    Butternut Squash Tots

    FAQ

    Can these squash donuts be made nut free?

    Yes! Swap the almond flour for tigernut flour for a nut free version.

    Can I use any type of squash for these donuts?

    Most squash varieties should work for this recipe. You can even swap the squash for pumpkin puree.

    Is there a substitute for the eggs?

    I have not tested this recipe without eggs. However if you do, please be sure to leave a comment in the comment section and let me know how they turned out.

    Print
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    Top view of frosted butternut squash donuts.

    Healthy Butternut Squash Donuts (Baked)

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Katie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 23 minutes
    • Total Time: 33 minutes
    • Yield: 8 donuts 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These healthy squash muffins are made with butternut squash, baked in the oven and topped with a maple icing. Gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Donuts

    • ½ cup pureed butternut squash (122g)*
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¼ cup palm shortening, melted (46g)
    • ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (140g)
    • ½ cup tapioca starch (60g)
    • ⅓ cup coconut sugar (55g)
    • 2 tsp paleo baking powder
    • ½ Tbsp cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp salt

    Maple Icing

    • ¼ cup coconut cream, melted
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • ½ cup powdered monk fruit sweetener
    • ¼ cup tapioca starch

    Instructions

    1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place two silicone donut pans on a baking sheet and grease 8 slots in the donut pans with palm shortening (or butter).
    2. Combine the wet donut ingredient in a large mixing bowl. This includes the pureed squash, eggs, shortening and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
    3. Mix in the dry ingredients: almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.  The batter will be thick, but still smooth enough to whisk.
    4. Scoop the batter into a ziplock baggie and cut a large hole on one end. Pipe the donut batter into your greased donut pans. You should get 8 donuts.
    5. Place the donuts in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.
    6. After baking, cool the donuts for 5-10 minutes in the donut pans. Removing them right away will result in them crumbling apart.
    7. Place the squash donuts on a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature before adding the icing.
    8. Make the icing for the donuts: combine all icing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
    9. One at a time, dip the donuts into the icing, covering the entire top half of the donut. Place the donuts back on the wire cooling rack. Some of the icing will drip off the donuts, so you can place the wire rack over a baking sheet or parchment paper to catch the excess.
    10. After icing these healthy squash donuts, I added some cinnamon and bee pollen. These are optional toppings of course! Some other options would be to add chopped nuts or seeds, mini chocolate chips or sprinkles.
    11. These donuts can be kept out at room temperature for serving, but need to be stored in the fridge. Place them in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge, for up to one week.


    Notes

    *I pureed my own butternut squash, but canned will work as well.  To make your own squash puree, cut a butternut squash in half and remove the seeds.  Cut off the stem of the squash, then cut the squash into cubes (no need to remove the skin).  Place the squash in a steamer pot and steam until tender.  Cool the squash a few minutes, then blend it in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bakeit.paleo on Instagram and hashtag it #bakeitpaleo

    Pinterest image for butternut squash donuts.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      October 13, 2023 at 6:23 am

      My family and I love these donuts and we hope you all do too! Enjoy!

      Reply
    2. Marge

      October 06, 2024 at 9:13 am

      We grew acorn squash and sweet potatoes , any suggestions for making these donuts with either of them rather than the butternut squash?

      Reply
      • Katie

        October 07, 2024 at 12:37 pm

        Acorn squash might work instead, but I've only tested this recipe with butternut.

        Reply

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    I'm Katie and I have a passion for baking healthy treats using real, whole food ingredients. On my blog you'll find a variety of sweet and savory recipes, all gluten free and dairy free. My mission is to make baking nutritious, delicious, simple and family friendly.

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