Pumpkin Protein Donuts (Gluten Free)

These pumpkin protein donuts are baked in the oven and then topped with a rich chocolate glaze. They are made with almond flour and pumpkin seed protein, making them gluten free, grain free and dairy free.

I feel like it's been too long since I've shared a new donut recipe and I have yet to share a protein donut recipe...so here we are!

These pumpkin protein donuts are everything you could want in a baked donut. They are:

• moist and tender
• gluten free and grain free - made with almond flour
• dairy free - no butter or milk
• paleo friendly - made with real, whole foods that are minimally processed
• easy to make

I topped these protein pumpkin donuts with a chocolate glaze because who doesn't like chocolate?! That being said, you can go without the chocolate or swap it for another frosting or cinnamon sugar topping if you wish.

Ingredients

Here's a list of what you'll need to make these healthy pumpkin protein donuts:

• almond flour
• arrowroot starch (or tapioca flour)
• plant-based protein powder (I used pumpkin seed protein)
• pumpkin spice
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• organic pumpkin puree
• large egg
• maple syrup
• avocado oil
• vanilla extract
• water
• Optional chocolate glaze: dark chocolate, coconut oil

I made have tried these donuts with pumpkin seed protein (as shown in the photos), hemp protein and with pea protein. All work well, but I really love the flavor of the pumpkin seed protein donuts.

Hemp protein can be subbed with pumpkin seed protein at a 1:1 ratio by weight. However, pea protein is highly absorbent, so if using pea protein for these donuts you'll need to add more water.

How To Make Pumpkin Protein Donuts

These protein donuts are baked in the oven and then topped with a chocolate glaze. Here's how to make them:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a silicone donut pan (I greased mine with avocado oil).

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry donut ingredients. This includes the protein powder, almond flour, arrowroot starch, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, avocado oil, vanilla and water.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined.

The easiest way to put the batter into the donut pan is to pipe it in. You can use a pastry bag or ziplock bag to do this.

I scooped the donut batter into a ziplock bag and cut a hole in the end, then piped the batter into the pan. This recipe makes 8 donuts.

Place the donuts in your preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. If you're using pea protein instead of pumpkin seed protein then you will need to bake the donuts a few minutes longer.

After baking the donuts, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the silicone molds for 5-10 minutes. Then place them on a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature before frosting. They should be easy to remove from the donut pan.

Chocolate Glaze For Pumpkin Donuts

These protein donuts can be eaten as-is, topped with a glaze or dusted with cinnamon sugar. As per the request of my kids, I topped these gluten free pumpkin protein donuts with a chocolate glaze.

All you need to do is melt some dark chocolate and coconut oil, then dip the donuts into the melted chocolate. Place the dipped donuts on a wire cooling rack to set. You can also add sprinkles, pumpkin spice or flaked salt.

Storage

Any leftover donuts need to be stored in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge. They are best eaten within 5 days.

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