These Paleo almond flour donuts have a tender, cake-like texture thanks to a balanced blend of almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. Topped with a simple chocolate frosting, they taste like bakery cake donuts but use cleaner ingredients.
These almond flour Paleo donuts are one of my favorite baked treats: soft, fluffy, mildly sweet, and irresistible with the rich chocolate frosting. They make a delightful weekend breakfast or an anytime snack when you want something indulgent but made with cleaner ingredients.
This gluten-free donut recipe uses whole-food ingredients. I wouldn’t call them strictly “healthy” in a medical sense, but they’re a much better choice than a typical store-bought cake donut.
How to Make
1. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, dairy-free milk, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the dry mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.
4. Stir until fully combined. The batter will be thick.
5. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag and trim the tip or corner about ½–¾ inch. Grease a 6-cavity donut pan and pipe the batter into each cavity about ¾ full.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 15–17 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and begin to pull away from the pan.
7. Let the donuts cool slightly, then remove them carefully and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
8. While the donuts cool, whisk together powdered coconut sugar, cacao, vanilla, and dairy-free milk to make the chocolate frosting.
9. Once cooled, dip the rounded top of each donut into the chocolate frosting. The frosting will be thick, so dip gently and let excess drip off before returning the donut to the rack to set.
If you like sprinkles, add them right after dipping—just note that most sprinkles aren’t Paleo.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
A full ingredient list with amounts appears in the recipe card below. Key notes and substitutions are summarized here.
Almond flour — Use finely ground almond flour, not almond meal, for the lightest texture.
Tapioca flour — Also called tapioca starch. Arrowroot can be used in its place if needed.
Coconut oil — Use melted coconut oil. Both refined and unrefined options work; unrefined is less processed.
Eggs — Use room-temperature eggs so they mix evenly and help the batter rise.
Dairy-free milk — Any unsweetened plant milk works. If you don’t need the recipe to be dairy-free, regular milk is fine.
Coconut sugar — Also called coconut palm sugar. In some cases you can substitute maple syrup, but the texture may vary.
Powdered coconut sugar — A Paleo-friendly alternative to conventional powdered sugar. Regular powdered sugar can be used if Paleo compliance isn’t required.
Cacao — Use cacao powder (the less processed form) rather than conventional cocoa if you want to keep the recipe closer to Paleo principles.
FAQs
Silicone donut pans work well and release donuts easily. If you use a metal non-stick pan, grease it well; non-stick pans may shorten baking time slightly.
The Paleo approach emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods while avoiding grains, legumes, processed sugars, and dairy. These donuts follow that approach by using grain-free flours and natural sweeteners.
Eggs provide structure and binding for these grain-free flours, so I don’t recommend replacing them. Egg substitutes may not give the same texture or rise.
How to Store
These donuts are best the day they’re made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours, or refrigerate to extend freshness.
Expert Tips
Grease the pan well. Use coconut oil to coat each cavity so donuts release cleanly.
Use a piping bag or sandwich bag to fill the donut molds neatly and avoid mess.
Don’t underbake. Bake until the edges turn light golden and pull away from the pan for that ideal cake-like texture.
If using a metal non-stick pan, check for doneness a few minutes earlier than with silicone pans.
Let donuts cool before removing. Let them set for about 10 minutes before carefully loosening and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
More Better-for-You Baked Goods to Try!
-
Almond Flour Blueberry Lemon Bread
-
Gluten-free Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy free)
-
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
-
Gluten-free Thumbprint Cookies
Paleo Almond Flour Donuts {with chocolate frosting}
Equipment
- 1 donut pan (6 cavities)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Donuts
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
Ingredients for the Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup powdered coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons cacao
- 2½ tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 6-cavity donut pan.
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil, vanilla, coconut sugar, and milk.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated; the batter will be thick.
- Pipe batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
- Bake 15–17 minutes (check earlier if using a metal pan). Donuts are done when golden and pulling from the edges.
- Allow donuts to cool slightly before removing from the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, whisk powdered coconut sugar, cacao, and milk (or water) in a shallow bowl for dipping.
- Dip the rounded top of each cooled donut in the frosting, let excess drip off, and return to the rack to set. Enjoy.
Notes
- Silicone pans typically need about 16 minutes. If using a metal non-stick pan, start checking at 12 minutes.
- For stability, place a silicone pan on a baking sheet before filling and baking.
- Dip gently when frosting to avoid breaking the donuts; leftover frosting is expected.
- Sprinkles are optional but usually not Paleo; choose naturally dyed sprinkles if you want to keep ingredients cleaner.
- Donuts are best the day they’re made, but will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.
- Nutritional totals assume all frosting is used; actual values will vary depending on how much frosting you apply.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 41 g
| Protein: 7 g
| Fat: 22 g
| Sugar: 25 g