Easy Chocolate Paleo Donuts Recipe With Glaze (2024)

Easy Chocolate Paleo Donuts Recipe With Glaze (1)

My husband and I love to sit on our front porch on Saturday mornings, sippingdeliciously brewed coffeeand chatting while we watch the world wake up. Our kids usually join us one-by-one as they roll out of bed . . . often just in time to see our neighbor bring home a big box of sprinkle-covered donuts for his family.

Now, I’m all for the occasional treat along with high quality protein and veggies in the morning, but we’re a gluten-free family so the local donut shop is just not an option for us. Fortunately, these naturally sweetened paleo donuts are super easy to whip up and fun to decorate!

Unlike fried donuts made with yeast, these cake donuts are leavened with baking powder before they’re popped in the oven. I kid you not, they taste similar to the Little Debbie snack cakes we (or at least I) grew up on, only with wholesome ingredients instead of corn syrup and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ).

I layer these donuts with a chocolate glaze and then let my kids decorate their own using the topping of their choice. Here are a few ideas:

Now, on to the recipe!

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4.50 from 10 votes

Easy Chocolate Donuts Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

These double chocolate cake donuts are easy to make and fun to decorate! I kid you not, they taste very similar to the Little Debbie snack cakes we (or at least I) grew up on.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 6 donuts

Calories 318.42kcal

Author Heather Dessinger

Ingredients

For the donuts:

For the glaze:

  • 10 tsp butter (or sustainably-harvested palm shortening if dairy-free)
  • tsp raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
  • 10 tsp maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tsp water (if needed)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease your donut pan with coconut oil.

  • Mix the almond flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix the eggs, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla. Pour them into the dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth.

  • Divide the batter equally into the donut pan.

  • Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes.

  • When the donuts are ready, remove them from the oven them to cool until comfortable enough to handle – it usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Next, gently remove them from the pan and dip them in the glaze. Top with sprinkles or chocolate chips if desired, then serve.

  • To make the glaze, place the butter, cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla in a small pot or saucepan. Heat on low while whisking until the butter is just barely melted. Use a spoon to drizzle the tops of the donuts with the glaze. If it's a little too thick to drizzle, whisk in a teaspoon of water and check the consistency. Continue adding water in 1/2 teaspoon increments until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut | Calories: 318.42kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.64g | Protein: 7.55g | Fat: 21.72g | Saturated Fat: 10.08g | Cholesterol: 123.38mg | Sodium: 152.21mg | Potassium: 210.2mg | Fiber: 3.18g | Sugar: 17.72g | Vitamin A: 361.34IU | Calcium: 97.19mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of the most common questions I receive about gluten-free and paleodesserts.

Can I make this recipe nut-free?

Sunflour, which is flour made from ground sunflower seeds, can often replace almond flour in a recipe, but I have not tested it in this one. If you try it please let me know how it turns out!

What kind of donut pan should I use?

I wish someone would make a cast iron option, but unfortunately the only ones I know of arenon-stick donut pansandfood-grade siliconedonut pans. I don’t use silicone for much in my kitchen, but I think it’s worth it to be able to make these on occasion for my family.

Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?

Coconut flour absorbs liquid differently than almond flour and unfortunately will not work in this recipe.

More Grain-Free Recipes To Try

Chocolate Overnight Oats – Creamy, chocolatey and rich in healthy fats, this overnight oatmeal is a simple and delicious make-ahead breakfast recipe.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins– These muffins are moist, cakey, and super simple to make! My daughter helped perfect the recipe, which makes them extra special in our house.

Sugar Cookies With Easy Frosting– Decorated with naturally colored sprinkles and plant-based, natural food dye, these sugar cookies are delicious and so pretty!

Fudgy Brownies– These chewy, fudgy brownies are one of my favorite recipes from Danielle of Against All Grains book, Meals Made Simple. She was kind enough to allow me to share them with you.

Grain-Free Snickerdoodle Cookiesfrom Danielle of Against All Grain – Chewy and buttery-soft on the inside, these snickerdoodles have a crispy surface and belly warming cinnamon flavor.

PaleoChocolate Chip Cookies– These ooey-gooey paleo chocolate chip cookies are one of my family’s tried-and-true favorite recipes.

Want more delicious, easy recipes?

No problem, I’ve created a free ebook for you –35+ Gluten-Free Desserts – as a gift for signing up for my newsletter. Every Sunday you’ll get recipes, actionable health tips, and highly-vetted product recommendations delivered fresh to your inbox.

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Easy Chocolate Paleo Donuts Recipe With Glaze (3)

Related Posts

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  • Chocolate Chip Cookies With Almond Flour (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

  • Chocolate Ganache Recipe (Dairy Free)

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Easy Chocolate Paleo Donuts Recipe With Glaze (2024)

FAQs

What is chocolate donut glaze made of? ›

Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth.

What is a paleo donut made of? ›

These Paleo donuts have the most delicious cake-like texture thanks to the perfect mix of almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. They are topped with chocolate frosting and taste just like bakery cake donuts, but are made with healthier ingredients!

What is the secret for soft doughnuts? ›

There's only one way to make doughnuts even softer and fluffier and that is by scalding some of the flour. Scalding is a technique used to not only make bread softer, but also to make it stay soft for longer. You can use it for pretty much any recipe you like.

What are the ingredients in Dunkin Donuts chocolate glazed donuts? ›

Donut: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Palm Oil, Sugar, Cake Donut Mix [Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Nonfat Dry Milk, Egg Yolk, Leavening (Sodium ...

What is the difference between donut frosting and glaze? ›

Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.

What is the Krispy Kreme glaze made of? ›

The secret to Krispy Kreme doughnuts is of course the sweet glaze, and this is achieved by bathing the doughnuts in a glaze of icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk, for a thicker glaze increase the quantity of icing sugar by a few spoons.

What is the healthiest doughnut to eat? ›

The classic sugared donut is also the most nutritious donut on the menu. It has 240 calories, 11g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 13g sugars, and 270mg sodium. If you love donuts, you've got plenty of varieties to choose from. Many of the popular donuts have 300 to 400 calories each.

What is the unhealthiest type of donut? ›

Apple Fritter

Apple fritters are among the unhealthiest doughnuts. Just because a doughnut has fruit it it doesn't mean it is a good choice. Apple fritters are deep fried in fat. A medium sized apple fritter contains approximately 17 grams of fat (almost half the fat from saturated fat) and 450 calories.

What is the most unhealthy donut in the world? ›

The Honey Dew Coconut Jelly Stick is the most calorie and sugar-heavy donut on our list with 590 calories and 40 grams of sugar per stick. Not only that, but it has a whopping 680 milligrams of sodium, which is almost a third of the recommended daily limit.

Why are Krispy Kreme doughnuts so soft? ›

The secret ingredient, mashed potato, gives the donuts moistness and tenderness. It's rumored potato is in the secret Krispy Kreme recipe too! The first Krispy Kreme shop was opened in 1937 in North Carolina by Vernon Rudolph, who used his uncle's yeast-raised donut recipe.

How does Krispy Kreme make their donuts so fluffy? ›

A batch of original glazed starts with Krispy Kreme doughnut mix, water and yeast, the same single-cell fungi used to make bread rise. The yeast is what makes the original glazed so light -- it puffs the dough up with air, so it's not dense like a cake doughnut (more on this later).

What is donut glaze made of? ›

Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible. Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip into the glaze; if you like, flip them so the tops they're completely covered. Put on racks to let the glaze harden.

What is Dunkin Donuts glaze made of? ›

Glaze: Sugar, Cornstarch, Water, Maltodextrin, Palm Oil, Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Agar, Dextrose, Vegetable Monoglycerides, Natural Flavor, Rice Starch.

What is Krispy Kreme chocolate glazed? ›

Chocolate Iced Glazed Doughnut

Chocolate lovers take note! We take our Original Glazed® doughnut one simple, yet delicious, step further by hand-dipping it in smooth, delectable chocolate icing to create a delicious Chocolate Iced Glazed Doughnut. “I always know they're (Chocolate Iced Glazed) going to be delicious.”

What's the difference between chocolate glaze and chocolate frosting? ›

Frosting typically has a butter or cream cheese base, while icing and glaze are made from powdered sugar and water, juice, or milk. So if the taste is fattier or creamier, it's probably frosting.

What is the difference between chocolate glaze and ganache? ›

Though equally delicious, ganache is a little different than a chocolate glaze. While a glaze will set up and harden, a "firm" ganache will remain a thick paste at room temperature and only harden when refrigerated. There is also a "soft" ganache that's popularly used for filling pastries and cakes.

What are chocolate glazed donut nails? ›

The manicure includes the same shimmery finish as her glazed donut nails, but instead of a pearly white color, her nails are painted a deep shade of brown. Thus, the chocolate-iced donut analogy.

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