Mini Gingerbread Donuts are the perfect Christmas treat. They’re baked, not fried, and made with almond and buckwheat flours, so they’re gluten-free too. Top them with a dairy-free chocolate glaze and sprinkles for an added treat!
All things gingerbread!
The smell of gingerbread has been wafting through my house for days, and with the dusting of snow we had this past weekend, I’m feeling Christmassy! Holiday music is playing, and holly berry candles are burning. And I’m pretty sure the Christmas decorations will be out soon. I know, it’s early, but I like to get as much enjoyment out of the season as I can. So I start super early.
When do you start getting ready for the holidays?
Long before I start decorating for the holidays, I start baking. This year I started before Halloween with these gingerbread protein donuts.
I’ve actually lost count of how many batches of these Christmas donuts I’ve made over the past few weeks. They’re pretty similar to these carrot cake and pumpkin pecan donuts, except I used almond flour and buckwheat flour instead of oat flour. And, of course, the molasses and spices give these donuts a distinct Christmas flavour!
If you haven’t tried baking with almond flour and buckwheat flour, I highly recommend it. They’re great for gluten-free and grain-free baking, and pretty easy to work with in the right proportions. I’ve had success with these raspberry muffins and these pumpkin waffles. And as you can see from the photos, these donuts rose up perfectly, with a texture fairly similar to wheat flour donuts.
What you’ll need to make these baked gingerbread donuts:
- Almond flour
- Buckwheat flour
- Vanilla protein powder (dairy-free, gluten-free)
- Baking soda
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
- Almond milk
- Molasses
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Egg
- Dairy-free dark chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
- Sprinkles or other desired toppings
How to make these mini gingerbread donuts:
- In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, buckwheat flour, protein powder, baking soda and spices. Add in the almond milk, molasses, oil and egg, and stir until well combined.
- Spoon batter into a greased mini donut pan and bake at 350F for 12-13 minutes. (You can also use a piping bag to add the batter to the pan).
- Let the donuts cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Dip the top of each donut into the melted chocolate and add sprinkles. Transfer them to the refrigerator to set up. Done!
Some other tips for making this mini gingerbread donut recipe:
- The baking time is for a 12-cavity mini donut pan. If you use a full-size donut pan, you will need to increase the baking time.
- To keep these donuts dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free protein powder and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- To keep these donuts gluten-free, make sure the protein powder, as well as the spices and sprinkles are gluten-free.
- You can use light or dark buckwheat flour. I prefer to use light as the dark gives the donuts a speckled colour.
- The chocolate glaze and sprinkles are completely optional, but for an extra special treat, I highly recommend them.
Pin these Gingerbread Donuts to make for Christmas!
If you’re looking for more gingerbread recipes, you might also enjoy:
- Chewy Ginger Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting have a lemon cream cheese middle sandwiched between chewy ginger cookies. They’re decadent but not overly sweet.
- Spiced Pear Gingerbread Cookie Cups have a gingerbread cookie base, topped with spiced pears and molasses coconut whipped cream.
- Gingerbread Waffles are hearty and healthy, made with steel-cut oats, whole wheat flour and warming spices. They’re topped with coconut cream and partridgeberry compote for an added treat.
- Chocolate Orange Gingerbread Muesli is filling and wholesome and perfect for your Christmas morning breakfast or holiday brunch.
If you make these gingerbread donuts, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Mini Gingerbread Donuts (Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 12 donuts
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free
Description
Mini Gingerbread Donuts are the perfect Christmas treat. They’re baked, not fried, and made with almond and buckwheat flours, so they’re gluten-free too. Top them with a dairy-free chocolate glaze and sprinkles for an added treat!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup light buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (dairy-free, gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg, scrambled
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, dairy-free
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, virgin, cold pressed
- Sprinkles or other desired toppings
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease a 12-cavity mini donut pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, buckwheat flour, protein powder, baking soda and spices. Add in the almond milk, molasses, oil and egg, and stir until well combined.
- Spoon batter into prepared donut pan and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
- Let donuts cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for two 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Stir until chocolate is smooth.
- Dip the top of each donut into the melted chocolate and let any excess chocolate drip off before returning to the wire rack. Add the sprinkles to each donut as you go.
- Transfer donuts to an airtight container and refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days.
Notes
- The baking time is for a 12-cavity mini donut pan. If you use a full-size donut pan, you will need to increase the baking time.
- For dairy-free donuts, ensure the protein powder and chocolate chips are dairy-free.
- For gluten-free donuts, ensure the protein powder, spices and sprinkles are gluten-free.
Stunningly gorgeous and sinfully delicious! I’m a donut freak, and I’ve got the poundage to prove it, so I know what I’m talking about. 🙂 I always have molasses on hand, so I couldn’t wait to make these.
Thanks Byron! One of my favourite purchases is my donut pan so I’m with you on the donuts!
Your donuts are just gorgeous!! What a perfect gluten-free and dairy-free donut recipe for the holidays! It’s perfect…I just wish I could decorate mine as cute as yours!
Aww! Thanks Leslie!
Ever since I saw the picture of your donut on the screen, i am dying to eat some. What a great texture of the donut and I will be eating this guilt free as they are baked. Love the addition of protein powder. Being vegetarians, that will be a welcome addition for us.
Thanks Sandhya! I wish I could make a batch to share with you!
Love how healthy and indulgent these are, not to mention pretty! I would love to try these, as having something festive AND healthy is exactly what I need right now 🙂
Thanks Terri! I’ll be making these again soon to have on hand for the holidays! They’ll make a great snack in a pinch!
These look fantastic!! I love everything gingerbread, it tastes amazing and makes your house smell so nice too 🙂
I made German cookies this week using a mix of almond & buckwheat flour and a flax egg (to keep them vegan) and I’m now hooked to that combo. I will definitely be making your donuts for the Holidays!
Thanks Aryane! I love the smell of gingerbread in my house. Wish it could last year round! I’m definitely hooked on the buckwheat and almond flour combo. I still need to experiment with flax eggs in my baking! Let me know what you think if you make these donuts over the holidays!
I love everything about these donuts! The ingredients, the photos! Pinning to make for Christmas!!
Thanks so much Lizzy! I hope you like them as much as we do!
These donuts look so tasty! Donuts are my weakness but I try not to eat them too often. But these would be a great treat!
Thanks Lisa! It’s definitely hard to eat just one of these! Hope you had a great weekend!
Leanne, these look absolutely amazing! Love the process shots and the final product looks DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to try these out this holiday season!
Thanks so much Haylie! Glad you like the shots! Let me know what you think if you make them. I’ll definitely be making them again soon!
Gingerbread anything is my favorite this time of year and these look no different. I wish I had one (or five) with my coffee this morning!
Thanks Kelsie! I’m enjoying one with my evening tea right now, but one with my morning coffee sounds great too!
these sprinkles are so festive!!! i’ve never had gingerbread doughnuts before but they sound great.
Thanks Heather! These donuts didn’t last long in my house, and the sprinkles were a big hit!
So although I don’t have a Christmas mood yet, I’m certainly here as a food blogger. And while I’d love to embrace as many seasonal flavours as possible, I’m kind of stuck with gingerbread. Nope, I’m not complaining; I guess my mind needs everything gingerbread this year. And I certainly do like these baked donuts. Also, why haven’t I tried using buckwheat flour for donuts? That sounds great!
Thanks Ben! Hopefully you’ll get in the Christmas mood soon! I’m with you, I’m all over gingerbread this time of year. I might sneak in a bit of peppermint, but it’s mostly gingerbread for me! And you should definitely try buckwheat flour in donuts. Let me know what you think if you do!
I love that these adorable little donuts are gluten-free! Baked donuts are the donuts I eat and gingerbread is my favorite Christmas flavor — I can’t wait to make these!
Thanks Marcie! Gingerbread is definitely my favourite Christmas flavour too, so many more batches of these donuts will be made over the next month or so! Have a great week!
Don’t you just love holiday baking? And any kind of mini dessert is right up my alley…though, I’d doubt I’d stop at just one 😉 Love that these are on the healthier side too – great for balance with all those extra indulgent holiday treats. And there’s no way I’m not having sprinkles! Hope you have a great week, Leanne!
Thanks Dawn! That is the one little problem with mini desserts. You really just can’t eat one! I’m glad sprinkles aren’t optional for you. They’re not optional for me either! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Anything mini rocks! I should know, I’m pretty mini myself! Lol
Haha! Patrick, you’re too funny! Thanks!