A healthy holiday donut recipe you’ll love! These Baked Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Doughnuts are paleo, allergy-free, grain-free, and perfect for breakfast, dessert, a Christmas brunch, or an afternoon snack! They’re seasonally spiced, topped with a sugar-free glaze, easy and kid-friendly!
I promised you I would make a gingerbread recipe. Well here it is (just a few months late!). I made these gingerbread doughnuts over winter break after I got this beautiful doughnut pan from Santa! One of the best gifts, I kid you not! I had been “craving” for one for so long and they aren’t even expensive
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These baked gluten-free vegan gingerbread doughnuts were the first recipe I made to “break in” the new pan. ‘Tis the season, right? I’m one of those people who believes that gingerbread, any seasonal flavor craze, is 100% acceptable year-round. Even if you stumble upon this recipe, say in the summer, I urge you…bake! Bake away!
How are these gingerbread doughnuts gluten-free, vegan, paleo, grain-free, and allergy-free?
I’m sure you’re wondering, but no worries here! A delicious and unexpected combination of ingredients yields one amazing baked doughnut recipe! All you’ll be needing is arrowroot starch, a nicely ripe plantain (yes! NOT a banana), baking powder, gingerbread spices: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla extract, molasses, non-dairy milk, and for topping these delicious doughnuts, with a simple sugar-free glaze, some powdered Swerve (erythritol) and a touch of water! Allergy-free chocolate sprinkles are optional but recommended!
How do you make baked gingerbread doughnuts?
This small batch baked doughnut recipe is super simple to make! You’ll be blending your very ripe, peeled plantain in a small food processor or blender, adding in the arrowroot starch, baking powder, spices, molasses, non-dairy milk, and blending again for a super silky smooth batter! Then just spoon out the batter into your greased doughnut pan for a total of 4 doughnuts. Bake the doughnuts for a quick 12 minutes, remove, let cool, and then dip the rounded side of the doughnuts in the simple “sugar” glaze you’ll be making and sprinkle on the sprinkles!
Is it Doughnut or Donut?
I’m sure you noticed my strong stance on using the word DOUGHNUT in this post and recipe; here’s why…
Let’s start from the beginning. Doughnuts have been around for centuries and have even been found petrified by archaeologists! We don’t really know much about those fried cakes, so historians tend to start at the 19th century with the Dutch and their frying or sweet dough balls called, olykoeks. Immigrants brought them to America. Apparently the middle of these doughnuts never cooked all the way and thus be filled with fruits.
Then comes along a woman from New England who gives her son some doughnuts and the recipe when he leaves for a sea voyage. There are 2 versions of this story now. One, the son couldn’t steer the ship and eat the doughnut so he stabbed it on to the spoke of the ship’s wheel. Or, he hated the center filling and just poked it out. From there he started making his mother’s recipe without a center. The doughnut eventually becomes super popular during WWI and eventually gets mass-produced in the 1920s. In the 40s and 50s doughnut chains start popping up like Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme.
Now, the “dictionary” approved spelling of Doughnut is Doughnut! BAM! It is the true formal word for the fried dough of yum. The simpler, shortened version, Donut, came about after it became a popular treat and stores like Dunkin’ Donuts starting coining the name as such. So really, it’s a doughnut and not a donut (that’s just slang). All you food bloggers naming your doughnuts, “donuts”, need to stop. It’s wrong! #FakeNews!
When should you eat these gingerbread doughnuts?
Since these doughnuts are healthy, low in sugar, and all real food, having them for breakfast, as a snack, dessert, or a Christmas brunch are all perfect options! Is there ever a bad time to have a doughnut? No way! Grain-free, paleo, vegan, allergy-free, and of course, gluten-free. You can actually eat the whole pan or split it with a well-loved friend! You can easily double the recipe too to make a bigger batch (need more doughnut pans?) They also freeze well, can be eaten cold the next day or heated in the microwave for a warm baked treat!
Baked Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Doughnuts
- 1 (7-8 oz) Ripe Yellow Plantain
- ¼ Cup Arrowroot Starch
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Ground Cloves
- ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 2-3 TB Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 TB Blackstrap Molasses
- ½ Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 5-10 Drops of Vanilla Stevia (optional, sweeten to taste)
- Simple Glaze:
- ½ Cup Powdered Erythritol (or preferred powdered sugar)
- 1-2 TB Water (depending on preference)
- Allergy-Free Chocolate Sprinkles* (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Grease your doughnut pan and set aside.
- Peel and slice your plantain into chunks and process in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Add all other doughnut ingredients to the blended plantain in the food processor and blend until mixed and smooth.
- Scoop out the doughnut batter with a spoon or butter knife and evenly distribute among 4 of the doughnut molds.
- Bake the doughnuts for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and let cool slightly before carefully lifting the doughnuts out of the molds and placing on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, mix together the powdered erythritol and water until you get your preferred glaze consistency. Dip the rounded face of the doughnuts in the glaze place back on the wire rack and add the sprinkles if using.
Now who wants a DOUGHNUT (not donut)!? Don’t delay getting out your pan
So tell me:
+ Doughnut or Donut?
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These look so incredibly good! Well done!
Haha, what?
This looks amazing (as your recipes always do)! Saving it!
Thank you so much, Meaghan!
Yummmmm! These look SO good!
O, thank you!
Ok YUM, saving this recipe now!!!
Great! Enjoy!
Yum. These look spectacular. We’ll have to make some of these!
Should be a Christmas classic!
So many great ingredients in these yummy treats! I better give these a try!
Yes!
Gingerbread is one of my favorites! These look fantastic! Thanks for linking up and sharing with us at Funtastic Friday. Hope you can make it again this week.
Thank you!
OMG a million times yes! I need to track down a pan so I can make these. They sound awesome! I eagerly await your other doughnut recipe. Thanks for clearing up the spelling – I always have been using the proper spelling, but wasn’t sure. And I like the story – I’ll stick with version 1 ;p
I am featuring this recipe on HVF tomorrow (shocker) and have pinned it on Pinterest. Thank you so much for all of your awesome recipe contributions!
Yes yes! You must get to baking doughnuts! The best healthiest treats you can make! And yay for using the right spelling AND thank you! XOXO
Congrats, Rebecca, these delicious sounding doughnuts are one of the favorites from last weekend’s Savoring Saturdays! 😉 We’ll all be featuring them this weekend!
Thank you so much sweetheart!
These look delicious! Thanks for linking up with me for Friday Favorites. I’m featuring you this week!
Thank you Jerri!
Hi Rebecca. Thank you so much for sharing your Gingerbread Doughnuts recipe at Thriving on Thursdays last week. It looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. Letting you know I’m featuring this one at tomorrow’s party. Hope to see you again sometime.
Anne @ Domesblissity
Thank you Anne!
These look super yummy! I’m featuring them this week on Gluten Free Wednesdays 🙂
Thank you so much Cassidy!
I’ll never look at a doughnut (or donut) the same again. I’ll always picture it stuck on ship wheel’s spoke now . Thanks for sharing at the This Is How We Roll Link Party on Organized 31.
Hahahahaha! Well I hope you’ll still make these 😉
These look so good! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Thank you!
These look fantastic! I have been making baked doughnuts for a while now and am always looking for ways to change up my staple recipes – thanks for sharing!
I hope you make these then!
Oh wow, these sound great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!
These look so unique and different from anything else I have ever made! I pinned this for later! Thank you!
Thank you so much darling!
Cute story and a good lession. So happy you linked up with us at Thursday Favorite Things.
Thanks!
I’m still calling mine donuts 😛
I think probably because it’s short and sweet, but also because doughnuts doesn’t even make sense to me as a word… where are the nuts?!? 🙂
But you don’t pronounce “do” like “dough” so donut doesn’t make sense!
I must get a doughnut pan! I love the ingredient list and would love to try these!
Yes! Get one soon! You will love these 🙂
This is a very innovative and interesting recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!
Umm – yummy! Gingerbread and doughnuts are pretty much my two favourite foods!! I love the fact that you bake them – I didn’t even know you could make doughnuts by baking them. This is going into my to-cook folder.
Haha, really? Well, I would never eat anything fried so these are 1000000x better, healthy, and just damn delicious!
well that’s what has put me off buying or making doughnuts – the frying. Now I know better!
Those look delicious! I don’t have a doughnut pan, and I know they aren’t expensive, but I wonder if these could work as a loaf? Or mini muffins?
No, it wouldn’t rise or be fluffy enough so to speak.
Ah. Thanks for answering my question!
I need to make these soon. Looks delicious. 🙂
Yes! Thank you!
These look awesome, I love gingerbread any time of year too! I have that donut pan, I love it but definitely don’t use it often enough!
I always considered “doughnut” to be the correct spelling and “donut” to be the American spelling, so I was along the right vein haha! I still usually spell it “donut” though because I like the way the word looks better… or perhaps I’m just lazy haha!
Yes! DOUGHNUT elites! I like spelling it this way, haha! It’s easier to sound out and spell correctly!
Delicious looking donuts! I just can’t stomach Krispie Creme. I would rather go hungry.
I know right! These are MUCH better 😉
Your Gingerbread Doughnuts look delicious, we will love them.
Thank you!
Hi Rebecca,
Yum! Sounds so tasty and easy to make. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
They are!
Love this recipe!! So yummy and healthy!! I would love it if you stopped by my place and shared your stuff on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday – Link Party….It’s still open and I would love to have you!!
Thank you Elaine!
Wow! Gingerbread donuts sound so interesting. Thanks for linking up to #FiestaFriday. Have a great weekend. xx
Thank you so much!
Oh wow, gingerbread donuts look and sound scrumptious. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Thank you!!
Doughnut, what else! Loving the gingerbread twist (naturally ;-)) – what an ingenious idea! Thanks for bringing these along to this week’s Fiesta Friday party – I’m sure they’ll go down a treat!
Thank you so much! XOXO
Wow, healthy and delicious looking! Love it 🙂
Thank you!
Interesting recipe!
Thanks! It’s the best!
yum! these look delicious!
Thank you!
These sound great! Pinning to try soon!
Thank you Lisa!
Yum! These look wonderful and I love using blackstrap molasses for baking!! Love the story about the origin of doughnuts 🙂
Have a great day!
Thank you Natalie! I love the sticky stuff, but rarely use it!
This is amazing! What a yummy recipe! I would love for you to share this at my link party Making Memories Mondays going on now! 🙂
Cathy
Thank you Cathy!
Hi there! Visiting from Wake Up Wednesday. I never knew you could use plantains that way! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
You’ve got to try it! XOXO
Love that you used plantain as part of the base of the dough – good thinking!
~jules
Plantains are simply the best!
This sound incredible, I’m bookmarking this recipe to try out in a couple of weeks!
Thank you!
I never know whether to write donut or doughnut but I certainly know they’re delicious!
These look so good!!
Haha, well now you know 😉 XOXO
Gingerbread is my favorite! I can’t wait to try it in a donut. Thanks for the recipe. Pinned.
Thank you Heidi!
They look amazing, I would never have thought to cook with bananas like that! I’m going to share with a fellow GF friend who can’t tolerate eggs, I bet she’ll love your recipe!
Plantains, not bananas, huge difference!
I hope she does 😉
I would have never guessed that a doughnut could be so healthy! I’ll have to make these for the kids, they’ll love them
ANYTHING can be made healthy 😉
This looks really interesting!! I do love gingerbread. Yum!
Thanks Rachel 😉
Wow! I learned so much about doughnuts today! This is a recipe that I’m going to try during one of our Mommy and Me cooking sessions. I love that the ingredients make this doughnut actually healthy….now I have an excuse to eat doughnuts!!!! I especially love that they are soy-free – heading off to Pin 🙂
O yes! Eat them all the time now 😉
Yeah girl! These sound incredible! And I love how healthy 🙂
Thank you Alyssa 🙂
That was a really interesting History lesson about doughnuts! These little babies look delicious, and they would be perfect for my allergic toddler! Pinning now on my ‘free from’ board. Thanks for sharing #TastyTuesday
Yay! I hope you both get to enjoy them 🙂
Gingerbread is always in season at our house! This looks fabulous 😀
Haha, it just HAS to be 😉
These look incredible!! I’m gluten free so I’m sure I’d love these!
Unless you have some rare plantain allergy…anyone can enjoy them…ALL of them 😉
Thank you for the history behind the doughnut. I had no idea. These doughnuts look perfect to me , I love healthy treats!
Haha, thank you Krystal!
I had no idea that doughnuts had been around for so long! :O There’s a canto dimsum version that I always think of as doughnuts because they’re essentially fried day with powdered sugar without the actual doughnut hole. They are delicious, but oh so bad for you, haha.
I love this version! It looks awesome! (+ yay for gingerbread, which I somehow never had over the holidays!)
I want to see these fossilized “doughnuts” 😉
And I know! Me too! This was the first and only gingerbread thing I had…sadness :O
I am totally intrigued by gingerbread donuts – er i meant Doughnuts – with chocolate sprinkes! Lady, these sound fantastic! I had no idea of the history behind the humble and popular Doughnut so thanks for sharing!
Haha, I hadn’t had doughnuts in so long, even those there are not like the fried treat, these are perfect for my tastes 😉
Ooh I need this pan! I love anything cinnamon.
Haha, cinnamon is my life 😉
Doughnut – donut, tomato – tomata, whateva! 😉
Love the pan, I have the same one. Baked donuts are the best and your recipe looks awesome. Can’t wait to give these a try.
I guess as long as it tastes good 😉
Haha, thanks for the little doughnut history lesson 🙂 I don’t like fried doughnuts, but your baked ones sound delicious!
Baked is the only way 😉
Oh and I love that you included a plantain in them! I really have to try baking with plantains now, this is the third recipe I’ve seen lately that uses plantains 😀
Plantains are magic! They are a staple in my kitchen!
Yes, they definitely are – I love them too – just have never baked with them! 🙂
Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors! Ahhh, so good! Why don’t I own a doughnut pan yet??
You need one and then you need to make these STAT!
I love gingerbread even if it’s April! A doughnut pan is one of those things I keep meaning to get, but for some reason haven’t. These look great! Gotta get a pan!
I’m so mad I waited so long for mine too! But really, I am SO happy I have it now!
These look awesome! I think glazed or chocolate frosted are my favorites 🙂
Can’t go wrong with chocolate 😉
Yum!!! Pinning – I have one question for you though, how the heck did you get your plantain to cooperate with you like that – I usually have to cut mine out of the skin – I get so annoyed! But these look fantastic. I’d have to hand form these into muffins or something (no donut pan). But they would still be fab!! Pinning!
It’s a hit or a miss, but they usually work! Just slice a line down the skin and peel!
Girl….get a pan now!
Love this! I’m a ginger/ gingerbread fan year round.
My family loves donuts, my mom is always bringing them to the girls and even got my youngest donut pants, yep donut leggings! I have never been a huge donut fan but with the girls and my husband loving them we still stop and enjoy them on road trips and every now and then. We got a couple dozen Easter weekend to take up to my parents and I had one and actually enjoyed it and I can’t remember the last time I had one or and heck even longer since I had one and really enjoyed it.
We bought a mini donut pan a couple years ago and went through a phase of making some healthy donuts but haven’t in awhile and I have been debating on bringing it back out. Like everything else there is a list a mile long of things I want to make and things we love and we just seem to go in phases but need to add these and our favorite mini muffins into the rotation again.
It’s always fun to bring out favorites every now and again!
I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it before but I guess I usually use ‘donut’, although I do agree that isn’t the proper way to spell it. That being said, these do look delicious! Gingerbread is one of my favorites. I bet it’s great in doughnut form!
Yea, I never even have to use the word, but when I do…like this recipe, I am using it right!
And yes…they are 😉
Something else to add to my ever growing list of things to bake/try while at home! I loved the mini doughnut lesson you gave! Also I totally hesitated while spelling that! Have a great start to your week, this post definitely ensured a wonderful start to mine! Much love from a warm Jersey 🙂
Yes! We should get together for a doughnut baking party 😉
Omg please.
And I now officially NEED to buy a donut pan!!!
YES YOU DO!
I’ve bought that brand of sprinkles… I need to again! They make me feel so much better than the artificially flavored/colored ones!
They rock!!
Oh my goodness these look amazing!
Thank you Erin!
Ok, you and Alyssa have got me seriously craving donuts/doughnuts this morning! In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s necessary that I stop by HomeSense tonight and pick up a donut pan. Swooooon!
I think it’s necessary too 😉 We all need doughnuts in our lives!
Fun post on the history of dougnuts (yep…that’s how I spell it :-), and your gingerbread doughnuts look delicious too! I bought a doughnut pan last year, and I agree-great investment! Happy Monday-Have a wonderful week Rebecca!!
Yay! That’s the way! And thank you love!
Yum! This is the second doughnut recipe I’ve seen this morning. Think it means I must make some! I used to love blueberry doughnuts or tiger tails!
I think it does too 😉 Doughnuts for everyone!!!
These look great! I’ve never pureed a ripe plantain out of pure laziness but I will be trying this, as you know I’m never short on plantains 🙂 I also have the exact same doughnut/donut pan as you and yes it was super cheap and it’s awesome. I’d also LOVE those sprinkles!
You are going to LOVE these!
And I’m pretty sure this is the industry standard pan most people have, haha!
Plantains are such an awesome base for baked stuff! This is one of those moments in life I’m glad I invested in a donut pan 🙂
And ‘doughnut’ may be the correct way to spell it, but considering I use words like fudgey and chlorofilled and other made up things, correctness isn’t really my biggest concern. I’m okay with ‘donut’, it’s trendy 🙂
I know! Best invention 😉
Since it’s not an adjective food word, I’m a traditionalist here and will respect the DOUGHNUT!
arrowroot is the best! and man, i gotta get me some donut pans… STAT
Yes! I’m surprised you don’t have one!!!
Gingerbread anything seems like a good idea!
Can’t argue with that 😉
I love ginger-flavored baked goods! These sound tasty – and healthy!
Thanks Paige!
OMG – I am a plantain addict and with gingerbread flavors who can resist – I’ve pinned this to try later
Same!!!! Thank you Mireille!
I don’t have a doughnut pan but once I buy one, I am so making these! Pinned for later! 🙂
Yes you are!!!
These look delicious, Rebecca! I can practically smell them baking from here.
Haha, thanks Kelly!
Ahhh another reason I need to get a donut pan (yes I definitely use donut- wrong! haha) Gingerbread is delicious any time of year!!
I totally agree 😉
I am totally okay with eating an entire pan of these. I think I’ve used ‘donut’ before but am definitely more of a ‘doughnut’ person! And I’m a sucker for pumpkin or maple donuts- they’re too good to resist!
Pumpkin and Maple….o goodness….Fall flavors are super good aren’t they 😉
Believe it or not I’m not a big doughnut fan – but these look yummy:) If I have to have one (twist my arm) at a bakery, I usually opt for something like an apple fritter! Not a doughnut but if there are apple chunks on it- I’m in heaven!
Well I think you’ll be pleased with these. They are totally not your typical “doughnut”, haha!
they look yummy! I love my baked donut pan
One of the best “non-essential” kitchen tools 😉
Those look great! I’ve never used arrowroot. I am always jealous of your great food pics. That is my struggle! Thanks for linking up with us today for Meatless Monday!
Thanks Deborah!
Yummy! These sound lovely. Gingerbread always reminds me of my grandma, so this is just what I need as I have been thinking about her a lot recently. I do need to get myself a donut pan though….but we did put it on our registry 🙂 Have a wonderful Monday!
They are so cheap! Haha! You need to just get it now!