Grain-free Pumpkin Spice Air Fried Donut Holes

Healthier air fried pumpkin donut holes: what all of my October breakfast dreams are made of…

The FLUFFIEST 10-Minute Healthier Donut Holes

It’s no secret that “fluffy” and “grain-free” don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Since I started following a grain-free diet to manage my IBD symptoms, it’s been my mission to find an easy, no-rise donut recipe that ACTUALLY comes close to the real deal.

These pumpkin donut holes have a fluffy center, crispy outside, and slight pumpkin spice flavor without any oil or refined sugar!

Because these donut holes are made with nourishing whole-food-based ingredients, I feel absolutely incredible after eating these! …Unlike that gross sugar crash I would always get from eating a few too many Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts (lol).

I am a true believer that a happy gut = healthy life.

Since food is the most direct way of influencing our gut health, I think opting for gut-healthy versions of my favorite treats is sooo worth investing 10 minutes of my day into. Don’t get me wrong: it took being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease to make me fully ditch all of the highly processed foods out of my diet… its not easy! But I can say wholeheartedly that it was 100% worth it.

Every day, more studies come out supporting the strong relationship that exists between our gut microbiome & our brain. After switching my diet to support my gut health sent my disease into remission, I can say with confidence to anyone that prioritizing gut health is absolutely essential to supporting your health!

• Gut Feelings: How Food Affects Your Mood
• The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health
• Crosstalk Between the Gut Microbiota and the Brain

Baking With Greek Yogurt

My secret ingredient for this recipe: Plain Greek Yogurt.

This is one of those cases where the saying “don’t knock it till you try it” is probably the most relevant thing I can say.

Not only does it add a an interesting tart flavor balance to the sweet combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, and honey BUT Greek yogurt is also responsible for the fluffy texture that eggs, flax eggs, and other binders just couldn’t provide.

As a student studying Food Science, it would be wayyy too easy for me to go off about all of the cool reactions that go on to cause this, but I’ll keep it short & sweet with a couple bullet point basics:

• Greek yogurt is naturally acidic. The acid reacts with the baking powder and baking soda in the dough to release gases (product gets fluffy).
• Using Greek yogurt in place of eggs for this recipe resulted in a super moist yet fluffy center, which I just couldn’t seem to achieve using eggs or flax eggs.
• Greek yogurt contains small amounts of lactose, which is a reducing sugar that participates in Maillard browning. This chemical reaction is the one responsible for the perfectly crispy, golden-brown edges.

Yogurt (more specifically, SCD yogurt) is also a food in the category of dairy-based products allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is a gut-health focused approach on healing the digestive tract and bringing intestinal flora back into balance in people suffering from IBD, IBS, Celiac Disease, and many other conditions- including Autism!

Any dairy product that has been either fermented or aged is considered “SCD legal”.

PLUS plain Greek yogurt is a rich source of probiotics, protein, and calcium! So I’ll take every excuse I can to sneak it in to a sweet treat.

How to Make Air Fried Donut Holes

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: blanched almond flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 2: Add the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla.

Step 3: Use a tablespoon to scoop out about 24 donut holes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll each ball of dough lightly between your hands to smooth.

Step 3: Place the balls of dough in a lightly greased air fryer basket and air fry at 350F for 8 minutes.

Step 4: In a small stovetop pan over low heat, combine the coconut butter, coconut oil, and honey to make the glaze. Stir the mixture frequently for about 3-5 minutes, just until the coconut butter is melted. Toss the donut holes in the glaze & enjoy!

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