Paleo Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Doughnuts

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of…

Our grandfather used to tell us this nursery rhyme quite often when we were little. He had such a way with words. Maybe he was priming us to one day be nutritionists, recipe developers, and serious foodies. Or maybe he just loved entertaining us. Either way, it was a win-win.

Now that it’s Fall and everywhere you turn it’s pumpkin this and pumpkin that, it’s only fair to continue to bombard you with awesome pumpkin recipes! 

One of our loved pumpkin-inspired recipes involved doughnuts. Yes, doughnuts. Who doesn’t love this treat? Buuuuuut (putting on the nutritionist hat here), they’re not the healthiest food choice. In fact, doughnuts (refined flour and sugar and deep-fried in unhealthy oils) will cause inflammation in the body, which can lead to a whole host of health problems. So, we wanted to create a better-for-you version that would satisfy everyone. Tinkering around in the kitchen with some of our favorite ingredients and viola! Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip doughnuts!

These beauties were a HIT with our test groups (a.k.a., friends and family), receiving rave reviews from kids and adults. One little girl said it was better than the doughnut she gets every Sunday after Sunday school! Score one point for moms!

The best thing about this recipe is that it can be served as a dessert and a breakfast as they’re macro-balanced – the carbs are evenly balanced with protein, healthy fat, and a good amount of fiber. Moist, nutritious, and delicious. And very satisfying.

Silicon doughnut pans are easy to find at your local Target or Walmart or online. You can also make these doughnuts in any size muffin pan you have, but you’ll have to adjust the baking time to make sure they’re cooked throughout.

A note about anything Pumpkin Spice – some pumpkin spice foods don’t actually contain pumpkin! That’s because they’re referring to the spice mixture often found in pumpkin recipes, like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin muffins, and lattes. Traditionally, pumpkin spice includes a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.

Unfortunately, we don’t really love all of those flavors, so we’ve adjusted it to fit our favorite flavor profile, which really means lots of cinnamon! But you can use a pumpkin spice blend or any combination of those spices that you like! We’re pretty flexible and love when you take creative liberties with our recipes to better suit your palate.

The cool thing about cinnamon is that it’s a warming spice and makes your dish taste sweeter without needing a lot of sugar. That, plus a good glug of pure vanilla extract, a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt, and our secret ingredient, and this recipe will have your taste buds dancing a happy dance!

Let us know how you like it! Happy eating!

**Note on ground flax seeds: we recommend that you buy whole flax seeds and grind them yourself as they go rancid quickly. Whole flax seeds are not digested and will pass through your digestive system intact. If you think that purchasing ground flax seeds are the way to go, we caution against that because they're probably rancid. Keep your flax seeds, whole, and newly ground, in the refrigerator (along with all of your other nuts and seeds) to preserve freshness.