Soft, sweet and packed with avocado (like a WHOLE avocado), these avocado donuts are gluten-free, low-carb and packed with nutrition. They also make the best guilt-free paleo desserts.
OK, so I had some ripe avocados sitting on the counter next to the bananas and got the idea. Instead of banana bread, why not avocado?
You don’t know how glad I am I tried.
There’s avocado icecream, smoothie, chocolate mousse, cheesecake, and brownies. WHY NOT AVO DONUTS?
I love the simplicity, the velvety crumb. I love the sweet avocado flavor and how vibrant green it looks once you take a bite!
It’s also:
- gluten-free
- paleo
- can easily be keto (just sub sugar*)
- low carb
- made under 7 ingredients
- has no added oil or butter
Ingredients used to make these Avocado Donuts
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Almond flour – I used blanched almond flour
- Avocado – I used a medium, fully ripened avocado. For this recipe, I would strongly recommend that you use a ripened (preferably soft) avocado. You could try and use one that’s firm, but you probably won’t get the velvety texture you see in the photos. 1 medium avocado yields about 2/3 cups mashed, or 150 grams cubed
- Egg – I used regular large eggs
- Salt – Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe. Since I use only a small amount, the conversion (between kosher and fine salt, for example) isn’t necessary.
- Sugar – I like using light-colored sweeteners such as honey powder, or raw cane sugar in this recipe because it doesn’t affect the color of the final product. Coconut, date, and maple sugars are less processed, more natural granulated sugars, but it results in a browner, darker donut so I don’t recommend them here. For the low carb option reflected in the nutrition facts, use a sugar-free substitute such as monk fruit sweetener or stevia powder (but be sure to convert the amount of stevia according to package directions)
- Lemon Juice – The lemon juice is added to this recipe for dual purposes. One is to activate baking soda, which is a leavening agent that relies on acidic conditions to produce the rising effect we want to see in our baked goods. The second reason is important- because it keeps the avocado from turning brown and helps maintain that vibrant green color! This is because lemon juice (ascorbic acid) keeps the surface of the avocado from reacting with the oxygen in the air. If you don’t have fresh lemons or lemon juice you can also use apple cider vinegar or a any neutral flavored vinegar such as white, rice vinegar.
- Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar – you can also use sugar-free, such as Swerve
More Avocado Recipes
How to Make
How to Make Paleo Avocado Donuts
STEP 1
Blend or mash avocado with 1 Tbsp lemon juice (this helps preserve the pretty green color). Stir together with the rest of the ingredients.
STEP 2
Grease donut pan (a must!!) with olive oil or coconut oil. I used spray oil.
Pipe or spoon into a donut pan of choice, filling all the way to the top (since these donuts rise very little). I used metal donut pans here but I think the silicone donut pans are better because the donuts are MUCH easier to remove. Also, note that the original recipe makes only 3-4 donuts, so please use the [2x] [3x] buttons to adjust the servings accordingly.
STEP 3
Bake 340F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are dry and very slightly golden.
STEP 4
Let the donuts cool slightly before flipping the donuts onto a parchment paper lined pan or counter.
STEP 5
Sift powdered sugar on top
STEP 6
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- You don’t have to keep this plain. Add some nuts, dried fruits or mini chocolate chips to keep this avocado donut interesting. You can also bake it in a muffin pan if you don’t have a donut pan.
- CHOCOLATE avocado donuts! Add 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder and fold in some chocolate chips to the batter
- If you’re looking to lower calories, you can substitute 1/3 cup of the mashed avocado with 1/3 mashed banana
What are some ways you can eat these?
- Plain and warm
- Glazed with the almond butter glaze (see my sweet potato donut recipe!)
- With Powdered Sugar sifted on top
How to Store
Store these donuts covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you need to store them longer, you can place them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to 4 months. Defrost at room temperature
Here are some recipe notes before you proceed:
Final Tips
- For this recipe, I would strongly recommend that you use a ripened (preferably soft) avocado. You could try and use one that’s firm, but you probably won’t get the velvety texture you see in the photos.
- Use batter right away after prep. They will deflate over time, so I’ve found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
- Baking time (as well as serving size) will vary based on the size of your donut pan, the material (silicone vs metal) of the pan, and how thick you pipe your donuts! Bake the donuts until the color is golden-brown on the top, or until a toothpick comes out clean/dry when poked into the middle.
More Donut Recipes You’ll Love
Avocado Paleo Donut (Gluten-Free, made with Almond Flour)
Ingredients
- 1 medium avocado *read note
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light colored sugar or sweetener of choice**
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F.
- Blend or mash avocado with 1 Tbsp lemon juice (this helps preserve the pretty green color).
- Stir together with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pipe or spoon into a donut pan and bake 340F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Optional: dust with sugar-free or regular confectioners sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
I made this last night and it was amazing! I didn’t have a donut pan so I used a cake pan and it turned out great, just had to lengthen the baking time. Super excited to try your avo cookie next 😸
Glad you liked it!
It tasted great but I should have read your notes before making this! I used coconut sugar and the donut turned out brownish.