Soft and sweet, these cinnamon sugar donuts melt in your mouth! Baked in the oven and made with gluten-free flour, this protein donut recipe is a great one to have on hand for breakfast, a post-workout snack, or those days when you have a sweet craving!
A soft, chewy base, topped with a buttery cinnamon sugar sprinkle.
Get the best of both worlds with these cinnamon sugar donuts.
Unlike traditional donuts, these protein donuts are baked in the oven to make them a bit easier for busy moms (no need for yeast or rising!).
And though they’re high in protein, you don’t need any protein powder to make them! Instead, they use collagen powder which as a Certified Nutrition Coach, is one of my all-time favorites.
You’ll fall in love with these healthy cinnamon sugar donuts because they’re:
- Healthy for kids!
- An easy way to bump up protein intake
- Great to curb a craving
- Dairy-free and gluten-free
- Deliciously simple
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: make sure to use baking flour and not all-purpose flour or the cinnamon sugar donuts won’t fluff up as you’d expect. For best results, use Bob's Red Mills flour. Learn the best tips for gluten-free baking.
Baking powder: adding in a little extra baking powder to get the best texture. This helps counter the denseness of gluten-free flour.
Collagen powder: one of the cleanest sources of protein, learn more about how collagen powder and protein powder are different.
Cinnamon: the fresher your cinnamon the better the flavor.
Salt: opt for salt that’s finely ground.
Dairy-free milk: we use homemade hemp milk the most but almond milk works just fine.
Apple cider vinegar: this just helps balance the acidity levels in the protein donuts to give them the best texture.
Eggs: to help bind the dough.
Dairy-free butter: any non-dairy butter should work for the donuts recipe.
Honey: you only need a hint of sweetness in the donut batter.
Cane sugar: this is to mix with the cinnamon to sprinkle on top.
How To Make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Melt the butter and add in the wet ingredients one by one.
- Mix well.
- Portion the donut batter into a silicone donut mold. Then, transfer to a cooling rack.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and let cool in the mold.
- Mix together the cane sugar and cinnamon sprinkle.
- Gently brush melted butter on a donut before dipping it lightly into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Repeat the process for all the donuts.
Step By Step Photos
Important Teaching Tips
The batter is sticky so you’ll need to help portion it into the donut pan and smooth out the tops.
Take care smoothing them out or the cinnamon sugar doesn't stick as well.
Silicone donut molds work best. Even greased, a traditional donut pan makes it harder to get the donuts out and you’re more likely to rip them.
These cinnamon sugar donuts are best eaten at room temperature. Though you can store them in the fridge, they do become a bit dense.
Know that too much cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar sprinkle mixture makes the donuts come out with a very dark topping. If you’re making these to look good for a party, keep the cane sugar high in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Choosing Collagen Powder
It’s no surprise that these baked donuts are made with collagen powder!
All the protein without the bloat.
I use collagen powder for amping up protein and boosting gut health.
Learn about the difference between collagen and bone broth as how to increase protein intake.
Honestly, as a busy mom collagen powder just makes it easy to eat more protein and not feel like I’m living off chicken and eggs.
And more protein means more energy, more natural beauty, and feeling your BEST.
Plus, in recipes like this, you can sneak protein into your kids as it’s one of the purest sources.
I grab my collagen from Perfect Supplements because they source their collagen from pasture-raised (grass-fed) cows. So, I trust it.
Grab some collagen powder and use code mamabear10 to save some money.
Easy to mix, this collagen powder adds a protein punch to anything you pair it with. Made from pasture-raised (grass-fed) cows there are no pesticides, hormones, or filler agents. Just put collagen protein. Use code mamabear10 to save money on your next order.
Unleash Your Energy
The ultimate roundup of high protein snack recipes for hectic lifestyles.
Trying to lose weight postpartum and not feeling ravenous was frustrating with my first.
It took a whole other pregnancy for me to realize that eating more protein was the “secret” solution.
Unfortunately, living off eggs and chicken breasts sucked after a while.
The solution? I started creating high-protein recipes that tasted more like dessert to help boost my intake.
Say goodbye to mid-day slumps, slow metabolism, and constantly feeling hungry.
I gave the protein bars to a friend of mine with a gluten allergy; I usually can't give her the food I make so I saved these for her. She absolutely loved them, she said most of the protein bars she eats are way too dry but these were great! - Stephanie
They’re the secret to helping you stay energized, enjoy what you eat, and meet your goals.
Say goodbye to mid-day slumps, slow metabolism, and constantly feeling hungry.
They’re the secret to helping you stay energized, enjoy what you eat, and meet your goals.
- Easy to make recipes with 17+ grams of protein
- All dairy-free and gluten-free
- 2-day meal plan to help you eat 100g protein per day (and not hate life).
Frequently Asked Questions About Baked Protein Donuts
Clear protein powder can't be used for collagen in this cinnamon sugar donuts recipe. This is because protein powder especially vegan protein powder absorbs a liquid whereas the collagen in this recipe does not. So using any kind of protein powder would greatly alter the texture of the protein Donuts.
You may be able to use a flax egg in the recipe in place of the traditional but I have yet to try it.
Because gluten-free flour absorbs so much liquid in a recipe, it can’t be subbed directly for regular flour.
These cinnamon sugar donuts will last roughly three days on the countertop in a sealed container. In the fridge, they will last up to one week. However, know that they become dense when stored in the fridge.
Other High Protein Desserts You'll Love
- Collagen donuts
- Flourless protein brownies
- Chocolate glazed protein donuts
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Gluten-free chocolate protein donuts
- Cookies and cream protein shake
- Gluten-free breakfast donuts
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- Chocolate fudge protein balls
- High protein cookies
- High protein pancakes
- Yogurt protein pancakes
- Chocolate protein fluff
- Easy, no-bake vanilla protein bar
- High protein snack recipes
Oven Baked Protein Donuts (Gluten-free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup 1:1 Gluten-free baking flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Collagen powder
- ½ cup Dairy-free milk
- 1 tbs Dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
- 2 Eggs
- 1.5 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Honey
- ⅛ cup Honey
- Coating
- 3 tbs Dairy-free butter
- 4 tbs Cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Melt the butter and add in the wet ingredients one by one.
- Mix well.
- Portion into a silicone donut mold. Then, transfer to a cooling rack.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and let cool in the mold.
- Mix together the cane sugar and cinnamon sprinkle.
- Gently brush melted butter on a donut before dipping it lightly into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Repeat the process for all the donuts.
Video
Notes
- The donut batter is sticky so you’ll need to help portion it into the donut pan and smooth out the tops.
- Make sure to smooth them so that the cinnamon sugar sticks when you dip them.
- Silicone donut molds work best. Even greased, a traditional donut pan makes it harder to get the donuts out and you’re more likely to rip them.
- The cinnamon sugar donuts are best eaten at room temperature. Though you can store them in the fridge, they do become a bit dense.
- Know that too much cinnamon in the sprinkle mixture makes the donuts come out with a very dark topping. If you’re making these to look good for a party, keep the cane sugar high in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Shelby aka Mama Bear
jennifer
I made in my metal mini donut maker, but going to get the silicone one, that looks so "no fail" to get out!!! These were super yummy -- and I loved the protein boost!
fitasamamabear
Haha I have also made them in a metal tin. They taste good but they get SO broken lol no matter how much you spray!! The silicone molds are a sanity saver lol
Sara
These were delicious and surprisingly easy to make. My husband and I quick made them for weekday breakfasts and he's been raving about them since
fitasamamabear
Wahoo! Always a hit when I win over a husband!
Jennifer
Cinnamon donuts are my kryptonite and not only are these donuts delish but the added protein makes them good for me! Yum!
fitasamamabear
Haha now you can eat them more often!
Bella B
We loved this one! Always appreciate finding good dairy free and gluten free recipes. Will be making this one again.
fitasamamabear
Happy to hear it!
Gina
Cinnamon sugar donuts bring back childhood nostalgia like crazy for me. These were delicious and love that they've got a bit more nutrition than the typical recipe.
fitasamamabear
They remind me of being a kid too! Funny how certain flavors do that. Glad you like them!