Soft, fluffy, and topped with rich chocolate, these Glazed Protein Donuts are the perfect way to enjoy a sweet treat while boosting your protein intake. Baked in the oven until light and tender, these donuts have a classic donut flavor with a healthier twist.
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These doughnuts are a tasty way of getting an energy boost! And I love that the are so quick and easy to make." -Judith
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 25 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 6
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 283 kcals and 10 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Unsweetened applesauce, natural peanut butter, vanilla vegan protein powder, eggs, and honey.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, high-protein.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: These oven-baked donuts are rich, chocolatey, and packed with protein for a satisfying treat.
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Don’t think you can’t have your cake and eat it too, you absolutely can (this funfetti protein mug cake is literally just that)! These high-protein donuts give you the best of both worlds: a sweet, donut-style treat paired with a bit of protein to help keep you going. As a busy mom, I love recipes like this that let you enjoy dessert while still sneaking in a little extra fuel; it's literally the whole idea behind my Strong and Sweet Protein Guide.
Once you know how to make protein donuts, you'll want to whip up a batch, store them in the fridge, and enjoy them the same way you might reach for something like peanut butter protein brownies, a quick, indulgent treat that doesn’t feel over the top.
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor: These chocolate-glazed protein donuts have a classic donut vibe to them, but are actually good for you!
Easy ingredients: Chances are, you have almost everything to whip these up, and they can be made with multiple protein powders.
Customizable: Adjust the flavor or the toppings to create a new protein donut taste each time.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vanilla protein powder: The kind of protein powder you choose will alter the texture and the flavor of the donuts. Originally, the donuts were made with a vegan protein powder.
- Unsweetened applesauce: In a pinch, yogurt should work here, but know that it’s the applesauce that keeps the donuts from becoming too thick and dense.
- Peanut butter: Almond butter works as well. In fact, any nut butter can be substituted in. Just make sure that you use fresh nut butter that’s a bit runny (like my no oil peanut butter), or the batter doesn’t blend as well.
- Xantham gum: This is used to make the donuts hold together and give them that classic light but chewy texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Glaze: In place of chocolate, you can drizzle the protein donuts with a salted coconut milk caramel sauce.
- Add-ins: Sprinkles and candy canes can be added into the donut batter (like with these grain-free donuts) to make them festive or sprinkled on top of the glaze.
- Double chocolate: Use a chocolate protein powder or add 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to the mix.
How To Make Glazed Protein Donuts
Step 1: Combine the applesauce, peanut butter, honey, and egg. Mix well.
Step 2: Add in the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 3: Portion into a silicone donut pan and smooth them out.
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Let cool fully before dipping into the chocolate glaze.
Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Important Teaching Tips
The protein donut recipe works best if you use a silicone donut mold. Even greased, you will not be able to get the protein donuts out of a steel mold, they're too delicate.
Since the donuts are very light, they’re also very delicate. It works best if you chill them in the fridge for an hour or two before glazing. However, you can do it once they’re cooled. Just know that you have to be extra careful.
A few tips on choosing the best protein powder for the chocolate-glazed donuts:
- The donuts were originally made with a fermented vegan protein powder, which absorbs liquid like crazy and gives a chewy-ish texture.
- If using a vegan, non-fermented protein powder, you need to use 1 full teaspoon of Xanthan gum to hold them together, and they'll have a softer texture.
- I recently switched to beef isolate protein powder for health reasons, and though you can use it, it's trickier. If using beed protein, either increase the xanthan gum to 1 teaspoon and decrease the applesauce by a tiny bit, or (and this is my preference) add in 1-2 tablespoons of gluten-free flour, as I find they hold together better this way.
Glazed Protein Donuts FAQs
These vanilla protein donuts are best stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They do firm up slightly when chilled, but they’re still delicious. You can also let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving them.
No, you cannot freeze protein donuts. Once frozen, moisture gets into the air pockets of the donuts, and when thawing, it tends to make them just a wee bit soggy. They’re best eaten when stored in the fridge.
More Protein Donut Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this Chocolate Glazed Protein Donuts Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Gluten-Free Glazed Protein Donuts
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Protein Donuts
- ½ cup Unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup Peanut butter natural
- ¼ cup Honey
- ¼ cup Vanilla vegan protein powder
- 1 tbs Vanilla vegan protein powder yes, you need both
- ¾ teaspoon Xantham gum
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
For The Chocolate Glaze
- 2 tbs Coconut oil
- 2 tbs Honey
- 2 tbs Cacao powder
- 1 tbs Coconut milk from a can
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- Combine the applesauce, peanut butter, honey, and egg. Mix well.
- Add in the dry ingredients one by one and mix. The mixture will thicken.
- Use a spoon and silicone spatula to portion the batter into the donut pan. Take care to shape them slightly.
- Bake for 15 minutes and let cool completely (roughly 1 hour) before removing from the mold.
- When you're ready to make the glaze, add the coconut oil and honey into a small sauce pot and heat on low.
- When the coconut oil melts, remove from the heat and whisk in the two other ingredients.
- Very carefully, remove the donuts from the molds and dip them gently into the glaze (they're delicate!). Place them on parchment paper to sit.
- Top with sprinkles if you wish.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Michelle says
Yum! I love the healthy twist on these donuts! Perfect for your kiddos! Such a great recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Right?! It's a nice blend of healthy indulgence.
Kristen says
These sound great, and I wanted to give them a try. Not a fan of protein powder at all though, so I ground some flax, hemp and chia together and adjusted the amount a bit and it worked great! The kids loved them and so did my hubby.
Any bany says
We all enjoyed these donuts so much! Thanks for sharing!
fitasamamabear says
Sp happy everyone loves them!
Gina Abernathy says
You had me at chocolate and donuts! A great and tasty recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Lmao right?!
Sage Scott says
Oh, yum! And while this recipe won't work for vegans (egg + honey), we alpha gals can eat vegan + eggs + poultry + fish/seafood with our food allergy so neither is an issue. I love that it includes protein powder as I'm always still struggling to get enough protein in my diet as I adjust to my new normal with alpha-gal syndrome.
fitasamamabear says
Ah that's awesome that you can fit it into your diet needs! Everyone needs donuts lol
Judith says
A great healthy snack recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Thanks!
Colleen says
It seems impossible that these delectable donuts could be this healthy! I love that this protien is fermented, too. Extra points for gut health. Great recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Haha definitely a little sneaky.. the best part!
Bernice Hill says
These protein donuts are a substantial treat but still incredibly delicious. My family loved them!
fitasamamabear says
Happy everyone enjoyed them!
Katie Jacques says
oh my goodness these donuts are so perfect!!
fitasamamabear says
Hehe thank you!
Relle says
You had me at chocolate. Always looking for ways to get more protein in. Thank you for sharing.
fitasamamabear says
Chocolate is literally a life staple in my house haha
Mandy Applegate says
I was craving something sweet after a hard workout and these fitted the bill and were so good!
fitasamamabear says
Hehe yes!
Sharina says
Made these with the whole fam and we enjoyed them so much! Our donuts turned out to be so beautiful and delicious glazed with our all-time favorite chocolate glaze. We'll surely have these again. Thanks for these wonderful recipe Shelby!
fitasamamabear says
Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so happy you guys enjoyed them!
MacKenzie says
These were delicious and I love the added protein.
fitasamamabear says
Glad to hear it!
Lisa says
The doctor said I need to up my protein in the morning. So I made these to bring into work on our weekly donut day. Even my coworkers were impressed.
fitasamamabear says
Omg yay! So happy you gave them a go, definitely a yummy way to boost intake.
Camilla says
Great recipe! I love donuts and so pleased to have found a healthier recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Donuts are an easy win in this house, glad to give you a new one to try!