Indulge in moist and fluffy Chocolate Protein Donuts, the ultimate treat for fitness lovers. So quick and easy to make that you’ll never buy donuts again. Healthy glaze included!

Donut lovers rejoice, because now you can have your favorite treat without sacrificing your fitness goals!

The ingredients

Here is all you need to make protein donuts at home. Make sure to read the next section for all replacement options.

• Banana: The ripe banana adds natural sweetness, moisture and gives the protein donuts a soft texture without the use of oils. Make sure to opt for a ripe banana because it is sweeter and mashes better.
• Egg: In combination with ripe banana, the egg adds moisture and helps bind the batter. As the yolk is essential, do not replace with egg whites.
• Nut butter: Use a creamy nut butter of your choice, such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter. For a better nutritional profile, select a natural nut butter without added salt or oil.
• Maple syrup: In this recipe, the maple syrup plays the role of sweetener while providing health benefits.
• Flour of choice: For gluten-free protein donuts that are also rich in fibers and nutrients, I used oat flour. You can replace with any other flour, such as whole wheat flour, all purpose flour or almond flour for fewer carbohydrates.
• Protein powder: For the best protein donuts, I recommend vegan protein powder or casein. Whey protein powder, instead, is not the best option because it dries when exposed to heat.
• Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for healthier donuts. Also dutch cocoa powder works great.
• Milk of choice: This recipe can be prepared with any type of milk you like, dairy or dairy-free. My recommendations are unsweetened soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, oat milk or semi-skimmed milk.
• Baking powder: Working as leavening agent, baking powder helps the donuts rise.
• Sea salt: The salt covers two key functions; it balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of chocolate protein donuts.

The substitutes

If you are missing something or need to adapt the recipe to your dietary preferences, here is how to replace with main ingredients for protein donuts. Unfortunately, the protein powder cannot be substituted, as otherwise those won’t be chocolate protein donuts but just donuts.

• For vegan chocolate donuts use a flaxseed egg or chia egg instead of normal egg.
• Substitute one ripe banana with a third of a cup applesauce (this should be around 90 grams).
• If you nut allergy, make the donuts with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
• Instead of maple syrup you can use any liquid sweetener of your choice, such as honey, agave syrup, date syrup or fiber syrup for a lower carb dessert.
• If you don’t have to use oat flour, any other flour works. Great options are all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, spelt flour and almond flour.

Best protein powder for baking

Whether you are new to protein baking or you already have some experience, one thing to keep in mind is that the protein powder choice is key in getting delicious desserts that are moist and fluffy.

Choosing the protein powder type

To make things simple, the higher the protein content, the worse. For this reason, whey protein powder and isolate should be avoided as they tend to dry out when exposed to the high temperature of the oven. Conversely, casein and plant based options are much better and give a texture similar to flour-based desserts.

And if you are eager to learn more, here is an overview of the three best types of protein powder for baking:

• Vegan protein powder: Plant-based protein powders include pea, hemp, rice, and soy protein. These work very well in baking because they preserve softness. As some products may have a strong plant taste, I recommend flavored protein powders (such as chocolate or vanilla).
• Casein protein powder: Similar to whey, casein protein is also derived from milk. But as it is less refined, it does not dry out when exposed to high temperatures and therefore is perfect for baking.
• Blends: Protein powder blends combine different protein sources to offer a wider range of amino acids and optimize texture and taste. Blends often include a combination of whey, casein, pea protein powder or other plant-based proteins, and sometimes even collagen protein.

Choosing the protein powder flavor

For the best taste, I recommend chocolate or vanilla flavored products. I picked chocolate. Besides matching the recipe, flavored protein powders are usually sweetened (without sugars). This way you will need less sweetener and the donuts will contain less calories.

If you are opting for unflavored protein powder instead, the healthy donuts may require a couple of tablespoons maple syrup or honey more until sweet enough for you.

Healthy chocolate glaze

As tradition wants, I decided to glaze my donuts. But differently from the traditional, my dessert has a healthy chocolate glaze without refined sugar or butter. All you need is unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil and a milk of your choice. All ingredients should be at room temperature. Mix everything together until smooth, glaze your protein donuts and wait for the magic!

Of course, you can omit the glaze and enjoy moist chocolate donuts on their own. But for a better experience, I recommend going the extra mile. 

How to make protein donuts

Step 1: Prepare the batter

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe banana and quickly beat with the egg. Add maple syrup, nut butter and a pinch of salt to the wet mixture. Stir to combine.

Add the dry ingredients - flour, protein powder, cocoa powder and baking powder - then stir to combine while gradually pouring in the milk. The quantity of milk depends on the protein powder you use, adjust with more milk if the batter is too dry or with more flour if it is too wet. The result should be a thick yet smooth batter without lumps.

Step 2: Bake the chocolate donuts

Spray a donut pan with cooking spray or grease with vegetable oil. Transfer the batter to the prepared donut pan, making sure to fill just ¾ of each form, then bake in hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of donuts come out clean. Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before glazing.

Step 3: Glaze

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder with maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until the mixture gets smooth. Frost the donuts and let cool further on a wire rack until the healthy glaze has set.

Storage instructions

After the glaze has set, homemade protein donuts can be served directly or they can be stored for later. There are two options: either you refrigerate or you freeze them. Although the pastries can also be stored after glazing, to preserve freshness my tip is to do it only before serving. 

• To store in the fridge: Once cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for a maximum of 4 days.
• To freeze: Transfer the cooled donuts in a ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. 

Recipe tips

As you may have noticed, this recipe is pretty simple. Mix the batter, transfer to a donut pan, bake and glaze if you desire. Nevertheless, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when making protein powder donuts.

• Do not substitute banana. In this recipe, the banana adds sweetness, moisture and texture. 
• Use vegan protein powder or casein. Avoid whey protein powder because it tends to dry when it is heated.
• Use flavored protein powder. My recommendations are vanilla or chocolate flavors, I chose chocolate. If you are opting for unflavored products, your pastries may need more maple syrup or honey. 
• Don’t overmix the batter. When stirring the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined as overmixing can lead to dense and tough donuts. 
• Don’t over-bake. The total time should be approximately 10 to 15 minutes, not much more. Remember that the protein desserts will get firmer even after baking. 

More protein dessert recipes

• Low calorie protein brownies
• Protein chocolate cake
• Chocolate protein muffins
• Moist protein banana bread
• Protein mug cake
• Greek yogurt protein brownies
• Protein ice cream
• Greek yogurt protein cheesecake
• Fudgy flourless protein brownies
• Protein chocolate ice cream