Peanut butter and dark chocolate!
A couple of years back, I went to visit a real, good buddy of mine while he was in Colorado. He showed me around town, went white water rafting, hiking, caught a baseball game, barhopped—it was awesome, fun times.
And of course, bein’ the dessert foodie that I am, I had to also check out the top dessert spots only found in the Denver, Colorado area.
One of them was a donut shop called, Voodoo Donuts. (They have since branched out to a few other cities, especially one closer to me, at the Universal Studios Citywalk.)
There was a huge line out the door for this place, and that’s always a good sign, depending on how you look at it.
While in line, you could see the different flavors available inside a revolving glass case, and I saw one that caught my eye….it was dubbed the “Memphis Mafia.”
Definitely named after Elvis’ favorite food combination, it was like an apple fritter, but with peanut butter, bananas, chocolate chips, and cinnamon.
This was definitely MY kind of donut!!
I devoured that thing…. and it was pure heavenly bliss!
Me and Elvis would’ve been best friends, lol. I’m sure he would love this blog too!
But anyway, this donut really sticks in my memory because out of all the donut shops I have ever been to, this one donut contained all of my favorite ingredients rolled into one. No other shop offered this specific combo. Props to Voodoo Donuts!
So, here’s my take on that donut—I put it through the peanutbutteroneverything.com wringer— leaned it up with all-natural ingredients, boosted it with protein, enhanced some flavors—and I think I got some fantastic results!
Without further adieu….
Enter…my Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cacao Protein Donuts!!
Ultimate dark chocolate donuts…..
made with 100% cacao powder, almond flour, and whey protein….
filled with dark chocolate chips, bananas, cinnamon, amaretto…..
dipped into a golden bath of luscious, natural peanut butter….
topped with antioxidant-rich cacao nibs….
YOW-ZA!!
So, first thing first, let me emphasize….these are not your regular donuts. Why??
Well, because….
NO refined flours, NO granulated sugars, and NO butter is used in the batter!
1) Instead of all-purpose flour, the most common flour used to make donuts, I use almond flour.
It provides excellent nutritional value—-high in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants—all purpose flour provides NONE of this.
And also, according to the Diabetes Education Online website, “because fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest, it does not affect your blood sugar levels. You should subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate.”
Generally, almond flour contains 5 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber per serving. Taking this into account, this means that almond flour only has 2 grams net carbs per serving! Much leaner than all-purpose, and leaner than other commonly used flours like, whole wheat flour or oat flour!
More excellent info on almond flour can be found here.
2) I use monk fruit sweetener instead of granulated sugar.
Most donuts add some type of sugar into their recipes, like brown sugar, table sugar, or coconut sugar, but these options are all super high in sugars/carbs, and we all know how bad sugars are no matter how you slice it.
Monk fruit sweetener is a fantastic substitute for regular white/cane/table/coconut sugar. Monk fruit sweetener is the juice collected from the monk fruit, and it is similar in appearance to regular table sugar.
The main difference—it’s about 200 times sweeter than sugar, but with zero calories, and zero carbs. You can sub it in at a 1:1 ratio for regular sugar.
I personally love this stuff! And I use it in most of my “sweet” recipes ever since I found out about it.
More detailed information about monk fruit can be found here.
3) I sub in peanut butter instead of butter.
I use peanut butter in these donuts to not only add that delicious, nutty flavor, and not just because of its high protein/nutrient content (about 7g protein, 12g unsaturated fats, 3g fiber per 2 tbsp serving), but also because it adds “healthy” fats and oils that help keep these donuts moist, which locks in its flavor.
For decades, butter has been known to be detrimental to your overall health because of its high saturated fat and calorie content. It seems to be making a comeback of late, as current research may suggest otherwise (Dr. Axe has a great article on the benefits of grass-fed butter, check it out here), but there’s no denying that its high fat content may not be that good for you.
4) Cacao powder is used to add extra chocolate-y flavor, and also helps eliminate the need to use more flour. This in turn, lowers the presumed carb and calorie count of these donuts, while also bumping up its fiber content! Cacao powder also has its own unique antioxidants (which we’ll explain its benefits down below). A win-win for us all!
5) Last but not least…
Whey protein powder is used to add some muscle-building protein. Banana is used as a natural sweetener, and I added cinnamon, and almond extract to enhance these already flavorful donuts up even more.
Also, most donut recipes I’ve seen on the web add coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, greek yogurt, confectioners’ sugars, or granulated sugars, etc to help form a glaze.
But none of that is needed here.
We’re just using good ol’ fashioned, natural peanut butter.
That’s it.
You might need to add some peanut oil to help liquefy it a bit, but if you’re using a newly opened jar, it won’t be needed (brands can vary though).
OK, here are the nutritional benefits of the main ingredients in these Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cacao Protein Donuts…
Peanut butter, which is basically grounded up peanuts, contain about 8 grams of protein per ounce, this is more than all other nuts. Peanuts contain bioactives like flavonols and phenolic acids, that provide numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that resveratrol (found on the peanut skins), a bioactive found in only a few foods, may help lower the risks of cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dark chocolate is one of the world’s best sources of antioxidants. Along with these antioxidants, they also contain polyphenols and flavonoids—all of which are believed to help fight cancer, fight free radical damage, and fight disease. Certain research also have shown dark chocolate to maybe help improve brain function, boost memory, and enhance focus.
Bananas are fully-loaded with potassium, a very important nutrient which has been shown to help support the body’s circulatory system, help move oxygen throughout our cells, and helps to lower high blood pressure. Bananas are high in fiber, which helps to keep our digestive system running smoothly and helps to remove toxins.
Cinnamon is widely considered as the most antioxidant-rich natural spice available on the planet. The antioxidants found in cinnamon are believed to maybe help fight cancer, protect cells from DNA damage, slow the aging process, and help fight disease. Cinnamon also contains certain compounds that have been known to maybe help fight off viruses and infections
OK, so here’ s what you’ll need…
And of course, some donut pans. Like so…
Some quick notes before you get started…
-you can sub 1/2 cup applesauce instead of the banana.
-After removing them from the oven, let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes. This makes for easier removal.
-For the glaze, it is best to use natural peanut butter. Even better to use a freshly opened jar because it still has its natural oils that settle on top, which make it easier to stir and dip into. If not, just add a bit of peanut oil into the peanut butter, and stir to thin it out before you dip in the donuts.
-Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Best if consumed within 3-4 days. I like to re-heat them back up in the microwave, it’s just like they’re fresh out the oven!
If you like these, then you need to check out these other delicious recipes!!.…
- Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Protein Donuts
- Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Fudge Protein Brownies
- Dark Chocolate Chip Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Alright then, let’s get to it!!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
donuts
|
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
- 2 1/3 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (or erythritol, natural sweetener)
- 1 large banana
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsp peanut butter (natural)
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp peanut butter (natural)
- peanut oil (if needed)
- cacao nibs
Ingredients
donut batter:
glaze/toppings:
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl. Mix thoroughly. In separate larger bowl, mash banana with fork. Add other wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl, until fully incorporated. Don't overmix. Fold in dark chocolate chips.
- Grease donut pan with olive oil. Using spoon, add batter into each donut section, at least 2/3 full, or fill to the top. Should make about 8-9 donuts.
- Bake in oven for about 10-11 minutes, or until surface is set.
- Remove from oven. Let cool for 3-5 minutes in pan(for easy removal). Meanwhile, to make glaze, add peanut butter to bowl. Add peanut oil if needed. Stir to incorporate.
- Dip donuts into peanut butter. Sprinkle cacao nibs on top. Enjoy!
-you can sub 1/2 cup applesauce instead of the banana.
-After removing them from the oven, let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes. This makes for easier removal.
-For the glaze, it is best to use natural peanut butter. Even better to use a freshly opened jar because it still has its natural oils that settle on top, which make it easier to stir and dip into. If not, just add a bit of peanut oil into the peanut butter, and stir to thin it out before you dip in the donuts.
-Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Best if consumed within 3-4 days. I like to re-heat them back up in the microwave, it’s just like they’re fresh out the oven!
Did you try this recipe? How did it turn out for you? I would love to hear from you! Sound off in the comment section below or use the social media links you see above or throughout the blog. Thanks guys!!
