I’m on a mission to create the ultimate, most bad ass protein recipes you will ever, ever try on the face of the earth, and I think we hit one outta the park with this flavor combination right here.
Definitely one of my favorites on the blog, and I just scarfed down 2 of them right now before jumping on my laptop and writing out the text for the recipe post.
And let me tell you, they were super, duper delicious!!
Donut craving, satisfied!!
So, I’m gonna get right into it once again this week, since I’ve been really busy.
Without further adieu…..
Enter….my Maple Hazelnut Coffee Cake Protein Donuts!!
Ultra-delicious OVEN-BAKED protein donuts…..
using a whey protein, almond flour batter….
and a tantalizing combination of hazelnuts, maple, cinnamon, amaretto, peanut butter, and banana….
Super healthy, all-natural ingredients…
NO granulated sugars….
NO refined flours…
loaded with protein, fiber, antioxidants….
KAA-POOWW!!!
these are unlike any other protein donut you have ever tried in your life!!
So, first thing first, let me emphasize….
NO refined flours, NO granulated sugars, and NO butter is used for these protein donuts.
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 commonlyused 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) Last but not least…
-whey protein powder is used to bump up the protein content.
–banana is used as a natural sweetener.
-cinnamon and almond extract to enhance the flavors
–hazelnuts are added because, why not!? And they’re my favorite kind of nuts to use in my “sweet” recipes.
Add these all together and what you got here is one ultra nutritious and delicious protein donut!
OK, here are the nutritional benefits of the main ingredients in these Maple Hazelnut Coffee Cake Protein Donuts…
Hazelnuts are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and they are known to be one of the most nutritious out of all the nuts found in the world. Studies have shown that regular consumption may help to fight off cancer, help preventheart disease, protect the brain from degeneration, and its high Vitamin E content helps keep the hair and skin healthy.
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 helpfightdisease. Cinnamon also contains certain compounds that have been known to maybe help fight off viruses and infections.
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.
Almonds, which are basically ground up to create almond flour, are packed with nutrients, and are good sources of protein, fiber, vitamin E, riboflavin, magnesium, manganese, calcium. They contain a special kind of vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol—studies show this antioxidant to be a powerful cancer-fighter. Their high fiber content helps support our digestive system.
OK, here’s what you’ll need….
For the donut batter:
For the crumbly topping:
And of course, you’ll need some trusty donut pans, like so…
Some quick notes before you get started….
-you can sub 1/2 cup applesauce instead of the banana.
-Instead of hazelnuts, you can also sub whatever nuts you want. (You sure you wanna do that tho??)
-After removing them from the oven, let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes. This makes for easier removal.
-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 gotta check out my….
- Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Protein Donuts
- Mocha Hazelnut Amaretto Protein Pancakes
- Cinnamon Apple Crumb Protein Muffins
Alright then, let’s get to it!!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10-12 minutes |
| Servings |
donuts
|
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (or erythritol natural sweetener)
- 1 large banana
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 cup wild blueberries (optional)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts (finely chopped)
- 2 1/2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Ingredients
donut batter:
crumb topping:
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl. Mix thoroughly. In separate larger bowl, mash banana with fork. Add all other wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl, until fully incorporated. Don't overmix. Fold in wild blueberries, dark chocolate chips (optional). Set aside.
- To make crumb topping, add dry ingredients to bowl. Incorporate thoroughy, using fork. Add olive oil, maple syrup. Mix until fully incorporated.
- 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 9-10 donuts.
- Add crumb topping on top of donut batter.
- 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).
you can sub 1/2 cup applesauce instead of the banana.
-Instead of hazelnuts, you can also sub whatever nuts you want. (You sure you wanna do that tho??)
-After removing them from the oven, let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes. This makes for easier removal.
-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!!
quite possibly the ULTIMATE chocolate chip protein muffins!!
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.
