Power your morning, afternoon, workout with these deliciously easy protein packed Dark Chocolate Strawberry Protein Donuts. These little delights are easy to make, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and topped with an incredible chocolate glaze. Always gluten and dairy free, these donuts are soft, cakey, fluffy and have a combo of flavors that make these the perfect treat to fuel you any time of day!
Full transparency: I have something sweet to eat EVERY day. It’s true. When I first began my wellness journey, I thought I was going to need to reel in those sweet cravings and make some sacrifices that I deep down never wanted to make. Sure, the sugar cravings needed some care and control, but once I really learned about food and what it was doing to my body and mind, the whole game changed.
I mean, why can’t we all have our cake and eat it, too? It feels almost too cliche to say, but it really is all about finding balance that works for You.
For a few years now, I’ve been making a lot of healthier and protein-packed recreations of recipes that would typically leave me feeling unsatisfied and hungry just a few hours later. Do I still enjoy a donut from a local bakery every once in awhile? Abso-freakin-lutely. And I enjoy every moment of it.
But, it did take me a lot of time to learn how to manage PCOS and how to balance hormones before I could get to a space where it feels comfortable enjoying foods that won’t wreak havoc on my digestion system and ruin my mood for the day.
Learning how to manage PCOS and how to balance hormones was tough, I won’t lie. And to be fair, it wasn’t the learning part that was hard, it was the unlearning part that proved to be the most challenging.
I’m excited to talk about more about why balance is the key to everything when it comes to your wellbeing and to share this protein donut recipe with you today!
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Ingredients to make Dark Chocolate Strawberry Protein Donuts
- oat flour – we’ll be using a blend of flours in this recipe, but oat flour is where it’s at! If you don’t have any oat flour on hand but you do have oatmeal, you can make your own oat flour by throwing some oats in a blender and blending until you get a nice flour texture.
- cassava flour– this flour is a bit more dense than others, which makes it such a great flour to use in recipes like this one!
- chocolate protein powder – I like to use a plant-based powder and one that has a short ingredient list and great nutrition facts!
- cacao powder – cocoa powder will work just fine if that is what you have on hand, but definitely incorporate one of the two to make these chocolate donuts chocolatey.
- sea salt – to bring all of the flavors together.
- baking powder – helps the donuts rise.
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
- almond milk – you can substitute with your favorite nut milk or cow’s milk.
- maple syrup – to keep things refined sugar-free we’re using maple syrup as the sweetener. Make sure you are using real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, which is loaded with corn syrup and a ton of added sugars. Agave, honey, monk fruit maple or any liquid sweetener should work as a substitute.
- plant-based butter – helps keep these donuts moist and fluffy. You want the butter to be in a liquid state so warm a bit if necessary.
- eggs – helps bind the ingredients together and provide structure for the donuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with a flax egg but I’m sure it would work great. If you decide to experiment let me know in the comments below!
- dark chocolate – I personally love using dairy-free dark chocolate chips. You’ll want to melt these to mix into the batter so the texture comes out smooth, cakey and oh-so chocolatey.
- freeze-dried strawberries– this is optional if you’d prefer just plain chocolate donuts, but I love the hint of strawberry and little crunch of it in each bite!
- chocolate glaze – you’ll make your own chocolate frosting by combining melted dark chocolate chips and coconut oil.
Why you’ll love this Dark Chocolate Strawberry Protein Donuts recipe
- Everything can be mixed together in one bowl! Heck yes for minimal clean-up. Well, with the exception of the chocolate glaze, so 2 bowls – still not bad!
- These donuts will fill you up! One donut has roughly 8 grams of protein, so you will feel full and satisfied after.
- The added protein helps to curb the blood sugar spike you typically get when eating sweets like donuts.
- They’re healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast, but decadent enough for dessert!
Equipment needed to make these Dark Chocolate Strawberry Protein Donuts
I promise you, this recipe is super quick, easy, and requires minimal equipment! Other than a large mixing bowl, mixing utensils, and your usual measuring cups and spoons – you’ll just need a donut pan! These come super cheap over at our dear friend, Amazon. In fact, you can get yourself two 6-cavity donut pans for roughly $15!
How to store Protein Donuts
Any leftover donuts can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, place donuts in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can store these donuts with the glaze or if you’re making them in advance, I recommend storing plain donuts in the freezer until you’re ready to serve and making fresh glaze to go with them!
FAQ
Are protein donuts healthy?
Yes! These donuts are each high in protein and made with wholesome and nutritious ingredients, unlike traditional donuts that are packed with sugar and processed ingredients that can often lend way to a stressed out body and mind.
How much protein do these donuts have?
This recipe makes 12 donuts and each donut has 8 grams of protein. This will likely vary depending on the protein powder you use.
What’s the best way to pipe the batter into my donut pans?
I prefer to pipe my batter into my donut pans by scooping the batter into a plastic baggie and cutting the corner to make a piping bag. You can also always spoon the batter into the pan and then shake it to make sure the batter is even.
Do you have any recommendations for a donut pan?
Luckily, donut pans are really inexpensive! You can get a set of 2 non-stick, six cavity on Amazon for less than $15. Or check out your local thrift store! I found 2 pans the other day for under $5!
Can I swap the oat flour with a different flour?
I haven’t tested this recipe with a different flour, so I don’t recommend swapping it with anything else. Almond flour would most probably be a good sub, but again I haven’t tested it so am not 100% sure how the donuts will turn out.
Dark Chocolate Strawberry Protein Donuts
Equipment
- 1 Donut Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour packed
- 1 cup cassava flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ½ cup chocolate protein powder plant-based
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dehydrated strawberries * powdered
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup plant-based butter *
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips dairy free, melted
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips dairy-free, melted
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and using a paper towel, wipe nonstick donut pan with olive oil (any oil will do).
- In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, mix together the maple syrup, butter, eggs and vanilla, until well combined. Set aside.
- In the same bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix together oat flour, cassava flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Using the hand mixer (or stand mixer if you have one), slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, combining thoroughly. Once all ingredients are mixed completely, add almond milk and melted chocolate and continue to mix.
- Using a spatula, fold in the powdered dehydrated strawberries, mix completely.
- Using a spoon, spoon in mixture into the donut pan cavities until evenly distributed. Alternatively, you could fill a ziplock back with the mixture and cut one corner off, using it as a piping bag to easily fill the donut pan. You'll want to fill the donut pan nearly to the top/brim, so to get a nice round donut shape after done cooling.
- Bake donuts for 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before glazing.
Chocolate Glaze
- While the donuts are baking, using a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, mix using a fork or spoon, and microwave again in 30 second increments until chocolate is completely melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate!
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