These rich protein donuts contain 16 g of protein and are also low-carb, making a healthy dessert, fun breakfast, or delicious pre or post-workout snack. Cakey and moist, our baked chocolate donuts with Nutella are easy to make ahead, quickly satisfying your cravings!
Table of Contents
How to Make Protein Donuts
- Prepare the protein donut batter: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease the wells of a 6-cavity donut pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk your wet ingredients (yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract) until combined.
- Then, whisk in the dry ingredients (almond flour, chocolate whey protein, sweetener, cocoa powder, and baking powder) until forming a smooth mixture. Add just enough milk/water until getting a thick batter with a pourable consistency. TIP: You may have to adjust the amount of liquid depending on the type of flour you use. It will alter the baking time!
- Fill each well about ¾ full and bake just until the tops are firm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the donuts cool in the pan. NOTE: If you have a leftover donut batter, clean and dry the pan, grease 1-3 wells, pour the leftover batter into them, and bake.
- To frost donuts with Nutella: You may pipe Nutella on top of your donuts and garnish them with a few sprinkles, or you can dip your high-protein donut tops onto melted Nutella/ peanut butter, or melted chocolate and garnish them with sprinkles.
Other Protein Desserts
- Low-carb protein bars
- Protein ice cream recipe
- Protein mug cake
- Shamrock protein shake recipe
- Edible protein cookie dough
- No-bake protein balls
- Peanut butter protein blondies
Love donuts? Try these pumpkin donuts, pancake donuts, and apple cider baked donuts.
Expert Tips To Make Chocolate Protein Donuts
- Use a good protein powder for baking: When it comes to baked goods, I recommend using either whey isolate protein powder (as it contains more protein and has fewer carbs but will make for a denser batter) or casein protein powder (it contains less protein and is slow-absorption but it makes fluffier baked goods).
- Use full-fat dairy: Because it contains more fat, it will make your baked goods moist and tender.
- If swapping flours, make sure to adjust the baking time. Your powder donuts will take longer to bake if using all-purpose or oat flour and will alter the texture of these baked goods. You may also have to adjust the amount of liquid in this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the batter; otherwise, your donuts can become tough.
- Although a silicone donut mold helps the donuts release easily after baking, it will require a longer baking time.
- Fill Molds Properly: Fill the donut molds ¾ full. The eggs and baking powder will make them rise to the rim and get full shape.
- Don't overbake: Keep an eye out avoid overbaking your protein-packed donuts and preventing them from becoming dry or tough.
- Let them cool completely in the mold before removing them. It will prevent breaking them!
- Frost them: It will add more flavor and make your low-carb protein donuts fun to look at. Or you can simply serve them with sifted powdered sugar on top for a non-keto version!
- For vegan protein donuts, use canned coconut milk instead of yogurt, mashed bananas to replace eggs, Dutch-processed Black cocoa, and a plant-based protein powder in this recipe.
FAQs
Yes! Each protein donut contains 16 grams of protein, healthy fats, no refined sugar, and won't spike insulin because they are also low-carb. Serve them for breakfast or as a pre or post-workout snack.
Yes! These protein cake donuts can be made ahead, and then refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Yes! Just make sure to preheat the air fryer for 2-5 minutes at 350 degrees F and use a silicone donut pan that fits into the basket of your air fryer.
PIN AND ENJOY!
Protein Donut Recipe
Equipment
- 1 6-cavity donut baking pan
- 1 whisk
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium microwave-safe bowl or pipping bag
Ingredients
Donuts
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt or blended full-fat cottage cheese until smooth. the full-fat dairy will provide moisture and tenderness to these baked donuts.
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or a mild vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour bleached (you may use about ¾ cup all-purpose flour if you aren't on a low-carb diet, but it'll alter the texture of these chocolate protein donuts and may take a little longer to bake them. If you prefer oat flour, you'll need 1 cup of it and add about 2-3 extra tablespoons of milk or water to this recipe because oat flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour. Your donuts will also take longer to bake. I haven't tested with coconut flour which is even more absorbent than oat flour)
- ½ cup chocolate whey protein powder I used protein isolate for denser donuts, but you can use casein protein powder for fluffier donuts and decrease the amount of water/milk
- ½ cup stevia in the raw Swerve Granular or white granulated sugar if you aren't on a keto diet
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder Dutch Process only
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or water, or regular milk, or more if needed.
Frosting
- ½ cup Keto Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or Nutella. You can either be pipped on top of your chocolate protein donuts, or you can quickly melt it in a medium microwave-safe bowl and dip the top of your donuts in it). Other suggestions: Melted peanut butter or melted dark chocolate.
- Low-carb/sugar-free Funfetti sprinkles optional Or other garnishes: chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts such as pistachios.
Instructions
- Prepare the protein donut batter: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease the wells of a 6-cavity donut pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk your wet ingredients (yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract) until combined.
- Then, whisk in the dry ingredients (almond flour, chocolate whey protein, sweetener, cocoa powder, and baking powder) until forming a smooth mixture. Add just enough milk/water until getting a thick batter with a pourable consistency. TIP: You may have to adjust the amount of liquid depending on the type of flour you use. It will alter the baking time!
- Fill each well about ¾ full and bake just until the tops are firm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the donuts cool in the pan. NOTE: If you have a leftover donut batter, clean and dry the pan, grease 1-3 wells, pour the leftover batter into them, and bake.
- To frost donuts with Nutella: You may pipe Nutella on top of your donuts and garnish them with a few sprinkles, or you can dip your high-protein donut tops onto melted Nutella/ peanut butter, or melted chocolate and garnish them with sprinkles.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on April 24, 2017.
Raymund says
These look amazingly delicious specially that rich frosting.
Yum!
Mi Vida en un Dulce says
I love evrything that goes with Nutella, the best!!!
Juliana says
Denise, sorry for leaving another comment today, somehow I thought my first comment did not go through a couple of days ago...
Denise Browning says
No worries!! Thank you so much for doing a second time.
Juliana says
Oh Denise, this look so pretty and delicious, I am loving all the colors of the confetti on it...great chocolate treat!
I hope you are enjoying your week 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Nutella? Say no more! Be still, my heart. 🙂 These look great -- thanks.
cheri says
Wow! these look like some fun and delicious donuts, love these Denise.
Juliana says
Oh Denise, can I have a couple of these? They look awesome, and I love the confetti sprinkles on it!
Have a great week ahead 🙂
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
What a fun dessert! A wonderful recipe to make when something sweet is calling!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
These are WAY too tempting! Thanks for that!