This Protein Donuts Recipe is a delicious low-fat, low-calorie baked donuts recipe made with protein powder. It’s a great post-workout snack or breakfast packed with protein and healthy carbs from oats.
If you are craving donuts for breakfast but don’t want the oil and calories and prefer a nourishing option, this protein donut recipe is for you. It’s a high protein snack that you can enjoy with or without my healthy glazes as a post-workout alternative to my Overnight Oats with Protein Powder, Protein Cereal Bars, or Strawberry Protein Balls.
This is a protein donut recipe made with protein powder, unlike my protein peanut butter donuts that are made with powdered peanut butter and no protein powder at all. So, depending on what I have in my pantry, I do the protein donuts I can when I want some after a workout!
What Are Protein Donuts?
A protein donut is made with protein powder and baked in the oven. It’s low in fat because it’s not fried in oil and doesn’t contain oils, eggs, or sugar in the batter.
It’s a healthier donut recipe, compared to Lemon Donuts and 2-Ingredient Donuts, and they are packed with protein to keep you full for longer and enjoy a treat without the guilt.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make this recipe are:
- Old-Fashioned Oats or homemade oat flour.
- Protein Powder – feel free to use any flavor of chocolate or vanilla protein powder depending on the flavor you like for your donuts.
- Granulated Sweetener – for low-calorie sugar-free donuts, use erythritol stevia blends. Otherwise, any sugar works, including coconut sugar, for a healthy alternative.
- Almond Milk – or any other low-sugar dairy-free milk.
- Yogurt of Choice – focusing on high-protein yogurt made of soy is a great option, but any yogurt works here, including oat yogurt, and coconut yogurt.
- Baking Powder – for a puffier dough.
- Vanilla Extract – optional. Skip if your protein powder has a strong vanilla flavor.
How To Make Protein Donuts
There are many ways to make protein donuts, some recipe calls for almond flour and eggs, and others use all-purpose flour.
Here I am sharing flourless, oil-free, vegan-approved protein donuts made with no refined sugar. It’s a perfect protein doughnuts recipe for people working out because they are packed with fiber and protein and are low in fat.
The batter is pretty straightforward to make. You can use your homemade oat flour or use your blender to make the batter all at once.
- First, place the dry ingredients in the blender: old-fashioned rolled oats, sweetener, protein powder, and blend until fine and ground.
- Then transfer into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients: baking powder, almond milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract. You can, of course, blend all the ingredients, but I found the batter packed and gummy when over-blended.
- I recommend stirring ingredients with a spoon in a mixing bowl. Note that if you blend all ingredients, it’s better to rest the batter 10 minutes before baking to avoid packed donuts.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray a six-hole donut pan with oil spray. If you are using a silicone pan, place the pan on a baking sheet to make it easier to slide into the oven. Set aside
- Fill each donut hole with 3-4 tablespoons of batter – about 3/4 of their level not up to the top.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown and a pick inserted in the center come out with a little crumb on it.
- Let the protein donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Don’t transfer them too fast on the wire rack or their top flattens, losing their lovely shape.
Protein Donut Glazing
A donut, healthier or not, is always better frosted! First, wait for the donuts to cool down, and then pick one of the donut glazing recipes below based on your health goals and tastebuds. You can use some of my frosting recipes below:
- Chocolate Protein frosting recipe for low-fat, low-calories frosting – this chocolate frosting is made from protein powder and also adds some protein to your donuts.
- Vegan Vanilla royal icing – this recipe is made of powder sweetener. You can use a sugar-free sweetener for a low-calorie option.
- Cashew frosting – this option is higher in fat from cashew nuts but packed with plant-based protein, and the texture is rich and thicker.
- Coconut frosting – higher in fat but with a delicious coconut flavor.
You can add some extra topping onto the donut glazing like:
- Sprinkles – there are some sugar-free options available online.
- Crushed peanuts or almonds for a boost of protein and healthy fat.
- Chocolate chips
- Desiccated coconut
- Dried cranberries
Helpful Tips
Here are five additional tips to enhance your protein donut recipe:
- Choose High-Quality Vegan Protein Powder: Select a high-quality, well-flavored vegan protein powder for your donuts. Some protein powders can have a chalky or earthy taste, so find one that complements the flavors in your recipe. This ensures that your donuts not only provide a protein boost but also taste delicious.
- Use Plant-Based Milk for Extra Flavor: Choose a flavorful plant-based milk, such as almond, coconut, or oat milk, instead of plain water in your recipe. This adds richness and depth to the flavor of the donuts. Experiment with different plant-based milks to find the one that complements your chosen flavor profile.
- Enhance Flavors with Extracts and Spices: Improve the taste of your vegan protein donuts by incorporating extracts and spices. Vanilla extract, almond extract, or a hint of cinnamon can bring out the sweetness in your donuts. Experiment with small amounts and adjust according to your taste preferences.
- Glaze with Nut Butter or Coconut Yogurt: Instead of traditional sugary glazes or one of my glazing recipes above, consider just topping your vegan protein donuts with a drizzle of nut butter or coconut yogurt. This not only adds richness but also contributes extra protein and healthy fats. You can also sprinkle crushed nuts or seeds on top for added texture.
Storage Instructions
These donuts can be frozen for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature the day before. Otherwise, they store very well in an airtight container in the fridge for four days.
Allergy Swaps
- Gluten-free Option – Feel free to use gluten-free certified oat for this recipe or replace it with all-purpose gluten-free flour. Keep in mind that gluten-free flour makes the donuts dense and chewy.
- Yogurt Swap – If you don’t have yogurt at home, this recipe works with the same amount of applesauce or mashed bananas. Another option is to use half mashed banana, half peanut butter, or almond butter – another great way to add healthy fat and plant-based proteins to your recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
We make our protein donuts only with plant-based protein powder, and I can guarantee you won’t notice a difference!
Yes, if your donut pan fits your air fryer basket, then you can air fry the recipe at 325°F (160°C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top.
You can make these donuts in a muffin pan to make protein muffins, but make sure to not fill them to high as they might turn gummy if they are too thick.
Some protein donuts use whey protein powder, but on The Conscious Plant Kitchen, we only use plant-based ingredients, including vegan protein powder!
No, this recipe doesn’t work without oats.
These donuts are not as light and fluffy as regular donuts because they are flourless and contain protein powder. They are more dense and chewy but good for you and packed with healthy slow-release carbs from oats and proteins.
More Vegan Protein Recipes
If you like recipes loaded with protein, you’ll love these:
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Protein Donut Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats - or oat flour
- 1.3 oz Vanilla Protein Powder
- 2-3 tablespoons Crystal Sweetener of Choice - we used sugar-free erythritol or sugar
- ¼ cup Dairy-Free Yogurt - or mashed banana or apple sauce
- ½ cup Almond Milk
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray oil onto a 6-hole donut pan. Set aside.
- In a blender, blend the rolled oats, protein powder, and sweetener.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with yogurt, milk, and baking powder. Stir until the batter looks like a muffin batter, thick and slightly runny.
- Fill each donut hole with 3-4 tablespoons of batter.
- Bake on the center rack for 20-25 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown.
- Cool the protein donuts in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Use my chocolate protein frosting or royal icing to decorate the cooled donuts.
Storage
- You can store the donuts in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw them the day before.
My kids and I made these today (and used the royal icing recipe to ice them). They’re super good! I doubled the recipe for get 12 donuts – I didn’t have to double the icing recipe – and I added 2 tsps. of cinnamon.
One of my kiddos is dairy-free so we love these recipes!
Thank you!! I’m glad you liked them!!
Which brand(s) of protein powder do you suggest? I can’t find a vegan one that tastes good.
My favorite brand for all flavors is MacroMike, they have plenty of flavors in both Peanut and Almond protein powder. For Vanilla, you can also use NuZest (but their chocolate one is not to my taste at all!).
Can you use a pan to make these if you do not have a donut pan?
I would recommend using a 12 holes muffin pan.
How many grams is a scoop of protein powder?
It depends, every brands have a scoop provided in the bag that goes from 25 g to 40 g protein powder. That’s why the recipe is provided in weights not in scoops
hi! what can i use to replace the protein powder? more oat flour? however would it change the texture? thank you
I am not too sure, I didn’t try that, I really wanted to add protein powder in this donut recipe. You can try my regular vegan oven baked donuts recipe instead. Enjoy
What blender are you using in your IG post of this recipe? Is it the Vitamix with a different type of taller slimmer blender cup instead of the usual container or is it a completely different blender machine? Thank you!
I am sometimes using my nutribullet as seen on my insta video or my vitamix, it depends if I double up the recipe for more donuts I prefer the vitamix. Enjoy.