Actual chickpeas are in these chocolate chickpea protein donuts ! Each donut has 6 grams of protein! Creamy, rich chocolate donuts full of fiber, and a rich in chocolate flavor, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. The perfect breakfast or snack donut!
Chocolate Chickpea Protein Donuts
Chocolate chickpea protein donuts. Grain-free, gluten-free. Delicious and healthy. You are looking at donuts made from a can of chickpeas. No protein powder. Not chickpea flour. REAL chickpeas. I used canned but fresh and boiled work too.
The chickpeas are pureed into the batter and make the donuts creamy as well as cakey, and full of protein and fiber.
Plus these protein donuts are low in sugar and calories - each donut carries only 9 grams of sugar and 146 calories.
Why Chickpeas Work In Protein Donuts
Chickpeas make these donuts creamy. And add protein. Each donut carries a whopping 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
In general, chickpeas are also a great source of folate, a mineral that is not that easy to find in food and which is very important for brain cell support.
And I used organic, BPA-free canned chickpeas, but you can totally just boiled chickpeas that are raw. I have never done that but I am assuming it's easy.
How Healthy is Dark Chocolate
And the chickpeas are not the only source of nutrition in this recipe. Dark chocolate is here as well. I used dark chocolate chips but you can also use a quality chocolate bar chopped up. Look for at least 60% cacao in the chocolate you choose.
Chocolate is astonishingly high in antioxidants, right up there with blueberries and acai berries according to this NIH study. Chocolate is also high in magnesium which boost cognitive function and your mood!
You can use chips in this recipe which are easy to measure, or a quality chocolate bar chopped up. Try to choose a chocolate bar that is at least 70% cacao and has cacao butter in the ingredients and little else.
Ingredients Needed For These Chickpea Protein Donuts
The most essential ingredients for these protein rich donuts do NOT contain protein powder or whey powder or a protein-based flour. Most protein donuts depend on a protein powder or a protein based flour. So I can't stress this enough how remarkable this recipe is. These protein donuts are purely protein from a plant-based ingredient, beans. An ingredient that is barely processed and yet provides texture AND protein to these donuts.
So here are a few of the essential ingredients that make this recipe work as the healthiest protein donut ever!
Chickpeas - This is the protein source for these donuts. No protein powder, no chickpea flour. REAL chickpeas. I use canned chickpeas, primarily organic, no-salt in a BPA-free can.
Milk - I used almond milk. Any plant-based milk will do.
Apple Cider Vinegar - Add this vinegar to the milk to start and let it curdle for 5 minutes. The curdled milk resembles buttermilk in non-vegan recipes and adds to the flavor and lift of the cake. The ACV in particular causes a chemical reaction with baking soda to help the donuts rise and light.
Chocolate Chips - This is my chocolate source. I melted them. It adds moisture.
Donut Mold - If you don't have one, use a cupcake or mini cupcake pan. You might have to bake a cupcake pan 5 extra minutes to get the center cooked.
How to Make Chocolate Chickpea Protein Donuts
This protein donut recipe couldn't be easier to make! Here is what you'll need to do:
1. First prepare by melting chocolate for the batter, and adding the apple cider vinegar to the milk to curdle it.
2. Next, open a can of chickpeas, drain the liquid (refrigerate it as the egg-replacer for my Dairy Free Chocolate Cake), and rinse.
3. Combine dry ingredients - the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Then, in a larger bowl with a hand mixer, combine the wet ingredients - 1 cup of chickpeas, curdled milk, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F.
6. Make glaze, dip and eat!
This Protein Donut Recipe Can Also Be Muffins
This recipe is for donuts of course, but I have made it in muffin tins with paper liners, and it worked fine. We had chocolate muffins for breakfast that day, and even dipped them in the chocolate glaze. I might try making them in Nordic ware molds next.
Try My Other Healthier Baked Donut Recipes
Chocolate Baked Donut Recipe
Date Sugar Donut Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Donuts
Chocolate Glazed Donuts
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chickpea Protein Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts - dry ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour Or gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
Donuts - wet ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (organic, BPA-free, I use Whole Foods 365 brand)
- ½ cup almond milk or your favorite plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (melted in the microwave at 60 seconds)
Chocolate glaze
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Rinse off the chickpeas. Drain the liquid - aquafaba, and save it in the refrigerator for a few days to be used as an egg replacer in this dairy free chocolate cake recipe .
- Next, melt the cup of chocolate chips meant for the donut recipe (not the chocolate meant for the glaze.) I melt it by putting chips in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup and microwaving at 60 seconds. Then stir the chips until all are melted. This melted chocolate is part of your wet ingredients.
- Spray a corner of each donut well with cooking spray and use a paper towel to rub it all around lightly the inside of the well. Or just smear lightly with coconut oil.
Make Donuts
- Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Mix up the wet ingredients in a larger bowl with a hand mixer. Remember to add the melted chocolate. Slowly add the dry ingredients.
- You want the batter to be a bit pourable, although very thick. But you do not want it to be like cookie dough so if it is too dry, add a few tablespoon of almond milk or your favorite plant milk and blend again.
- Once your batter is somewhat pourable, spoon it into a zip lock bag and cut the corner. Or use a piping bag without a frosting tip.
- Either way, squeeze the batter into the donut rings.
- Tap the donut pan to even the batter and eliminate air bubbles.
- Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes. Let the pan cool for 3 minutes before flipping it over. The donuts should fall out.
- Let them cool another 20 minutes on a rack before dipping in chocolate glaze.
Make Glaze
- Melt the chocolate chips in a measuring cup or bowl in a microwave for 60 seconds. Stir until all chips are melted. Microwave 15 seconds more if needed to melt. Stir in milk until smooth.Dip each donut to coat with chocolate on one side.
- Set the dipped donuts on a cooling rake with a parchment paper beneath to catch the drip off. Sprinkle with nuts or sprinkles or nothing - your choice!
How do they keep
- We have frozen them, un-glazed, for a month. Once glazed, I would eat them within one day. They will only get soggy as time goes on.
Karla
Amazing donuts! Me and my kids love love them! Our family calls them breakfast donuts.
Dee Dine
Thank you Karla! Smart new name for them!
Ria
These donuts turned out moist and delicious. Definitely do not skimp on good quality dark chocolate. Thank you for the recipe, Dee! I will make these whenever we have a donut craving. Can't beat the protein and lower calories. Now I'm inspired to look for more chickpea-based desserts.
Dee Dine
That's the best news, so happy you like this recipe. I agree, quality chocolate is so important.