Chocolate protein donuts that are soft, baked and full of protein. Ready in under 30 minutes, these soft donuts each have 6 grams of protein and fiber and topped with a chocolate glaze.
These chocolate protein donuts are delicious as well as high in protein without protein powder. They are baked, and have a cake texture, yet are light with no eggs, no dairy and no oil. I used chickpeas to boost the protein, and those make an excellent replacement for oil and eggs. These protein donuts are low in sugar and calories - each donut carries only 9 grams of sugar and 146 calories.
Why You'll Love These
Dreamy texture. The chickpeas help create a cake like texture, like a dense devil's cake.
High in protein. Thanks to the chickpeas each donut carries a whopping 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. And chickpeas don't just provide protein. 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.
Everyone can eat them. These donuts are dairy free, allergy friendly, gluten free, nut free, egg free and vegan.
Ingredients
Chickpeas - Use chickpeas that are free of salt, and choose a brand (not Goya) that has few additives, and hopefully from a BPA-free can. Wholefood's 365 brand is a good one.
Milk - Choose your favorite milk.
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 - Use a quality brand of chips such as Guittard or Enjoylife. The melted chocolate adds to the wonderful moisture.
Substitutions
Chickpeas. Chickpeas can be replaced with white beans - Northern or cannellini beans.
Apple cider vinegar. ACV can be replaced with lemon juice.
Tools Needed
- Measuring cups, spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Blender
- Donut Mold
Step by Step Instructions
Here are general steps to make this recipe. For specific measurements and instructions, scroll down to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe card.
1. First prepare by melting chocolate for the batter. Microwave it 30 seconds and stir until melted and set aside. Then add the apple cider vinegar to the milk to curdle it. Also grease the inside of the donut mold wells.
2. Next, open a can of chickpeas, drain the liquid (refrigerate it - aquafaba - as the egg-replacer for my Dairy Free Chocolate Cake), and rinse the beans.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine the wet ingredients and process just enough to create a smooth batter. Add this batter to a large mixing bowl.
4. Using a fine mesh strainer, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix it up with a spoon or hand mixer.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the mold. For perfect rings, add the batter to a frosting bag or a plastic lunch bag. Snip the end so there is a 1-inch opening. Pipe the batter into the mold wells. Tap the pan to level the top.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F.
6. Cool the donuts in the pan about 5 minutes. Then set them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Tips
Be sure to give the apple cider vinegar and milk a chance to curdle to allow for the reaction with the baking soda.
Grease the donut pan wells by either spraying baking spray, or rubbing coconut oil around.
Let the donuts cool at least 10 minutes in the donut pan after baking before trying to remove them.
FAQS
Keep the donuts stored in a sealed container for two days at room temperature, a week in the refrigerator and three months in the freezer.
You can, but not too much or the donuts will become too dry. Add a single scoop and add a few tablespoons of milk if needed to correct the texture.
Protein donuts are often made high in protein with a flour, such as almond flour, and protein powder. These chickpea donuts however are different; the protein content comes from beans.
More Baked Donuts
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Protein Donuts
Equipment
- measuring cups
- Mixing bowl
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 milk I used almond
- 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 (melted in the microwave at 60 seconds)
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 30 seconds. Then stir the chips until all are melted. Microwave another 15 seconds if needed.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the milk and set aside for 5 minutes so it curdles - this provides lift to the donuts when it reacts with baking soda.1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ½ cup milk
- 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
- In a blender or food processor, combine the wet ingredients and process just enough to create a smooth batter. Add this batter to a large mixing bowl.½ cup organic cane sugar, 1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- Using a fine mesh strainer, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix up the batter with a spoon or a hand mixer.1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt
- Spoon the batter evenly into the mold. For perfect rings, add the batter to a frosting bag or a plastic lunch bag. Snip the end so there is a 1-inch opening. Pipe the batter into the mold wells. Tap the pan to level the top.
- 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.1 cup dark chocolate chips, 2 tablespoon milk
- 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.
Nicole
Hello, if I wanted to make these donuts vanilla instead of chocolate, how would removing the melted chocolate chips affect the consistency of these donuts? Should I use something else as a part of the wet ingredients to get the proper consistency?
Dee Dine
I'd really have to work that out and test to see what works, but in a quick guess I'd probably replace the 1 cup of chocolate with 1/2 cup of yogurt, plain with some fat, and increase the vanilla to 1 tablespoon. I'd also add a teaspoon of cinnamon if you like that spice to accentuate the vanilla. But as I said, I haven't tested this so I have no idea if it will work.
Karla
Amazing donuts! Me and my kids love love them! Our family calls them breakfast donuts.
Dee Dine
Thank you Karla!
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.