I’m pretty sure I’m the only person left in this world without a donut pan. Admittedly, I don’t get out much. Or, at least “out” to places that would have donut pans, but the only place I’ve seen one in the last year was Sur la Table in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, 2,500+ miles from home. Shoving it in my carry-on did cross my mind for about 5 seconds but so did buying a Le Creuset dutch oven that was 35% off so that’s not saying much.
Needless to say, I am still donut pan-less.
However, I finally got sick of not having donuts.
So, I made it work.
Donut bites…AKA: mini muffins with chocolate glaze and sprinkles on top.
Clearly, this is exactly what I needed to make after 4 days away from home last week, not working out for 5 days and a drawer full of fresh CSA produce.
It’s fine though, I found out a Crossfit opened 2 miles down the road this weekend and these are {healthy} muffins donuts. Chocolate protein glaze and all.
Not quite Dunkin’, but they’ll do. The hole in the middle is overrated anyway.
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup spelt flour
- ¼ cup almond meal
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- sprinkles
- ½ scoop (2 tablespoons) chocolate whey protein powder
- 1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon milk
- 5 drops liquid stevia
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini muffin pan.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients using 3 tablespoons milk in a separate small bowl.
- Pour wet into dry and combine with a spatula. If too dry, add additional tablespoon of milk. Batter will be thick, like a muffin consistency.
- Spoon batter into mini muffin pan, filled ¾ of the way in each.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove donut bites from pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a spoon until smooth.
- Once donut bites are completely cooled, dip tops into icing and top with sprinkles.
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the idea of making these in a mini muffin pan! They look SO good!
Chocolate protein glaze? Awesome!
& honestly, I don’t use my donut maker that often… It’s kinda sad.
Do they count as donuts if they aren’t fried?
Yes.
You’re definitely not the last one without a donut pan! I don’t have one either, nor the Le Creuset dutch oven (which I dream of owning). Looks like you get perfectly yummy looking donuts without forking over the money for the pan anyway!
Ahhhh I got excited for these when I saw you post them on Instagram. Looks GOOD Gina
Your donut muffins are adorable and I love the ingredients for the chocolate glaze. I will definitely be giving these a try!
I’ll have to give these a go. The 2 attempts I made at donut tanked and I’m about to throw my pan out the window.
Ha! Creative! I love this
we so totally coulda fit that pan in the carry on
I’m a doughnut pan-less baker, too. It’s cool. Who needs one when you can make adorable little doughnut hole creations like these?!
I’m with you on the lack of donut pan. Donuts are cute but I think I would use it once, sadly enough. These are cuter anyways!
Love the ingredients in these babies! Thank you for proving that yogurt frostings can work. My boyfriend adamantly refused to make me experiment if it could work. I don’t have a donut pan either but I see them every nownand then at TJ Maxx and they are often at Bed Bath and Beyond.
I was so proud of this frosting b/c it’s actually healthy AND it tastes good. I swear!
Donuts or muffins – either way these are legit. Like, totally.
I’m making donut bites as we speak!!
These look great!
I have a donut hole/mini muffin problem – like everything I make turns into a mini donut situation. Apple cider mini donuts, pumpkin, banana and chocolate, etc. They’re so fun! I really do want a donut pan but for some reason I have a mental block against actually buying it – and it’s so easy to bust out the mini muffin pan anyway. I’m excited to try this glaze – I love the idea of yogurt as the frosting.
I think that’s a good problem to have
I often make donuts using greek yogurt! I love these little guys, Gina. And the addition of coconut oil in lieu of butter is spot -on. I usually use melted butter in my donuts. I’m saving this recipe. Anything mini is just so much more fun to eat!
ooooh I LOVE the sprinkles… and the muffins… that are donuts! YUM!
the look great – donut pans are like $9.99 at any BB&Beyond store girl. Super easy
Get yourself one. You will LOVE IT!
I’ve looked like 3 different times at BB&B and they never have them by me! Not fair.
Oh. my. word. Must have!
This is exciting and dangerous. I just bought spelt flour and it’s inaugural use will be mini donut-muffins. Plus sprinkles makes everything better. At least those crunchy multicolored nonpareil ones.
totally agree! That hole in the middle is WAY overrated. Why would you put a hole in something so good??? I just don’t get it.
These kind of posts make me want to raid my pantry and eat all the sweets in the world. They look so good!!!!!
i’ll take donuts any way i can get ‘em – hole or no hole! these look delicious!
Woah! Healthy and donut in the same sentence? Not to mention the fact that these look so stinkin’ cute. I’ll take uh…three dozen? Yum!
I’ll take these donuts in muffin form or not..they look so delicious and super dangerous with how tiny they are
You are my savior! (sorry, I’m a little intense for a first time comment) I don’t have a donut pan either and i pretty much always want donuts. This has been a big conundrum in my life… Until now. And you just blew my mind with the whole healthy donut thing. Awesome.
Haha, no worries. This just made my night
I hope you try them!
Haha, I also remain sadly donut pan-less. These look delicious anyway!
I don’t have a donut pan either, I don’t have the space for specialty pans. This is such a great idea. Would never guessed all those healthy ingredients were in these delicious looking donuts.
These look delish! I actually have a doughnut pan (I got it from Amazon) but it’s going to have to be neglected in favour of doughnut bites
Do you happen to know whether I can substitute anything for the chocolate protein powder in the frosting? I don’t have any.
you could probably just do more cocoa powder in place of the protein powder.
Ta very much! I’d hoped that would be the case, but having not done much baking with protein powder I wasn’t sure whether it had a particular function that cocoa powder couldn’t replicate. Looking forward to making these morsels of yum now
Love the glaze! Great idea to add protein powder!
Could you be so kind and tell me what kind of chocolate protein powder you use?
Thank you.
I use Designer Whey.
Don’t worry, I don’t have a doughnut pan either. Not that I haven’t been wanting one but I live in a tiny little town. I will order one eventually though. These look delicious!
I don’t have a donut pan either. I got fed up and did the same thing a couple months ago. Yours are way healthier though, I will have to try them next!
Made these today and they were splendid! I have coeliac disease so used 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend instead of 1/4 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup spelt flour, and they came out brilliantly. Unlike some gluten free or healthy baked goods, which only taste nice straight from the oven, these actually got better throughout the day! So. Good.
I LOVE this recipe…you really can’t go wrong with guilt-free sweets. PS donut pans are overrated
and mini muffins are so fun.
What a great idea! I use my mini muffin pan all the time because it’s just so convenient having muffins in small servings, but I never thought to try doughnuts in them! Thanks!!
sorry, but these are the opposite of healthy.
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