Thursday 1 May 2014

Gluten Free Chocolate PROTEIN Donuts






Holy moly guacamole, you guys.

I woke up super early on Saturday and only wanted to do one thing. Chocolate Protein Donuts. A very specific vision, I know.

I decided not to consult with the interwebs before hand, and just go straight into the kitchen. Why? Sometimes seeing other recipes and options can be overwhelming. It's fun to just take the plunge sometimes and see what happens!



And...






IT WORKED.


















EUREKA! I must say I am so very, very, VERY proud to announce the protein donut was a SUCCESS. I created the recipe with a few goals in mind: NO GLUTEN so I could have one, NO SUGAR so I could have 3, and PROTEIN so I could have them at any point during the day including post-workout (even if the workout didn't happen).

I wish I could go on and on about how amazing this discovery is that I can eat donuts and they are not full of horrible ingredients or processed sugars and fats. But that would be so tedious, especially when you can just look:



Full disclosure: I added raspberry to the donuts because I thought that'd be like, totally a rad idea. I don't really like it (flavour was very subtle anyways) so I left it out of the ingredients and will not use it again, but if you want to razzle dazzle 'em, then PLEASE do!


I know you want to see the recipe--DUH! So let's GO...





Gluten Free Chocolate PROTEIN Donuts 

Yields 12-14 Donuts 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
  • 1/2 cup protein powder ( I used SunWarrior plant-based protein powder, I don't suggest whey)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 cup liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, etc) 
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (or raspberry or other) extract
  • 3/4 cup plain (not sweetened) greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup or more Almond milk to thin batter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 and grease donut pans.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together ALL dry ingredients including date powder (or blend the dates separately in a food processor until they are a paste and then add in the date mixture)
  3. Next add your wet ingredients: greek yogurt, eggs and extract(s)  mix together 
  4. Use almond milk (or any milk you desire) to add to batter if it is too dry until a large uniform ball of dough forms
  5. Use your hands to mold a 'snake' shape and press it into pan, repeat until you are finished your dough! (Easier with wet or greased hands)
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the tops of the donut crack slightly and spring back to the touch.
  7. Let cool before decorating.

Two things...first, here is the protein I used (because whey is kinda poopy to bake with):








And second:









See the date paste? Pretty sticky stuff. That's why I suggest using a hand mixer to help combine it all together. The dough comes together really nicely! I was so surprised. I just rolled it up and squashed it in the pan!

We cannot forgo the wonderfully gorgeous drizzle!



Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons light cream cheese (or regular, or vegan cream cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (you can use whey here if you want! I did)
  • Stevia to taste ( I used 3 packets of Truvia) 

Directions:

  1. Whip cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you have a thick frosting.
  3. Scoop into a piping bag or plastic bag to drizzle on donuts.
Optional: Add chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, etc. to make your donuts lots of fun! Or leave them  plain.

I used these:












Still pretty with just the frosting.











But I can't just leave things plain! I used all the frosting and needed to melt some chocolate...











Pre-chocolate drizzle 



And even though I added chocolate chips...once I melted the chocolate, that went on there too...OOPS!












Absolutely amazing.














Prettiest sugar-free, gluten-free donuts I ever did see!















There are no wrong ways to eat a donut. However you want to dress these up is up to you!

I genuinely hope you try this recipe. I have so many people in my life trying to eat healthier and feel better, so I made these to share with my family.

So far they have reported that they are DELICIOUS but refreshing. They don't make you feel guilty or heavy or unwell, which is so nice to hear. They are not overwhelmingly sweet, just very natural tasting and satisfying. And of course, chocolate. 'Nuff said.

The best part by far is how dense these are. When I make 'normal' donuts, the tops kind of pucker and shrivel after a day or so and don't hold up so well. These? They look every bit as amazing in 3 days as they did on day 1.

The icing is unreal. Like chocolate cheesecake. Just so BOMB.

I HIGHLY recommend these as a much healthier alternative to the sugary processed donuts us Canucks just can't get enough of ;)

I don't count calories, but if you were curious, each un-frosted donut has 120 calories. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY! The glaze and chocolate add another 30 or so calories. Yes, I'll have 5 please ;)

Do you have a sweet tooth (or a mouth of sweet teeth?) How do you manage it?


Love you all!

XO 

2 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness these look to die for!
    AMAZING.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I appreciate that. They are really good I will have to make them again soon!

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