Easy and delicious baked (not fried!) doughnuts which tastes like a classic cinnamon bun but in doughnut form AND specifically designed for breakfast! Made with NO butter, oil, flour (grains, if you go the paleo option!) or sugar, these baked doughnuts are naturally gluten free, vegan, dairy free, sugar free and come with a tested paleo option!
Oh, the things you uncover after a solid clean.
Before I went to America, my mum and sister told me they would be giving my childhood room a Spring clean….or rather, a ‘good riddance clean’.
A few of the things which were sent to storage include-
High school photo albums (goodbye mushroom hair, blonde tips and chubby cheeks)
High school textbooks (laziness prevailed, instead of throwing them out)
University textbooks (most still in their plastic wraps)
CLOTHES (SO MANY CLOTHES)
Random bits and pieces….including a random doughnut pan.
It was like a blessing in disguise- I had intentions to get a doughnut pan as soon as I arrived, as I had some fun ideas and this saved me time AND money.
Just don’t ask me how I acquired this doughnut pan.
I have NO idea.
Anyway, can we talk about the association with doughnuts and breakfast? This was a totally new concept for me when I first came to America.
My two roommates in New York would always grab breakfast en route to their office jobs in Manhattan. 4 days out of 5, they would swing by Dunkin Donuts and grab a coffee with a doughnut. I was so oblivious to this concept- I’d always associate donuts (doughnuts) with an afternoon snack with coffee or a dessert…never first thing in the morning.
Saying that, I think the concept of doughnuts for breakfast PACKED with nutrients to keep you energised and satisfied CAN happen. In fact, with an upcoming brunch with friends happening, I wanted to make this concept happen in my home country- Healthy Breakfast Doughnuts.
Besides, you can have your other traditional doughnuts for dessert.
Double D’s.
Doughnuts AND desserts, you dirty birdies!
These healthy baked doughnuts are easy, delicious and a fun breakfast which are like a cinnamon bun too- Also full of protein, no sugar and high in fiber! Unlike traditional doughnuts, these aren’t only baked, they are also made with no butter, oil, margarine, butter or sugar, but they taste JUST as good! The doughnuts themselves (if you go the original route!) are fluffy and slightly dense (thanks to the gluten free oat flour) or if you go grain free, are firm and tender (thanks to the combination of coconut flour and almond butter). Because of the two tested options offered, regardless of which you pick ,they will be naturally gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, vegan, paleo and grain free!
Long term readers know I usually recommend my three standard protein powders- A casein protein powder, a paleo protein powder and a vegan brown rice protein powder. This time, while those three are perfectly fine, this is one recipe in which a whey based protein powder would be suitable for. Most whey protein powders I’ve used tend to be incredibly sticky, but as this recipe calls for it as a strict ‘glaze’ or topping, this texture works perfectly for it. I would recommend this whey protein powder (pictured) or this whey protein powder (my other standby).
HACK! Don’t have a doughnut pan? These totally work as muffins or even a loaf pan- You’ll just need to keep an eye on the cooking time for the latter, it will be a little bit longer but still just as delicious.
Make these healthy flourless (baked!) cinnamon bun breakfast doughnuts and let’s REALLY embrace doughnuts for breakfast.
Post sugar crash = not welcome.
Healthy Flourless Cinnamon Bun Breakfast Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the original option
- 2 cups gluten free oat flour gluten free oats ground into a flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice I used a stevia blend, monk fruit sweetener
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 flax egg can sub for 1 large egg if not vegan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon drippy almond butter can sub for any nut butter
For the paleo option
- 3/4 cup coconut flour sifted
- 1 cup almond flour sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 4 large eggs lightly whisked
- 1/2 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tablespoon drippy almond butter
- 1/2 cup honey can sub for pure maple syrup
For the protein frosting
- 3 scoops vanilla protein powder see recommendations above
- 1-2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice optional
- 1-2 tablespoon nut butter of choice optional
- Milk to thin out batter
For the cinnamon coconut butter frosting
- 4-6 tablespoon coconut butter melted
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice
- Dairy free milk to thin out
Instructions
For the original option
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12 count doughnut pan or muffin pan with oil/butter/cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk, vanilla extract and egg/flax egg. Pour into the dry mixture. Add the melted nut butter and mix very well until a batter is formed.
- Transfer the batter to the greased doughnut pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes on clean. Remove from oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost.
For the paleo option
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12 count doughnut pan or muffin pan with oil/butter/cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. In a seperate bowl, melt your nut butter with honey and combine both into the dry mixture. Mix until a very thick batter is formed.
- Transfer to greased doughnut pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cooled, frost.
To make the frosting
- Combine all the ingredients and using a tablespoon, add milk until a relatively batter is formed. Drizzle over the doughnuts, one at a time. For the cream cheese one, allow to sit at room temperature until it softens. Mix with granulated sweetener and cinnamon. Spread over each doughnut.
Notes
More delicious breakfast choices? Gotcha covered!
Healthy Fresh Strawberry Breakfast Crumble
Healthy Low Carb Double Chocolate Pancakes
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Breakfast Cake
Have you ever found gems while cleaning? I found my sister’s heinous doll she loved as as a five year old. The rip marks I left as a kid were still there too 😀
DOUGHnut or donut?
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Do you have a printable version of your recipes? 🙂
Hi Michelle! 🙂 The recipe plugin should allow you to do so (It’s in the top right corner of it :))
My cookbook will be out next year too, ha! 🙂
Hi – these look delicious! I’m always looking for healthy “treats” for my 10-yr-old son. Question – are these full size doughnuts or mini?
Hi Shannon! 🙂 These are the standard sized ones (I think…I’ve seen mini ones and large ones) – I used a 12 count doughnut pan 🙂
Ok I’m gonna be super honest here . I was just diagnosed with diabitiis 2 . I’m 46 year old over weight busy wife,mother,grandmother, this fills like my whole world is changing . I’m tired I’m depressed I don’t like shots and blood . And I love good food . So if just only one or two of these pancakes turn out good I’m gonna be soooooooo happy !!!!! Depression is hard when you have to accept change . And if you can find little things to give you hope . I think that is a good thing w
Hope you enjot the pancakes, Michele! I’m sorry for your diagnosis!
My daughte is allergic to wheat, oats and egg. How can adjust the flour in the original option? Can i use any GF flour? If i use the flour ratio in the paleo version, do i need to adjust the baking powder? Thank you for providing a healthy, allergy-free doughnut option.
Hi Angel! You could try the paleo option and use flax eggs, but I can’t vouch for the results, sorry!
This looks amazing!!!! Thank you sooo much! Just to be sure, the T in your recipe is a tablespoon, not a teaspoon?
Hi Ashley! thanks so much for your kind words- That is correct, so 15 mls 🙂
For the drippy almond butter, I can sub any nut butter. Is that like peanut butter? I’m confused 🙂
Plus thank you for creating a GLUTEN free doughnut where the ingredients are weird!!
Aren’t weird. Not are.
Hahahaha thanks, Jamie! 🙂
For the drippy almond butter, I can sub any nut butter. Is that like peanut butter? Will it affect the taste? It won’t taste like peanut butter?
Hi Jamie! I usually avoid peanut butter for baked goods, as the peanut butter flavor is very evident.
Awesome! Just got doughnut pans for a “savory breakfast bagel “- eggs, cheese and sausage. Now I have a sweet recipe! What do you mean by Drippy almond butter? How can I tell at the store!
😀 LOVE using doughnut pans for that exact recipe!!!!!! We must have the same brain 🙂
Now for drippy almond butter, it’s sold at Trader Joe’s, or Barney Butter smooth is drippy too 🙂
This looks great and I want to make it this week but I am confused about the frosting.
The ingredients for the cinnamon frosting are listed as coconut butter, sweetener, and milk- no mention of cream cheese or cinnamon (“For the cream cheese one, allow to sit at room temperature until it softens. Mix with granulated sweetener and cinnamon. Spread over each doughnut.”). Can you help out with ingredient list and amounts? Thanks!
Hi Kirsten- Apologies for that! The cream cheese one, depending on whether you want a thick frosting or thin one, start with half a tub (100 grams) and mix with 1-2 T sweetener until desired sweetness, then frost.
THANK YOU so much for all the different options! It was an incredible relief to scroll down and see that there were even options to choose from? I am not used to seeing that on very many food blogs so THANK YOU! So excited to make these!
No worries at all, Alix- Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I tried the paleo recipe. It’s very dense and dry. Was thinking maybe to add coconut oil to the recipe? Thoughts?
Hi Dee! I’m sorry to hear that- I’d add some dairy free milk and maybe a tablespoon of coconut oil- It generally should be quite soft and fluffy 🙂
Sorry for my French but what does T mean in your recipes? tablespoon? tx These looks great.
Hi Carole- Apologies for not being clear enough, the T stands for tablespoon 🙂
I tried the original option (used coconut flour – could not find the other). However, the “batter” for me turned out as a bowl of crumbles. Went ahead and baked just in case. Still after the allotted time, they still looked like balls of crumbles. Also tasted very dry. Loved the sound of the concept, but for those like me that are not great cooks, this recipe did not like me.
Hi Jen! Unfortunately, the original version can’t have the oat flour subbed with coconut flour- It just won’t work. If you want to use coconut flour, you need to follow the ‘Paleo’ option directions.
Coconut flour in general requires more liquid and needs larger number of eggs than is standard to keep it from ending up really dense. You can see that from Arman’s paleo recipe. It has more eggs than is standard for donuts. Four eggs equates to approximately a cup and that’s on top of having less flour, half a cup of honey, and half a cup of milk as liquid ingredients, versus a cup in the vegan recipe.
what is coconut butter and where do you get it?
Hi Suzy, coconut butter is blended coconut meat, which results in a buttery spread. You can get it at most health food and some grocery stores. It is also available online or amazon. 🙂