Protein Donuts

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5 from 349 votes
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Level up your protein game with my oven-baked protein donuts recipe. They’re light, fluffy, and pack a whopping 12 grams of protein. Plus, they’re yeast-free and naturally vegan!

Love recipes with protein powder? Try my protein brownies, protein banana bread, and protein cookies next.

protein donuts recipe

When I have a particularly late workout, the last thing I want to do is whip out the blender to make a protein shake. Wake up my whole family? No, thank you. 

I’ve been getting creative with new ways to get my protein in. I was recently inspired by a trip to Dunkin Donuts as they had a protein muffin (not as good as my protein muffins), so I thought, what about donuts?!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make protein donuts
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More protein dessert recipes
  8. Protein Donuts (Under 100 Calories!) (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • 6 ingredients. I dare you to name an easier recipe than this! 
  • No eggs, yeast, or dairy. None of the traditional donut ingredients are needed, but they are just as fluffy and cakey as classic donuts.
  • Low calorie. They clock in at under 100 calories each. 
  • And yes, they actually taste like real donuts. I tried a lot of protein doughnuts in preparation for this recipe. Let me tell you, just because they’re in a donut shape does NOT make them a donut. Mine are the real deal. 
Protein Doughnuts

Ingredients needed

  • Protein powder. I tested several types of protein and I strongly preferred the texture with brown rice protein powder and casein protein powder. Use unflavored, chocolate, or vanilla protein powder.
  • Self-rising flour. All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. Don’t have any on hand? Easily make your own
  • Cocoa powder. Unsweetened and sifted to remove any clumps.
  • Sugar. I used a brown sugar substitute to keep the calories low, but you can use regular white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar. 
  • Oil. I used coconut oil, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil works. If not strictly dairy-free, use butter. 
  • Milk of choice. I used unsweetened almond milk, but use whichever milk you prefer. 

For the glaze:

  • Powdered sugar. I went with homemade powdered sugar substitute (again, to keep the calories low), but you can use regular powdered sugar if you don’t mind the extra calories. 
  • Cocoa powder. For the chocolate glaze. 
  • Milk. To thin the glaze.

How to make protein donuts

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count donut pan with cooking spray.

Step 2- Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter remains. If it’s too thick, add extra milk.

Step 3- Shape and bake. Pour the batter into a Ziplock bag and cut one corner of the bag. Distribute the batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Step 4- Make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Slowly add milk and whisk until smooth and glossy. 

Step 5- Glaze the donuts. Let the donuts cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, dip each donut in the glaze and place them back on the wire rack to firm up. 

how to make protein donuts

Arman’s recipe tips

  • No donut pan? No problem, these make equally tasty muffins!
  • Do not overbake the donuts, as they’ll continue to bake in the pan while they cool. 
  • Add more protein. Make a protein frosting by combining Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
  • Make a vanilla glaze. Omit the cocoa powder and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

Flavor variations

  • Vanilla. Omit the cocoa powder and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 
  • Funfetti. Omit the cocoa powder and stir in a handful of sprinkles. Use my vanilla glaze and throw some sprinkles in there, too!
  • Blueberry. Omit the cocoa powder and add ½ cup of thawed frozen blueberries. Use my vanilla glaze, but swap the milk for the excess blueberry juice!

Storage instructions

To store: Store any leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

To freeze: Place the baked donuts in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to six months. Let the donuts thaw overnight in the fridge. 

High Protein Donuts

Frequently asked questions

Which protein powder is best?


The protein powder you use is very important. I recommend brown rice or casein protein powder, as they are generally good blends to bake with. Whey protein can be very tricky and dry out the donuts. To test this out, make my protein mug cake and see how it turns out. If it works out well, your protein powder will be perfect for this recipe! 

Can I use almond flour or coconut flour?

This recipe has only been tested with self-rising flour. If you’d like donuts with almond or coconut flour, try my keto donuts.

More protein dessert recipes

Protein donuts

Protein Donuts (Under 100 Calories!)

5 from 349 votes
These protein donuts are fluffy, cakey, and need just 6 ingredients to make! Packed with over 12 grams of protein and less than 100 calories each!
Servings: 12 donuts
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients  

For the glaze

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Then, add your wet ingredients, and mix until a thick batter remains. If it is too thick, add extra milk.
  • Transfer your batter into a ziplock bag. Cut one corner of it and distribute the batter evenly amongst the donut holes. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, glaze them.
  • To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar substitute with cocoa powder. Slowly add the milk until thick and glossy. Dip each donut in the glaze then place them on a wire rack for the glaze to firm up.

Notes

* You may need more, depending on if your batter is too thick.
TO STORE: Donuts should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to 1 week.
TO FREEZE: Place donuts in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donutCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 12gFat: 4gSodium: 33mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 6IUCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 6g
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These donuts are so good! Such a simple recipe, I’ve experimented a bit with different flavour protein powders (swapping the cocoa for an extra third of a cup of protein powder) they are just so delicious! Light and fluffy and just yum!

  2. 5 stars
    This may be a dumb question. But is it possible to completely leave out the sugar or lessen it? My protein powder has some type of sugar already in it.

    1. 5 stars
      I put just over a quarter of a cup of coconut sugar when I make these, still so delicious and sweet but love being able to reduce the calories.

  3. 5 stars
    These protein donuts are A-MA-ZING! My kids love them, my co workers love them. I like them unglazed as a “brownie” replacement. Or literally could not get any easier.

  4. Made your chocolate protein donuts last night and they were delicious!!! I halved the recipe because 1. I was skeptical and 2. My pan only has room for 6 donuts.
    I wish I had made more!
    Only critique is that it made enough glaze to bathe in! 🤣

  5. 5 stars
    These were great!! I used a whey/casein blend. I halved the glaze recipe and still had some left over.