I must admit to some confusion.
Several different sites claim that today is National Doughnut Day, but if memory serves me correctly, didn’t we already celebrate that all the way back in June? And while we’re on the topic of donuts and my confusion, is it spelled donut or doughnut? Is it an American vs. Canadian thing? A personal preference thing? Both?
Either way, I suppose it doesn’t really matter since today’s recipe is neither a donut nor a doughnut, making the issue of spelling and holidays a moot point. See, donuts (I’m committing to this spelling) are fried whereas my little gems are baked… but for simplicity’s sake, I’m calling them donuts anyways. I know it’s slightly false advertising, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck… it’s probably a duck. And if it looks like a donut and tastes like a donut… it’s probably a donut.
I was a huge fan of donuts back in the day — we’re talking 2 or 3 trips to Timmy’s every week. And my favourite kind? Chocolate glazed. Fluffy chocolate dough surrounded by a sweet crackly glaze? Dreamy.
Not so dreamy? The nutritional stats. I’m all for occasional indulgences, but I’m pretty sure my body wouldn’t appreciate that much sugar and saturated fat on a regular basis. I have no idea how I used to pull it off back in the day, but I must be getting old or something because I definitely notice a big difference in how I feel when my diet tips towards the more indulgent side for any extended period of time. But thanks to healthier options, I can have my cake donut and eat it too.
First, these guys are baked instead of fried, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell if you didn’t know beforehand. They’re moist, fluffy, and rich without being greasy or heavy… they do look like little chubsters though…
Second, they contain minimal amounts of sugar and oil, and can be made even healthier by replacing the powdered sugar in the glaze with a vanilla protein powder (it works, I promise).
Third… they’re chocolatey, relatively healthy, and [shaped like] donuts — do you really need more convincing?
I’d love to know if you make this (or any!) recipe! Tag @runwithspoons on Instagram and Twitter, and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy and delicious recipes straight to your inbox!
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Healthier Chocolate Glazed Donuts
- Total Time: 18 mins
- Yield: 6 donuts 1x
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (can also use vanilla)
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- Optional: 2 Tbsp. chocolate chips, melted (for a more chocolatey donut)
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
OR…
- ¾ cup vanilla protein powder
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a standard donut pan.
- For the donuts: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until well combined and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, yogurt, coconut oil, melted chocolate, and vanilla. Mix well before adding to flour mixture and stir gently until just combined.
- Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with one corner cut off to pipe the batter into your prepared pan, filling each one about ⅔ full. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until donuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool before applying the glaze.
- For the glaze: Combine sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl, stirring until smooth. Feel free to add more sugar (to thicken) or milk (to thin) to achieve desired consistency.
- Place a wire rack over a sheet of parchment paper or baking sheet. Dip each donut into the glaze, using a fork to turn it over so that both sides are well coated. Remove from bowl and place on wire rack to set. Repeat until all donuts are coated.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
Fluffy chocolate dough. That crackly glazed shell… Everything I love about chocolate glazed donuts without any of the less-desirable aspects. And if you don’t have a donut pan in your kitchen arsenal? No problem — you can make donut holes! Simply roll the dough into little balls and bake them on a cookie sheet.
See what I did, just there? I took away all your excuses. And if you didn’t pick up on it, I’ve been secretly trying to take away your willpower with all these pictures…
Dit it work? 😉
You had me ar chocolate glazed donuts, it’s just a bonus that they are better for me. Yum!
These look fabulous! Great photos too. Visiting from SITS Sharefest. Happy Saturday!
oh my! I need to get myself a donut pan. These look fabulous.
Stopping by from Saturday ShareFest! and I’m going to go pin this little gem.
Omg girl, these look amazing!! Love ALL the pictures! I can totally relate to the sweets thing…I used to get go to Starbucks for a PSL AND a cinnamon sugar cake doughnut at LEAST 2-3 days a week in college! I have no idea how I wasn’t pinging off all the walls! Cake doughnuts are definitely my favorite…though I’m more of an unglazed girl…sorry. But I do love the protein powder glaze idea! My absolute favorite is a blueberry cake and I must must MUST have a side of coffee! Cake donuts (<-see what I did there?) are the best for dunkin'!
I try and play along with the National Day of… but Aaron yells at me. He says there is something every day. Well, duh! How else am I going to enjoy all the sweets 🙂 For real, though, these sound amazing!
Quick question: Is whole wheat flour the same as wholemeal flour?
From what I can glean from Google, I think so.
Thanks heaps Amanda
Damn you. I’m in the throes of sugar withdrawal (day three to be exact) and you go and post these. Of course, I want the powdered sugar icing. For awhile there I could say, well I don’t have a donut pan so no matter how badly I want these, I can’t make them. Then you had to go all donut holes on me, which I think I like even better than the hole in the middle kind. Alright fine, I’m pinning these; maybe they’ll be my reintroduction to sugar. Not a bad way to go huh?!
Yum! I love regular glazed doughnuts now. But when I was younger I would die for jelly-filled ones. My dad used to get me those as a special treat from time to time
These look delicious!! And now I really want a donut!
Aaah! Now I need to go buys donut pan!
i cant wait to make these – pinned it. Donuts are my absolute favorite and since its healthy, its okay to eat 5 right?
Oh my goodness I think I love you. These look fantastic! I’ve never been able to have Timmy’s donuts because of the nuts there, so until recently the only donuts I’ve been able to have are the mini powdered ones from the grocery store. Which don’t get me wrong, are good, but not the same. Luckily when Kelly’s Bake Shoppe opened donuts gloriously returned into my life. But my wallet doesn’t always love me going there. 😛 These look like the perfect solution!!
You need to -promise- to take me to Kelly’s when I visit. I still haven’t been able to find a donut place around here that can cater to nut allergies, and while making them at home is fun, sometimes you just want to go out and enjoy a treat, ya know?
I had to pin these because they look heavenly!! YUM!
These look amazing lady!! I don’t have a donut pan but I wish I did so I can make these. Then again I would probably eat ALL the donuts if I made these 😉
My favourite treat by far is, was and always will be Carrot Cake, with cream cheese icing.
Happy Wednesday!
These look yummy! I’m so going to have to try these. I love chocolate cake donuts so this may just be the thing for me. ; )
I never got the donut vs. doughnut thing! I personally like donut because it looks more fun, but I’m not sure where the two different spellings came from.
I was never a huge donut fan until I finally got a donut pan and started making them myself. The regular kind are way too sugary and I don’t like that most of them are fried, but it’s fun making them at home because you can come up with all kinds of crazy flavors and make them a much better dessert option.
Apparently the correct spelling is doughnut, with donut just being an easier nickname type thing. And I definitely agree about it being fun to make them at home — just baking things in that shape makes them automatically taste better 😉
Holy donut food porn!! These things look amazing! My favorite indulgence is either ice cream or a really good (like triple layer) gourmet carrot cake. 🙂
ohhhemmgeee Amanda. This is like my dream healthy donut! Chocolate cake donuts were (and still are) my absolute favee! I haven’t eaten donuts in a while due to their nutritional stats, but I soo need to try these. Like STAT.
Amanda, these are totally dreamy! I love chocolate glazed donuts, an d I’ve made a lot of donuts at home, but never chocolate ones! These look like a must try!
do you have to make these in a donut pan? will it work in muffin pans?
It would! You can also just roll them into little balls and make donut holes.
Confession: I’m not a chocolate doughnut fan, but girrlllll you got me wanting to eat a whole pan worth… even if it’s not even 6 in the morning.
To answer your doughnut question: I never really crave them unless I’m drunk. Funny story whenever Joshua and I were visiting the States in September we went out with my parents to a local bar. I got drunk, and made my mom buy THREE dozen doughnuts… and I didn’t even eat one once we got home Ha Ha!
I’m currently in a half asleep state and its 1.49pm…..my inner homer simpson wants to jump through the screen and eat those.
dude…you need to go on a recipe ban, I can’t keep up. Donut pan? check. Ingredients? check. Scrap the snickerdoodle truffles for brunch. These are being made instead. I need a healthy component somehow 😉
Don’t blame me — it’s the colder weather!
Oh girl, you’re on a baking roll!! Can I bring a cappuccino and we share?
OMG I am making these next week. I am on vacation so I have plenty of time for baking!! Thanks for the recipe, I am pumped!
Love donuts- we have organic ones here at farmers markets (NYC) they are still fried but organically fried- I have one twice a week. My favourite indulgent treat – good chocolate cake or tirimisu, I ha e an I real honest indulgent dessert twice a week too – in addition to the donuts (which are cinnamon my fab along with iced chocolate ones). hmm I’m only just thinking that this might be seen as a lot? I’m in college and it doesn’t seem like it to me- but After reading these health blogs where no one eats dessert I am a little freaked out! I have always been seen as the moderate one in my social circle (of truly slim grls too!) but in this world I seem like a slob lol! 🙂 anyways sorry for the mind spill and your donuts look yum- but I think I would go for the real sugar frosting I am not faniliar with protein powder and it dosn’t sound as appetising lol.
Don’t change the way you eat because of what you see online! If you enjoy the way you eat and it’s working for you, then there’s no reason to change anything 🙂
Oh girrrllll those look amazzzzinnngggg!!!! I really love your pictures and I think over the months you’ve improved so so so much!!! Anyway, back to the dough-donut. 😀 I’m not a big lover of donuts but lately ONCE in a great while I crave it, but I agree that my body can’t handle too much indulgence because if I do indulge TOO MUCH my body goes on a strike! 😛
I love donuts- it’s been an extremely long time since I watched it, but I do love them. Favorite(s)? Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, hot off the line. I think it’s the first and only time I ate something and LITERALLY had a foodgasm in my mouth. I also like sour cream donuts with the layer of icing.
Most decadent dessert? Hmm…I’m torn between deep dish tollhouse cookie pie and my grandma’s banana pudding.
My twin sister would flip over these donuts that you made- iced chocolate donuts are her favorite. Maybe I’ll make them for her…
<3
If the hat fits, wear it 🙂 These doughnuts look amazing. I only just had my first doughnut in about 10 years last month – fresh, warm and slightly spiced – delicious. I’ve never had chocolate ones but those look right up my alley!
Yup – those pictures absolutely convinced me that I NEED these donuts in my life – these not-really-chubsters would most definitely make my life complete and even though I don’t own a doughnut pan – YOU have made me see that I can just go ahead and make donut balls come Saturday morning!
These pictures are AWESOME Amanda! Terrificly Tantalizing!
I must confess, the first donut I ate was when I turned 18 – and they are not a food I totally adore – except for the blueberry cake donuts that Krispy Kreme puts out – one of those cake donuts NEED 2 cups of coffee to wash em down! Have you ever tried a Kripsy Kreme donut?
My all time fav dessert – the only one I indulge in in all its calorific glory is tiramisu! Just. simply. adore. that. stuff.
I haven’t! I’ve heard such amazing things about them, but we don’t have a Krispy Kreme anywhere remotely near me. Another thing to add to my list of places to visit in the States, perhaps?
Ugh, I am NOT a fan of donuts. I can usually tolerate them more if they’re baked, but I do not like glaze and I do not like fried donuts. I don’t really know how to spell donuts either…
I really love chocolate cake or some sort of cheesecake as my indulgent dessert.
You definitely nailed the presentation of these gorgeous babies (as always), and I have no doubt they taste just as good as they look. Hopefully this will be a push for me to actually use that doughnut (committing to the other spelling ;-)) I just won and the doughnut pan I just bought to use.
I love donuts… I like the mini ones (i.e. Timbits) the best so I can try lots of flavors. My favorite indulgent dessert is definitely teramisu though!
Oh yum!! These look amazing!! And I love that you made them healthier!! YUM 🙂
Mmm these do look dreamy! I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but you’ve got me sold on these babies.
I spell it “donut,” but I always thought that was some sort of slang way of spelling it. Whatever works. My favorite kind would have to be apple crullers. Oh my goodness, so good. I haven’t had one in ages though, but that’s probably better for my health… 😉 Maybe I should look for a healthy apple cruller recipe. Or just try your chocolate glazed donuts! I have a cake pop maker that I’m sure could crank out some lovely little donut holes!
Honey crullers are a favourite of mine as well! Seriously going to have to see if I can recreate those…
OMG! Those look ah-mazing! I used to looove those donuts. Til I sadly cut them out as a “bad” food. I couldn’t seem to control myself with those things for some reason! But your recipe looks awesome! I can’t wait to go out and get that pan! Thank you!!
Yyyyupp…I definitely need to invest in a donut pan. Or…you could just make them for me?? 😉
Amanda…OMG seriously this post is bananas! Okay dougnuts LOL I am in love with this recipe and wish I could make these, {wish because there is no way I could pull this off}. Awesome post and recipe
Because you piqued my curiosity (and I’m fascinated by word origins) I turned to the internet. According to Wikipedia:
The first known printed use of donut was in Peck’s Bad Boy and his Pa by George W. Peck, published in 1900, in which a character is quoted as saying, “Pa said he guessed he hadn’t got much appetite, and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut.”[12] According to John T. Edge (Donuts, an American passion 2006) the alternative spelling “donut” was invented when the New York–based Display Doughnut Machine Corporation abbreviated the word to make it more pronounceable by the foreigners they hoped would buy their automated doughnut making equipment.[13][14] The donut spelling also showed up in a Los Angeles Times article dated August 10, 1929 in which Bailey Millard jokingly complains about the decline of spelling, and that he “can’t swallow the ‘wel-dun donut’ nor the ever so ‘gud bred’. The interchangeability of the two spellings can be found in a series of “National Donut Week” articles in The New York Times that covered the 1939 World’s Fair. In four articles beginning October 9, two mention the donut spelling. Dunkin’ Donuts, which was so-named in 1950, following its 1948 founding under the name Open Kettle (Quincy, Massachusetts), is the oldest surviving company to use the donut variation; other chains, such as the defunct Mayflower Doughnut Corporation (1931), did not use that spelling.[15] According to the Oxford Dictionary while “doughnut” is used internationally, the spelling “donut” is American.[16] The spelling “donut” remained rare until the 1950s, and has since grown significantly in popularity;[17] this growth in use has possibly been influenced by the spread of Dunkin’ Donuts.[18]
Pardon me while I wipe off my nerd glasses…
Pardon me while I put on my nerd glasses — love it!