Cake donuts or circular muffins? Honestly, who cares! As long as they’re tasty, nutritious, and don’t result in a mountain of leftovers, I’m in.
These small-batch chocolate cake donuts tick all the boxes. They’re naturally sweetened with applesauce (but you can sub in mashed banana or even pumpkin!), have a hint of cocoa and flaxseed for an antioxidant boost, and are glazed with fiber and protein-packed nut butter.
(Oh, and I also made a batch with homemade chia jam – just frozen raspberries cooked with chia seeds. Hello, more antioxidants and omega-3s!)
These donuts are so good, you can actually eat them for breakfast without feeling like you’re cosplaying a lonely, self-destructive police officer from an 80s movie. (Okay, that took a dark turn. But you get the point!)
The Mini-Batch Advantage:
This recipe makes just six donuts, so you can satisfy your craving without the temptation of leftovers. Perfect for a quick breakfast, a midday snack, or a guilt-free dessert.
Healthy(ish) Ingredients:
These donuts are made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, applesauce, and nut butter. They’re not exactly health food, but they’re definitely a healthier alternative to those deep-fried, sugar- and rancid omega-6s-laden donuts you find at the store.
Versatile and Delicious:
Feel free to experiment with different flavors and toppings. Add some chocolate chips to the batter, swap out the applesauce for another fruit or veggie puree, or get creative with your glaze. The possibilities are endless!
These Small-Batch Chocolate Cake Donuts are the perfect treat for any time of day. They’re quick, easy, and delicious, and they’re sure to become a new favorite in your household. So go ahead, give them a try! You won’t be disappointed.
Small-batch Chocolate Cake Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg, or regular egg beaten
- 1/2 cup applesauce (120 g) sub mashed banana
- 1 tbsp oil (15 g) sub nut/seed butter
- 3 tbsp sugar (36 g) sub any granulated sweetener
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder (18 g)
- 1/2 cup flour (60 g) gf all purpose if desired
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Nut butter glaze
- 2 tbsp nut/seed butter (32 g) I used peanut butter
- 2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup (24 g)
- water to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a donut pan with 6 cavities.
- Make your flax egg by stirring together 1 tbsp (7 g) flax seed meal and 3 tbsp water and let it sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together flax/egg, applesauce, oil, sugar, vanilla. Stir in cocoa and mix until no clumps remain.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
- Combine the two by folding (dont overmix). Batter should be spreadable, if too thin add a pinch more flour, if too thick add a drop of water and mix again.
- Pour batter into donut cavities. Flatten the drops with the back of a small spoon.
- Bake 15 min until centers are set, cool completely.
- Mix nut butter glaze ingredients and thin to your desired level of thickness (gently warming in the microwave can help dissolve your sugar, or use powdered sugar/maple syrup). Dip or drizzle cooled muffins, refrigerate to set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make a flax egg, stir together 1 tbsp (7 g) flax seed meal and 3 tbsp water and let it sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
- Make sure to spray your donut pan with oil thoroughly because the are low-ish fat and they will stick to your pan like superglue.
- You can also make 6 muffins out of this recipe, bake those 20-25 minutes.
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