PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP PROTEIN DONUTS
The former me associated donuts with gut aches and guilt. Now, I know better than to feel guilt over any food, and these Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts come without the gut ache! They’re lower in sugar and calories than regular donuts, and high in protein with no artificial additives! Did I mention they taste like a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie in donut form? Being completely honest… I actually set out to create cookies, but decided to use a donut pan at the last minute. And it was a success! These are deeee-licious.
You might also like my Peanut Butter & Jelly Protein Donuts or my Oreo Protein Donuts!
Protein powder substitutions
I used Quest Protein Powder in Vanilla Milkshake for this recipe. You can use a different brand of whey, but some work better than others. Whey blends that combine whey isolate, casein, and milk protein are best for baking! Whey concentrate works pretty good too, but whey isolates suck for baking. Baked goods made with isolate always seem to come out with a weird dry texture.
You can try substituting a plant-based protein powder in this recipe, although I haven’t tested it. You may need to add additional liquid to get a thick dough.
Flour substitutions
For this recipe, I used coconut flour to keep the carbs down. If you don’t have coconut flour, you can use twice as much (six tablespoons) of oat flour (oats blended into a flour), regular all-purpose flour, or gluten free baking flour. You can also try six tablespoons of brown rice flour, cake flour, cassava flour (Paleo), sorghum flour, spelt flour, tiger nut flour or whole wheat pastry flour. For almond flour, you may need up to three-quarters cup, since it’s much less absorbent than regular flour.
I also used powdered peanut butter, which adds peanut flavor and more protein! You can substitute five tablespoons of fine oat flour or any of the aforementioned flours, just keep in mind this will reduce the protein and up the carbs (and alter the flavor).
Sweetener substitutions
To sweeten these donuts, I used my favorite organic stevia-erythritol blend. It’s calorie-free and twice as sweet as sugar with no bitter aftertaste. If using baking stevia, granulated erythritol, monk fruit blend, or regular sugar, you will need to use twice as much to get the same amount of sweetness.
If using stevia extract or drops, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart.
Other substitutions
Instead of butter, I used peanut butter and nonfat plain Greek yogurt to add richness and moisture. If you’re allergic to peanuts, you can also use creamy almond butter or cashew butter. You can also swap the yogurt for unsweetened applesauce.
The recipe also calls for egg whites but feel free to use two flax eggs (two tablespoons of ground flax soaked in one-quarter cup warm water).
Of course, I had to add dark chocolate chips! I love Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips, but you can use sugar-free chocolate chips or dairy-free chocolate chips if you prefer. Or use mini chocolate chips if you want them more evenly spread throughout the batter!
These Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts taste amazing dunked in a glass of milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)!
You can also enjoy them slathered with homemade chocolate peanut butter protein frosting! Just combine powdered peanut butter, stevia blend, unsweetened cocoa, and almond milk (or milk of choice) to reach the desired consistency. SO good!
Here’s the printable recipe for the Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts! I’d love your feedback below if you try this recipe 🙂
This post contains affiliate links.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp. (50g) whey blend or concentrate protein powder* I used Quest brand in Vanilla Milkshake
- 5 tbsp. (30g) powdered peanut butter*
- 3 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar
- 3 tbsp. coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt optional
- 1/4 cup (2 large) egg whites*
- 3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter*
- 3 tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt* or buttery spread
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. dark chocolate chips
Chocolate peanut butter frosting (optional)
- 6 tbsp. (36g) powdered peanut butter*
- 4-5 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk or any milk
- 3 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract optional
- Dash salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (through salt) in a medium mixing bowl.
- Mix in wet ingredients (through extract) to form a thick, sticky dough.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Lightly coat six wells of a donut pan with cooking spray or use a silicone donut mold.
- Spoon dough into a sealable baggie with one corner cut off and “pipe” into wells. Alternatively, you can spoon dough into wells.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.
- Let donuts cool for a couple minutes before you devour them. If desired, spread with frosting (recommended). Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week.
Notes
Also in Blog
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN & NOODLES
SUMMER BERRY CHICKEN SALAD
