Protein donuts are my new favorite thing. And these Low Carb Protein Donuts are part of the reason! The recipe is easy, and the donuts are so delicious!
The combination of flavors here really hits the spot when you're craving donuts. You'll notice this donut recipe calls for a dash of ground nutmeg, and it must not be omitted for the real donut taste. Trust me on this!
I have a similar recipe for larger baked glazed protein donuts. They are also very delicious!
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Ingredients
The protein I originally used in this recipe has been discontinued, but this vanilla whey would be great. It's my go-to vanilla whey for baking.
In the glaze, I've used confectioner's style erythritol, a substitute for traditional confectioner's (powdered) sugar.
Protein donut ingredients:
- vanilla whey protein powder
- coconut flour
- baking powder
- ground nutmeg - this gives it the donut taste. do not omit!
- egg whites
- coconut oil
Low carb donut glaze ingredients:
The recipe card below has the full recipe details, including the ingredient amounts.
Equipment
I always suggest using an oven thermometer for best results, especially when you're baking such small donuts that would dry out if overbaked.
You'll need silicone mini donut pans, and these are easy to use and clean.
With mini donuts, I highly recommend using a piping bag to get the batter into the pans without making a huge mess. (You can also use the corner of a ziploc bag for this.)
How to make low carb protein donuts
After preheating the oven to 325F, you'll mix the dry ingredients for the donut, then add in the wet ingredients.
Pipe the donut batter into mini donut pans, and bake for about 8 minutes (less for a metal pan).
Let the donuts cool and remove them from the pan. Put them in the freezer while you mix the glaze. (This will make the glaze harden nicely on them when dipped.)
Use a fork to dip each donut into the glaze, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to help set the glaze.
Storage
🥶 Keep these glazed protein donuts in the fridge!
More low carb protein recipes
Recipe
Low Carb Protein Donuts
Ingredients
Vanilla donut:
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder concentrate (51g)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour 14g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2.5ml
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 2 large egg whites 66g at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted (15ml or 14g)
Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted (45ml or 42g)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners style erythritol 15g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (163C).
- Mix protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Add egg whites and coconut oil, and mix well.
- Spoon the batter into a ziplock bag, and cut off a corner.
- Pipe batter into a silicone mini donut pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes, and see if the donuts are firm. If not, check every 1-2 minutes and remove from oven as soon as they are firm.
- Let cool slightly, and remove donuts from pan. (Feel free to pop the pan in the fridge or freezer to speed this up!)
- Set the donuts in the freezer while you mix the glaze ingredients. (The cooler the donuts are, the better they will take the glaze.)
- Using a fork, dip each donut in the glaze, and make sure it is covered by turning it over in the glaze. Lift the fork and let excess glaze drip off the donut.
- Place glazed donuts on a parchment-lined dish or tray.
- Once donuts are glazed, set the tray in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to help set the glaze.
- If you have extra glaze, give the donuts a second coating.
- Once the glaze is cool and set, serve and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
For more delicious ways to use vanilla protein powder, check out this post on the best vanilla protein powder recipes. And for more low carb/keto protein powder recipes, have a look at this post on high protein keto recipes.
Andréa Marchese says
Hi Kris. I'm not confident that oat flour would work well here. We'd need more of oat flour than coconut flour (3-4 tablespoons), but then I think the donuts would taste too much like oat flour. Hope this helps!
Kris says
Hi can you sub oat flour for the coconut flour?
Andréa says
Hi Genevieve,
It would work, but you'd probably need more. Coconut flour is very drying. I would try 3-4 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.
Thanks for writing in, and let us know how it goes!
:)
Andréa
Genevieve says
Hi Andrea? I don't have coconut flour, would whole wheat flour work?
Andréa says
Hi Sonya,
You'd need to replace the entire cake part of the recipe with a vegan protein cake recipe. The proteins bake very differently! Maybe this one: https://www.proteincakery.com/very-vanilla-protein-cupcakes/
Thanks for writing in!
Andréa
Sonya says
Would this recipe work with a,vegan protein powder?
Andréa says
Hi Rai,
If you want to use cartoned egg whites, just make sure you match up the amount in grams. Keep in mind that fresh egg whites will give fluffier results, though.
Thanks for writing in!
Andréa
Rai says
Can I use carton egg whites and how much should I put in?
Andréa says
Hi Amy,
There are some whey isolates that are very difficult to bake with, but most whey protein powders are whey concentrate and bake well.
Hope this helps!
Andréa
Amy says
Will this work with any whey protein powder? I have the vitamin shoppe brand.
Andréa says
Hi Vicky,
Depends on the surface of the donut maker. Protein batter has a tendency to stick, so you may have some trouble with that. That's why I choose the silicone pans. If it is dark, non-stick and you spray it well, that might work.
Thanks for writing in!
Andréa
vicky says
Do u think I can make this in a donut maker
Andréa says
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for writing in!
These donuts didn't come out dense or heavy when I made them. What kind and brand of protein powder are you using?
If you're using the same (or similar) whey, the only thing I can think of is that maybe your baking powder has gone inactive. Without the baking powder, these would be pretty dense, I think.
Andréa
Jamie says
hello, I am making these a second time! They taste great, but mine come out very dents and heavy. I made sure I followed everything correctly. In your picture they do not look heavy. Are they? Do you have any idea why mine are? Thank you.
Andréa says
My pleasure! :)
Kristine says
Thank you!