Friday Foodspiration: Maple Cinnamon Donuts

I remember donuts being the ultimate morning treat as a kid. There was a bakery on the way to school that made them the best and we got them while they were still hot and fresh!

However, for me, in this season of my life . . . between the gluten, sugar, and inflammatory oils . . . it’s just not worth it. If I am going to have a sugar treat I usually have it at the end of the day so I can sleep off the brain fog and sugar crash.

My kids have donuts on occasion, but I’d much rather them enjoy this version free of extra sugar. And as bonus for me, it’s gluten and grain free too.

Now, when it comes to baked donuts do not expect this to be anywhere close to the fluffy melt in your mouth donuts you are used to. Just change your expectations right now or you will be very disappointed. This is much more dense and cakey, but fills the desire for a “dessert” type breakfast treat.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Almond Flour

  • 1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I use IDLife Grass fed Whey)*

  • 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

  • 1 Tbs Cinnamon

  • 1/4 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup Substitute **

  • 2 large Eggs, at room temperature

  • Topping – mix 1/4 cup Granulated Sweetener with 2 tbs Cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease your donut pan well.

  2. In a small bowl combine almond flour, protein powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. In a separate bowl whisk together maple syrup and eggs until smooth and creamy.

  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well combined.

  5. Fill your donut pan until each cavity is 3/4 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Watch closely because they will dry out quickly!

  6. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Then dip the rounded side into the topping mixture.

*Different protein powders may respond differently. I used a Grass fed, cold filtered whey protein as I find this is best for baking. Watch out for added fillers and products that use lesser quality proteins in the mix. Added digestive enzymes also help the protein I use to be more easily digested and used by the body. You can check it out here -> High Quality Vanilla Protein Powder.

**I use Lakanto brand Maple Syrup Substitute made with monk fruit but you can substitute regular maple syrup if the carbohydrate and sugar content isn’t a concern for you. The natural sugars in maple syrup are a better alternative than processed white granulated sugar.