Top shot of Protein Donuts with sprinkles.
5.00 from 15 votes

You'll love these easy gluten-free Protein Donuts that are tasty and quick! The moist baked donuts have extra protein making them a healthy breakfast or treat. Dipped in a vanilla or chocolate glaze and topped with sprinkles (or any topping) of your choice, they're not only yummy, but they're pretty, too!

Prep: 10 Cook: 15 Total: 25
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Protein Donuts

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You’ll love these easy gluten-free Protein Donuts that are tasty and quick! The moist baked donuts have extra protein making them a healthy breakfast or treat. Dipped in a vanilla or chocolate glaze and topped with sprinkles (or any topping) of your choice, they’re not only yummy, but they’re pretty, too!

Easy Protein Donut Recipe

I’ve shared a few healthy donut recipes over the years, like my Healthy Donuts with Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Lemon Poppy Seed Healthy Baked Donuts, and Baked Glazed Doughnuts. I love making easy and healthy donuts at home! Recently, you have all been loving recipes that add a little more protein (and so do I!), so I know that you’re going to LOVE these easy protein donuts!

Protein powder, almond flour, and Greek yogurt are all in the batter that mixes up in just a few minutes. They bake quickly, and once they are cooled you can glaze them or even smear them with a nut butter or Triple Berry Chia Seed Jam and enjoy! They’re SO GOOD!

You’ll love these High Protein Donuts

  • SO FAST – Did you even know you could make healthy, homemade donuts in less than 30 minutes?
  • Added protein – These donuts are a tasty way to bump up those protein grams for the day.
  • Easy – Mix, bake, cool, glaze. That’s it. Seriously.
  • Different – One of my favorite ways to stay consistent with healthy eating is to add new things occasionally. It helps me switch things up and not get bored with having the same things repeatedly.

You’ll Also Love: Maple Gluten-Free Donuts

Bite taken out of a glazed Protein Donut with sprinkles.

Ingredients in Gluten-Free Protein Donuts

The healthy ingredients in these homemade donuts are easy to find and you’ll love how tasty they turn out! Here’s what you’ll need:

Protein Doughnut Batter

  • Almond Flour (opens in a new tab) – Use super fine, unbleached almond flour for this protein donut recipe. The texture will be a little denser than using all-purpose flour but light compared to courser ground almond flour. I also love almond flour in this Protein Cookie Dough.
  • Protein Powder (opens in a new tab) – You can use your favorite flavor and brand of protein powder for this recipe. The added protein makes these donuts filling and satisfying!
  • Baking Powder, Salt, and Sugar
  • Eggs – Eggs are the binder in this donut recipe! If you want to make this vegan or need an egg-free version, check below for my tips and instructions.
  • Butter – You can swap this ingredient with coconut oil or vegan butter if you’d like.
  • Maple Syrup and Vanilla – The maple syrup is a sweetener to the batter and the vanilla adds the flavor. You can swap the vanilla extract for another extract to change the taste if you’d like. Coconut extract (opens in a new tab) and almond extract would both be delicious options.
  • Greek Yogurt – Creamy and protein-packed, the plain Greek yogurt thickens the batter and adds even more protein to each donut.
  • Milk – Use regular milk or any plant-based milk for this recipe!

Donut Glaze Ingredients

  • Butter – The butter in the glaze helps it thicken and get firm as it sets up. You can swap it out with vegan butter if you want!
  • Powdered Sugar – The superfine texture of powdered sugar means it dissolves quickly and completely into the milk and butter so your glaze will be silky smooth.
  • Milk
  • Vanilla
  • Cocoa Powder – Adding cocoa powder (opens in a new tab) to the base vanilla glaze recipe creates a great chocolate flavor!
Ingredients for protein donuts recipe.

How to Make This Protein Donuts Recipe

This recipe is so easy that my kids can easily jump in to help put it together. Here’s how to make protein donuts:

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare the donut pans (opens in a new tab) by greasing them. I love this spray (opens in a new tab).
  2. Whisk together the wet ingredients, and then whisk in the dry ingredients.
  3. Scoop the batter into the donut pans, bake, and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
  4. Make the glaze by whisking together the ingredients.
  5. Dip the cooled donuts and top with sprinkles (opens in a new tab) or your favorite crunchy toppings.
  6. Serve and Enjoy!

Protein Donut Vegan Substitutions

With just a few swaps, you can make these gluten-free protein donuts dairy-free and plant-based vegan! You’ll also love my Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake Donuts. Here are the substitutes you’ll need to make this recipe vegan:

  • Protein Powder – Make sure the protein powder you choose to use is vegan. I love this brand (opens in a new tab).
  • Eggs – Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein, flax egg substitutes are easy to make and full of healthy benefits. You can also use a vegan egg replacer! (opens in a new tab)
  • Butter – Use vegan butter or plant based butter instead of dairy-full butter. Its commonly found in the vegan section of your local grocery store.
  • Milk – Any plant based milk will work! For the glaze, a thicker plant based milk will do better, like coconut, oat, or soy milk. You can use almond milk, it will just results in a thinner doughnut icing.
  • Greek Yogurt – Coconut, soy, or almond yogurt would all be excellent substitutes for the Greek yogurt.

Storing Protein Doughnuts

Store Protein Donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 day, or in the fridge for 3-5. You can also freeze them! Just place them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1-2 months and thaw them at room temperature before enjoying them, then add the glaze.

Protein Donuts on a cooling rack.

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Top shot of Protein Donuts with sprinkles.
ServingsServes 9
5.00 from 15 votes

Protein Donuts

You'll love these easy gluten-free Protein Donuts that are tasty and quick! The moist baked donuts have extra protein making them a healthy breakfast or treat. Dipped in a vanilla or chocolate glaze and topped with sprinkles (or any topping) of your choice, they're not only yummy, but they're pretty, too!
Prep: 10 minCook: 15 minTotal: 25 min

Ingredients

Donuts

Vanilla glaze

  • 2 Tablespoons butter (melted)
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons milk (of choice)

Chocolate glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tablespoons butter (melted)
  • 2 Tablespoons milk (of choice)
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease two donut pans with oil and set aside.
  3. Whisk together the eggs, butter, maple syrup, sugar, yogurt, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
  4. Whisk in the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  5. Use 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the batter into the prepared donut pan.
  6. Bake the donuts for 13-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip the donuts onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
  8. Once the donuts are completely cool, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze, then dip each donut and top with sprinkles.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Watch Me Make This

Notes

No Donut Pan? Use a greased muffin tin. Fill each tin 2/3 full and bake the same amount of time.
Make them vegan – Use plant-based milk, butter, yogurt, and protein powder, and use flax eggs instead.
Store – Place in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature, 3-5 days in the fridge, or 1-2 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Donut | Calories: 328 kcal | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 0.3 g | Cholesterol: 75 mg | Sodium: 235 mg | Potassium: 117 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 26 g | Vitamin A: 318 IU | Calcium: 151 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Did you make this? I’d love to see!
Tag me on socials at @JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab) or #JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab)

What Do You Think

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8 Comments

  1. Anna

    Great, but how do you get the glaze not watery and like cake drip?
    That’s without freezing I mean.
    Is it mandatory to freeze it?

    1. JOL Team

      Hey Anna, Thanks for the question! I made sure my donuts were fully cooled before dipping in the glaze. If they’re still warm the glaze will run right off. Also, you could start with a little less milk and add more if you need it. I have definitely found some types of milk affect the texture. Hope this helps!

  2. Tiffany Harrison

    My kids loved the donuts but the glaze was more like a frosting than a glaze what did I do wrong?

  3. Nicole Kendrick

    I LOVE these donuts! They’re so good, and I love that extra kick of protein.

    1. Jar Of Lemons

      Thanks, Nicole! I’m glad you enjoyed this donut recipe!

  4. Aspen Hebert

    These sound delicious!! Any idea what I can sub the white sugar for?

    1. Christine McMichael

      Brown sugar or coconut sugar would work great!

  5. Bella

    These look incredible as do all of your recipes. Sadly I’m very sensitive to white sugar- anything I could sub in for the powdered sugar here? Maybe make a glaze with melted coconut butter and/or use a refined sugar-free chocolate ganache for the chocolate ones? Just checking in because I want these NOW!