When I was a kid, the day report cards came out was the best day of the marking period.

Way back in third grade, the kids could care less about the grades or teacher comments. We didn’t even glance at how many tardies or sick days we’d accumulated over the past nine weeks. All we really wanted was the donuts.

In my city, it was a tradition among many of the elementary schoolers to head on over to the Krispy Kreme (the local donut shop) the day report cards came out. Now, normally my parents tried to stay as far from that place as possible (excessive sugar + elementary schoolers did not usually end well). But Krispy Kreme had this great deal going where they’d give a free donut of any kind for each ‘A’ (or ‘E’, depending on the grade level) a kid got.

It was really an ingenious idea. I’ve never met a third grader who’s cared any more about their future than what they were getting for their birthday, so obviously getting good grades may not be their biggest concern. (At least, it wasn’t mine!) But donuts? That was a big deal.

So, the day we got our report cards, my mom, sisters, and I would on down to the donut shop. We’d put on the little paper hats they gave away and march on up to the counter to get as many donuts as possible.

Now, obviously as a kid I had little to no concern of eating healthy. Therefore, when the lady behind the counter asked me what donuts I’d want, I’d order glazed, sprinkle, chocolate, the “holiday” one of the moment, and my favorite… the cruller.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a better donut than a Krispy Kreme cruller. But unfortunately, now that I’m not in elementary school anymore I’m not eligible for the free donut gig. And eating five or six donuts in one sitting (or… car ride home) doesn’t seem super appealing. And paired with the knowledge that each of my favorite Crullers are about 220 calories of pure sugar, I don’t exactly want to eat one every day… or even every week for that matter!

But if I ever do feel a cruller craving coming on, this recipe has become a life saver. Only 83 calories of whole, healthy ingredients per donut? Including a delicious cinnamon-sugar glaze?

Who needs great report cards when you’ve got guilt-free donuts? 😉

Healthy French Crullers

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs honey
• 1/4 c stevia
• 4 tbs coconut oil
• 1 tbs applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs milk of choice (I used almond milk)
• 1 1/4 c old fashioned oats
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 c spelt flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp water
• 1/4 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Separate the egg whites and yolks and beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (or hand mixer) for 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat for 5 more minutes, until hard peaks form. Meanwhile, process oats in a food processor or blender until they’ve reached the consistency of oat flour. Add chia seeds and continue to process until the two resemble flour (chia seeds are fully processed). Scoop egg whites into a small bowl and wipe out the mixing bowl. In the same mixing bowl, combine applesauce, coconut oil, stevia, vanilla, honey, and sugar. Add oat mixture, baking powder, and baking soda and continue to mix, on low. After about a minute, add egg yolks, one at a time, and stir until combined. Mix in milk of choice until just combined. Fold in egg whites. Add spelt flour and mix until combined. Fit a pastry bag with a 1M Wilton tip and fill with the batter. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease. Squeeze out the batter into circular rings (resembling donuts), 1 1/2 in apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and risen. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine water and powdered sugar. Once cool, brush the donuts with icing and sprinkle sugar mixture overtop. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 83

Fat: 4g

Carbs: 8g

Protein: 2g

(Yields 2 dozen donuts)