Healthy Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

What has 310 calories, 19g fat, and 320mg sodium?

Well, it’s not one of these cinnamon sugar donuts, I’ll tell you that!

I love donuts. Love, love, LOVE them. As a kid, I would actually look forward to my report card coming out, because it meant that I could get a free donut from Krispy Kreme for every A (or E, before 3rd grade) that I got! My sisters and I would pick out the most decadent donuts possible (think: chocolate glazed with sprinkles, cinnamon crullers, and creme-filled), then scurry on out to the car, Krispy Kreme hats on our heads, to see who could eat all their donuts first.

Before you ask: no, none of us ever ate all 6 of our donuts in one sitting (although we came close!). But looking back as an adult, I wonder how on earth I managed to consume 4 donuts worth of at least 1,200 calories in one sitting! Because the answer to my previous question is: one cinnamon sugar donut has 310 calories, 19g fat, and 320mg sodium. And that was one of the lighter donuts I would devour!

Since I no longer swim as much as I did as an 8 year old, and am a little (a lot) more health conscious, I decided to create a much healthier version of my childhood favorite Cinnamon Sugar Donuts. These donuts are gluten free, high in protein, and (most importantly) only 1/2 the calories! Plus, unlike classic donuts, they don’t have any vegetable oil, carrageenan, or artificial flavors. Actually, they only contain ingredients you can pronounce!

If you’re like me, and love, love, LOVE donuts, but don’t like filling your body with highly processed foods, then these donuts are your new bffs. They’re the perfect healthy option to serve your kids, or even bring to a family brunch! And believe me when I tell you they don’t taste remotely healthy.

They’re fluffy, cakey, and crumbly just like the cinnamon sugar donuts of your childhood.

But much, much better for you.

Healthy Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

*adapted from my Healthy Chocolate Glazed Donuts recipe

1/2 c coconut flour (or other gluten free flour)
1/2 c vanilla protein powder (about 50g) (or coconut flour)
1/3 c coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs melted coconut oil (or melted, organic grass-fed butter)
1 egg
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add coconut flour, vanilla protein powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Add coconut oil, egg, milk, and vanilla and stir until smooth. Grease a donut pan. Pour mixture into a ziploc bag or icing bag and cut the tip off. Squeeze into donut cavities, filling 3/4 the way full. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 3 minutes in the donut pan, then remove and place on a wire rack until completely cool. Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a plastic bag and shape until combined. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)