Lemon Mini Donuts (with protein version)

The girls love lemon, as do I, so I decided to whip up some lemon mini donuts! The girls really like donuts, I blame my mom and husband for that one, and I love that since getting a mini donut pan I can make them delicious healthy donuts! These light airy lemon donuts melt in your mouth when they are warm. Weather you make them for breakfast or for an afternoon treat to enjoy when snuggling up with a good book they are in the words of my girls “Mmmm so delicious!”

I also made a protein version as once in a great while I like to get a good workout in on a Friday morning and have my healthy protein donuts too! More often for a treat after my youngest daughter’s gymnastics or after a family activity on the weekend like snowshoeing, hiking, or a run.

Lemon Mini Donuts (with protein version*)

Makes 18-22 mini donuts

1c cake flour, or gluten-free cake flour blend (used gluten-free cake flour blend recipe below)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, flax egg, or chia egg

1/2c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 TBSP, plus 1 tsp, lemon juice

zest of 1 large lemon

1/4c coconut palm sugar, sucanat, or sugar of choice  (used Navitas Naturals Coconut Palm)

1/3c coconut milk, almond milk, or non dairy milk of choice (used So Delicious Vanilla Almond Milk Plus and So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk in another batch)

1TBSP coconut oil, melted

Glaze

2 TBSP So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer or So Delicious Vanilla Almond or Coconut Milk

1 c powder sugar

*For protein version replace up to 1/3 c of flour with vanilla protein powder, used Vega Protein Smoothie Viva Vanilla or Vega Performance Protein Vanilla.

Preheat oven to 425. Zest lemon into a large bowl. In a medium bowl mix together 1 tsp lemon juice and milk and set aside for 5 minutes. Add flour, baking powder, and salt in with the lemon zest. In the bowl containing the milk and lemon juice add egg (or prepared flax/chia egg), coconut palm sugar, applesauce, vanilla, 1 TBSP lemon juice, and coconut oil, mix until combined.  Add wet ingredients to dry mix with a spatula until just combined. Spray mini donut pan with coconut oil or non stick spray of choice. Spoon or pipe, using a frosting bag or plastic bag with the corner cut, the mixture into mini donut pan filling half way. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Prepare glaze whisking creamer or milk into powdered sugar in a small bowl. Let cool about 3 minutes, remove from and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar, toppings of choice, or dip tops into glaze. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend

3 c brown rice flour (fine ground)

1 c potato starch (not potato flour)

1/2 c tapioca flour

1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Sift ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

These Lemon Mini Donuts are so quick I entered them in the Fast & Fresh Dairy-Free Time Trials Contest sponcered by So Delicious! You can prepare, bake, and glaze them in under 30 minutes!