Pumpkin & Pumpkin Protein Mini Donuts

My girls love donuts, my mom would take them to get donuts when she comes to visit. After recently finding a mini donut pan I started to bake up mini donuts for the girls that are a healthy alternative to going to the donut shop. They still get spoiled and go with grandma to the donut shop but I love how the girls love these as well and know there are healthy alternatives that taste just as good. With pumpkin in everything and being a pumpkin lover I had to make pumpkin donuts and also whipped up some Pumpkin Protein Mini Donuts for myself. While they aren’t light and fluffy like the pumpkin donuts and are a more dense (a little more so with gluten-free flour) I like them. There are so many fun topping options for these, cinnamon sugar, nut butters, glazes. We did Peanut Butter &  Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter, Chocolate Glaze, and a Pumpkin Spice Glaze.

Pumpkin Donuts

Makes 20-22 mini donuts

1c cake flour for lightest fluffy texture or all-purpose flour (if using gluten-free flour add 1 tsp xanthan gum)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBSP applesauce

1/2c pumpkin

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

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

1 tsp lemon juice

1/3c coconut milk (used So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk)

1 TBSP coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, mix together milk and lemon juice. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix applesauce, coconut palm, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and coconut oil in with milk and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to dry until just combined. Spoon mixture, or use a piping bag, into mini donut pan filling half way. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Let cool a couple of minutes and remove from pan. Sprinkle with coconut palm sugar and cinnamon, or top with maple peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate glaze (recipe below) or make a pumpkin spice glaze to pour over top (recipe below). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Protein Donuts

Makes 20-22 mini donuts

1 c all-purpose flour ( gluten-free, use 1 tsp xanthan gum)

1/3c protein powder (used Vega Sport Performance Protein, Vanilla)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 TBSP applesauce

1/2c pumpkin

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

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

1 tsp lemon juice

1/3c non dairy milk (used So Delicious Unsweetened Almond Milk Plus)

2TBSP coconut oil, solid form

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, mix together milk and lemon juice. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt, protein powder. With a pastry cutter cut in solid coconut oil into flour mixture.  Mix applesauce, coconut palm, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and coconut oil in with milk and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to dry until just combined. Spoon mixture, or use a piping bag, into mini donut pan filling half way. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Let cool a couple of minutes and remove from pan. Sprinkle with coconut palm sugar and cinnamon, or top with maple peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate glaze (recipe below) or make a pumpkin spice glaze to pour over top (recipe below). Enjoy!

Chocolate Topping

2 TBSP raw agave

2 TBSP coconut oil

4 TBSP cacao powder

Mix everything together until smooth.

Pumpkin Spice Glaze

1/4 c So Delicious Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk

1 c powder sugar

Mix pumpkin milk and powder sugar together until smooth.

As a Vega Recipe Ambassador I receive Vega products, which I used as an option in this recipe. I use Vega not because it is given to me but because it has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging and some recipes are made with Vega products I purchase. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family.