You can’t go wrong with a good donut as a dessert. Just a little tough to bite into, but so soft and fluffy on the inside, all while tasting sweeter than a puppy in an adorable hat.
In case it isn’t already clear, we love a good donut here. And yet, it’s hard to deny that donuts aren’t exactly the healthiest confectionary treats out there.
Their many sugary and high-calorie, low-nutrient ingredients make them pretty unhealthy foods, even at the best of times. Tasty, but unhealthy for sure.
And don’t even get us started on the traditional frying process! That oil is not good for your health, no matter what way you try to slice it!
So, is there any way to enjoy these much-loved treats without burning as big a hole in your diet?
Well, with these amazing recipes, there sure is! You’ll be surprised just how many ways there are to enjoy a good donut if you have the right cooking method and ingredients handy!
We’re off this list with a healthy take on a good old-fashioned confectionary classic!
As you’ll no doubt start to realize throughout this list, probably the healthiest way of cooking a donut is to bake it instead of frying it.
You’ll avoid all those unhealthy unsaturated fats, probably the most unhealthy part of cooking in oil!
But it is not just a change in cooking methods that makes this a particularly healthy donut. Pretty much everything in this donut has been swapped out for a healthier alternative.
The normal milk? Replaced with an almond version. The high-carb, low-nutrient sugar of a normal donut? Replaced with a coconut-based alternative.
These changes, and plenty more, make this a great option for healthy eating, without cutting back on your favorite sweet treat.
And because these replacements are pretty much one-to-one, you can even replace these ingredients with your preferred flours, sweeteners, or anything else!
So you get healthy sweets and some impressive versatility too!
As we mentioned, there is more than one way to make a healthier donut, and that’s on full display with this next recipe!
This next one manages to replace even more of the ingredients in a traditional donut with healthy alternatives. Instead of standard flour, this recipe calls for oats instead.
And instead of just traditional baking powder, there is also some protein whey powder thrown into the batter mix!
The result is a protein-rich version of a donut that helps cut back on the overall unhealthiness, without sacrificing flavor.
Despite the many protein-rich ingredients used as supplements and substitutes in this recipe, we couldn’t find much of any protein flavor, if any!
Plus, there are even options for going vegan with this recipe, so no one has an excuse not to try it out for themselves!
Who doesn’t love a good chocolate donut? A rich, chocolaty flavor, mixed with a beautifully fluffy donut.
You’d think that a sweet dessert like this would be off-limits for a ‘healthy’ donut recipe, right?
Well, you’d be wrong! Because the author of this recipe has managed to create an amazing donut dish that manages to keep that cocoa-filled deliciousness, without most of the unhealthier effects.
Firstly, changing up the cooking process goes a long way to make it healthier. Sticking them in the oven, as opposed to a fryer, helps keep the saturated fats down on this ringed dessert.
However, when you combined that with the healthier cocoa options that this recipe goes with, you have something that no one would suspect would be as healthy as it is!
One of the things that can help keep a recipe healthy is by cutting back on the number of ingredients that you’re using.
Not only does this make your donut batter healthier, but it also makes the whole recipe easier to follow and replicate.
Take a look at this recipe, for example. With only 4 main ingredients used in this delightful donut, this is one that pretty much anyone could pick up and follow, making it a great donut recipe to try baking with your little one.
And this isn’t an easy dessert that is restricted by dietary needs, either. With no animal products like egg or milk used, and even no yeast needed to make these bad boys rise, there are pretty much no dietary restrictions that aren’t covered in this recipe!
You thought you were going to enjoy an easy-to-make donut recipe, but we were showing you how to make amazing vegan donuts at the same time!
Blueberry donuts are a classic recipe that is enjoyed across the country. So you can bet that someone will have tried to make a recipe for this that can be enjoyed by its health-conscious fans!
The use of vanilla extract (as well as the titular blueberries) helps keep the extra sweeteners needed for that trademark sweetness down, as well as the baking over frying process.
The result is a donut that not only looks and tastes great but also comes in at only 100 calories each.
Apple is a simple sweet flavor, but one that goes with so many desserts. From pies to strudels, no recipe isn’t improved by the addition of this loved fruit, and donuts are no exception!
Once again, we turn to a baking recipe that helps avoid all the unhealthy oils that often make donuts as diet-breaking as they are.
With so many baked recipes here, it’s probably worth investing in a donut baking tray like this, to keep that classic donut shape that you know and love.
On to the actual recipe itself, the go-to option for that classic apple flavoring will come from apple sauce instead of fresh apples.
However, you can supplement your applesauce with some finely grated fresh apples, keeping that overall sugar content down, while still getting a sweet fruity flavor.
And, of course, including cinnamon in the topping is a classic flavor pairing with apple, and makes for a wonderfully fruity donut that takes surprisingly similar to apple pie.
Chocolate donuts are just the best. You know it. We know it. Every donut shop in the country knows it!
So of course we’re going to have more than one chocolate donut recipe on this list!
This recipe adds a ton of naturally sweet ingredients to help deliver that same bright and sweet taste, without dipping too much into artificial additives.
Using coconut oil and maple syrup, while very sweet, also acts as a good binding agent for the batter.
However, the real show-stopper for this recipe is the chocolate glaze that this donut also comes with.
Made with coconut milk and dark chocolate, as well as a little espresso powder, you have a donut glaze that has tons of chocolate, without most of the unhealthy sugar to boot!
Sometimes, when you’re looking for a hit of sweet don’t good, you don’t need the full-sized donut. Sometimes, you just want a tasty little treat.
It’s a craving that this recipe serves nicely, with its miniature glazed donuts!
And obviously, the smaller size also means that you’ll be cutting down on unhealthy sugars and calories too. It’s harder to fit the same amount of sugar into a donut that is half the size, after all!
Those healthier ingredients and smaller sizes do pay off with this recipe. At 130 calories, this is healthier than a full-sized donut made in the same way.
Now, to be fair, this probably isn’t the healthiest donut on this list, especially for its size. But if you’re looking for just a little sweetness, then one of these little guys will more than fill your belly!
If pumpkin pie is a favorite dessert, then you know that donuts are going to follow suit by turning this fall-time vegetable into an amazing confectionery treat.
This recipe certainly does the job, with this surprisingly versatile vegetable-based dessert!
With a subtle sweetness that you don’t normally find in donut recipes, this particular pastry is packed full of spices and healthy substitutes that make this dish the perfect healthy alternative to a deep-fried donut!
If pumpkin can be turned into an amazing donut recipe, then you know that carrot cake, arguably the most iconic ‘healthy’ baked dessert, is going to make for a phenomenal dessert to enjoy!
Combining the classic carrot cake ingredients into a donut, as well as adding in raisins for extra sweetness, this might just be the donut with the most actual fruits and vegetables used in it!
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, just because you’re trying to eat healthier, does not mean that you have to miss out on good donut recipes. If anything, you might enjoy these more than their classic fried alternatives.
So, which donut recipe will you sink your teeth into first?
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