Healthy Baked Snickerdoodle Donut Holes

 
Recently, afternoon a long day at the dealership, my friend drove home in a brand new car! He showed up at my place just before dinner, so we spent a few minutes strolling around it on the driveway before sitting down to eat. Once we finished, he went back outside to play around with a few of the fun features — including calling me from the Bluetooth in the dashboard.  

Once he got the hang of dialing and syncing the songs on his iPhone to the stereo, I hopped into the passenger’s seat for a short ride around my hometown. He excitedly navigated around the empty streets while I pointed out places from my childhood.
 

 
There’s my middle school, with the gym that looks like Alcatraz…

There’s the 7-11, where we begged Mom for afternoon slurpees…

There’s the grocery store with the bakery that handed out a free cookie to any kid who stopped by…

There’s the best donut shop in town, with too many options to choose from…
 

 
But in my sleepy state, the memories started blending together. Cookies… Donuts… Cookies… Donuts… They must have infiltrated my dreams because I woke up the next morning with the thought, “Cookie donut holes!”

So that’s exactly what I made!
 

 
Less than an hour later, a plate of these healthy baked snickerdoodle donut holes sat on the counter in all their sweet cinnamony glory, tempting me, my parents, and even the construction crew… And they didn’t stand a chance.

The entire batch disappeared in less than 10 minutes!
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE SNICKERDOODLE DONUT HOLES

To create the characteristic snickerdoodle cookie flavor in these baked donut holes, you need 3 key ingredients.

Butter. Okay, I know this might sound obvious, but… I tried making donut holes without it, and they tasted like pancakes (according to my taste testers). Just a tiny bit of melted butter mixed into the batter makes the donut holes incredibly soft and tender — and really helps with the buttery snickerdoodle flavor too!

Butter extract. Just an itty bitty amount! A mere ¼ teaspoon adds a buttery cookie flavor to the donut holes, something that plain vanilla extract just can’t quite achieve. Butter extract is shelf-stable and keeps for ages. You can generally find it on the baking aisle next to the other extracts, or if you live near Walmart, check their wedding aisle. They sometimes sell a big 4-ounce bottle for just $4!

Tip: Butter extract isn’t a “one-time use” ingredient. You can make all of these other treats with it too!
 

 
Cinnamon sugar. No need to buy any — just mix your own sugar with a little cinnamon! Snickerdoodle dough is typically rolled in cinnamon sugar right before baking, and the cookies develop an irresistible sweet crust. We’re going to do that to these donuts holes too by coating them with it after they bake!

Tip: This is my favorite cinnamon! It tastes a bit sweeter, stronger, and richer than “regular” cinnamon. I buy it online here, and it’s really affordable. It’s basically the only kind I use when baking!

Now don’t tell anyone this, but… These donut holes taste almost as addictive even without the cinnamon sugar coating. I couldn’t stop nibbling on the freshly baked ones as I waited for the second round to finish!
 

HOW TO MAKE BAKED DONUT HOLES

Although I’ll never deny a regular friend donut, especially one of the kid-sized chocolate ones with chocolate glaze and rainbow sprinkles (or a cinnamon crumb, or an old-fashioned, or… well, okay, all of them!), frying things in bubbling, sizzling, and spitting hot oil makes me nervous. So when I make my own at home, I bake them instead!

To do that, I bought an inexpensive cake pop maker. Its cavities are the perfect shape and size for donut holes! I can tuck it into the pantry (or, umm, the spare bedroom… my previous kitchen was the size of a coat closet!) when I’m not using it, and I love how it doesn’t require turning on the oven and heating up the house. If you’d rather not buy a new gadget, a regular cake pop pan should also work — or even a mini muffin pan!
 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY BAKED SNICKERDOODLE DONUT HOLES

Are these baked donut holes low calorie, low fat, clean eating, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
Yes – to everything! When made as written, these snickerdoodle donut holes are low fat (they’re baked, not fried!), low calorie, and clean eating friendly. I also included how to make them gluten-free and dairy-free in the Notes section of the recipe!

Can I substitute something for the butter extract?
I highly recommend you don’t, if at all possible… It’s required to produce that classic buttery snickerdoodle flavor! But if you can’t find any, you can replace it with additional vanilla extract. Just keep in mind that your baked donut holes will taste different!
 

 
What can I use if I don’t have a cake pop maker?
A regular cake pop pan or mini muffin pan should both work! See the Notes section of the recipe for more info. (I love my cake pop maker though! It’s super affordable, easy to store, and takes up very little space. Highly recommend!)

What’s the best way to store these baked snickerdoodle donut holes? How long will they keep?
Store any leftover “unrolled” donut holes in an airtight container. They should keep for at least three days (if not longer!) if refrigerated. They’re best if eaten the same day that they’re coated, so wait to dip them in milk and roll them in cinnamon sugar until just before eating!
 

 
After my dad’s first bite of these healthy baked snickerdoodle donut holes, he turned to me and stated, “These are going to be one of the best things you ever post on your blog!” With their rich buttery flavor and sweet explosion of cinnamon sugar… I certainly hope he’s right!

Because who wouldn’t want cookies for breakfast? 😉 And when you make your own, would you mind leaving a comment and rating the recipe? (You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Facebook!) I’d love to hear what you think of these healthy baked snickerdoodle donut holes!

Healthy Baked Snickerdoodle Donut Holes

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 22 donut holes

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

These donut holes taste like the popular cinnamon sugar cookies! The insides are soft and tender, while the cinnamon sugar coating adds the perfect hint of crispness. They’re best if eaten the same day they’re rolled in the cinnamon sugar. Store any plain uncoated donut holes in an airtight container in the refrigerator; they should keep for at least three days (if not longer!). Simply dip in milk and roll in cinnamon sugar just before serving.

5 from 11 votes

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Ingredients 

• ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp butter extract
• ¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar or granulated sugar, divided (divided)
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp (105mL) nonfat milk (divided)

Instructions

• Preheat an electric cake pop maker. (See Notes!)
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and extracts. Stir in ¼ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Pour the batter into a zip-topped bag, and snip off the corner.
• When the cake pop maker is hot, lightly coat the cavities with nonstick cooking spray. Working quickly, fill each cavity all the way full with batter. Close the lid and bake for 3-4 minutes, or until the tops are lightly firm to the touch. Immediately turn out onto a wire rack to cool, and repeat with the remaining batter.
• Combine the remaining ½ cup of sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour the remaining milk into a separate small bowl. Once cool, dip each donut hole in the milk and shake off the excess. Roll around in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Place back on the wire rack until ready to serve.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will make your batter and donut holes dry.

 

IMPORTANT ELECTRIC CAKE POP/DONUT HOLE MAKER NOTES: This is the electric cake pop/donut hole maker that I use. I haven't tried baking these in a cake pop mold in the oven, but I'm guessing it should work! I’d suggest 350°F, and keep a close eye on them since they’ll probably finish baking rather quickly. (If you don't own a cake pop mold, use a mini muffin pan instead!)

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

 

CINNAMON NOTE: This is my favorite cinnamon! It tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. I buy it online here because it's so inexpensive and affordable!

 

BUTTER EXTRACT NOTES: I highly recommend using the butter extract! (← That’s the kind I use!) It really helps gives these donut holes that iconic snickerdoodle flavor. If you don't have it, then you can substitute additional vanilla extract, but your snickerdoodle donut holes won't taste quite the same. (They'll still be delicious though!)

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVE: Light brown sugar may also be substituted in place of the coconut sugar or granulated sugar.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

 

DAIRY-FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) and your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.

 

CLEAN EATING OPTION: Use coconut sugar, rather than granulated sugar.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store any uncoated donut holes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least three days (if not longer!). They're best if eaten the same day that they're coated, so wait to dip them in milk and roll them in cinnamon sugar until just before eating.

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Baked Eggnog Donut Holes
♡  Baked Blueberry Almond Donut Holes
♡  Baked Vanilla Donuts
♡  Baked Chocolate Donuts
♡  Baked Pumpkin Donuts
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy baked donut recipes!