In the chemistry department at my college, nearly every professor expected their graduate students to work six days each week. With grad students’ teaching assistant commitments, papers to grade, and exams to oversee, coming in one day over the weekend was the only way we fit in enough hours for our own research—and still got some sleep during the week!
My professor showed up at least one day during the weekend as well, and he left his office door open while typing emails and grant proposals in case we had questions. Everyone, including Bossman (our nickname for our professor!), felt slightly more relaxed during those Saturdays and Sundays… Maybe because the building felt so peaceful without the undergraduates dashing from lecture hall to lecture hall!
To add to that relaxed vibe, Bossman also brought in a huge pink cardboard box of donuts every Saturday morning and left them in the break room for us to enjoy. They came from one of the best donut shops in town, a little family-owned store not too far from campus.
Each weekend’s box contained a wide assortment of flavors: classic glazed donuts, old fashioned donuts, maple bars, cinnamon sugar crumb donuts, kid-sized chocolate donuts with sprinkles, glazed twists, bite-sized donut holes…
Even with so many tempting options, I always waited and grabbed mine right before I left in the evening. I knew I’d go through a sugar crash before lunch if I ate one of those donuts for breakfast instead!
When I recently baked these Healthy Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Glaze one weekend, those fond memories of grad school resurfaced… But these homemade donuts are much healthier than the traditional store-bought ones we ate back then!
Even though they’re baked, not fried, they’re just as soft and tender as my favorite cake-style donuts… And they’re just 41 calories with no eggs, refined flour or sugar!
Which means no sugar crashes with these, even when I eat them for breakfast! ??
This healthy donut recipe starts with white whole wheat flour (like this!) and plenty of spices: cinnamon (this is my current obsession!), ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. All the basic suspects in pumpkin and pumpkin spice recipes!
Remember… White whole wheat flour is not a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. It’s made exactly the same way as regular whole wheat flour, so it has all the same health benefits (like extra fiber!). The only difference? Regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat, whereas white whole wheat flour comes from a softer type of white wheat (hence the name!).
You’ll also need plenty of pumpkin purée (like this… not pumpkin pie mix!). The pumpkin actually replaces the eggs, so the batter is perfectly safe to eat raw! If you’re like me and like to sneak taste tests… Then you’ll also add in Greek yogurt for a supremely tender texture and a protein boost. Yes—Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories!
Then you’ll sweeten your donuts with vanilla stevia, rather than refined sugar. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!). It’s also really concentrated… You just need 1 ½ teaspoons for the batter! This is the kind I use because I love its warm flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Of course… You can’t bake donuts without donut pans! These are the ones that I used. I absolutely love them, and they’re super affordable! Because they’re silicone and therefore somewhat flimsy, I just set them on a cookie sheet while baking, but the donuts pop right out of the molds. I own four—I love them that much!
This glaze is so easy to make. I bet you could whip it up in your sleep! It’s just cocoa powder (like this!), milk, vanilla, and a little more vanilla stevia (like this!) for sweetness. Once your donuts have cooled, simply dip them in the glaze, and set them on a plate to let the glaze set.
Or add sprinkles… Or shower them with chocolate chips… Or eat them right away—I won’t judge!
True donut perfection! ??? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your donuts and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Glaze | | Print |
- for the donuts
- 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (6g) ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla stevia
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
- ½ cup (120g) Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- for the glaze
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 3 ½ tbsp (52mL) nonfat milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- scant ¼ tsp vanilla stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 28 mini donut cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the donuts, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and vanilla stevia. Stir in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)
- Transfer the batter to a large zip-topped plastic bag, and cut off one corner, Pipe the batter into the prepared donut cups. Bake at 350°F for 14-18 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Just before serving, prepare the glaze by stirring together the cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla stevia. Dip each donut into the glaze, and place back onto the wire racks or a plate to let the glaze set.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
If you prefer, store-bought pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
I highly recommend using the vanilla stevia! It’s my favorite sweetener, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. (I buy it online here because that's the cheapest price I've found!) If you prefer, 8-12 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the vanilla stevia. If using this substitution, reduce the milk in the donuts to ¼ cup (60mL). The baking time may change.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
These are the donut pans that I use! They’re made of silicone and a little flimsy, so I just set them on top of a large cookie sheet to bake.
When dipping in the glaze, I put the glaze on the side of the donut that was touching the donut pan (so the bottoms!). It’s typically smoother than the top side, so the glaze looks a little prettier!
If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized donuts. The baking temperature remains the same. Begin checking on them after about 18 minutes. The donuts will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm to the touch.
Don’t own a mini or standard-sized donut pan? Not to worry! You can use a mini muffin pan (you’ll get 28 mini muffins) or a standard-sized muffin pan (you’ll get 12 muffins).
For a vegan version, use coconut oil instead of butter, substitute additional pumpkin purée (or non-dairy yogurt) for the Greek yogurt, and use your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, sugar-free, vegan option}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Baked Gingerbread Donuts with Maple Glaze
♡ Baked Dark Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Glaze
♡ Baked Red Velvet Donuts
♡ Baked Snickerdoodle Donut Holes
♡ Baked Blueberry Almond Donut Holes
♡ Baked Eggnog Donut Holes
♡ …and all of Amy’s healthy pumpkin recipes!
Can the Greek yogurt and milk be replaced with a plant based yogurt and milk?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Cheryl! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these donuts if you end up making them!
Oh yes, just went back and saw your notes. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll look for the notes in future recipes as well. I’ll definitely post when I make your donuts. Thanks again for your inspiring recipes! 💕
It’s my pleasure, Cheryl! This happens all the time, so don’t feel badly at all. ♡ I’m really looking forward to hearing how your donuts turn out!!
Can hardly wait to try these instead of the sugary Tim Hortoons donuts in Canada!
I’m excited to hear what you think of these pumpkin donuts, Steve! 🙂
Would love to know also if the greek yogurt can be replaced with plant based yogurts? Slight dairy allergy or intolerances. Have you ever tried a different puree?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Sophie! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these donuts if you end up making them!
Whoops missed that part! Thanks! Will definitely be trying these soon!
No worries whatsoever Sophie — it happens all the time! 😉 I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think of these donuts!
Hi
I cannot get white whole wheat in flour in Ireland apart from white gluten free flour what else can I use as a substitute
Regards
Yvonne
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Yvonne! Your regular wholemeal flour (not self-rising!) should work just fine in this recipe. Are you able to find that where you live in Ireland? 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these donuts if you try making them!
Thank you Amy
I will keep you posted
It’s my pleasure, Yvonne! 🙂