MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP PROTEIN DONUTS

March 19, 2017

I made these Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts because I’ve been seriously craving that mint chocolate combo (feels like summer)! The rich chocolate donuts are super moist, with a sweet mint glaze sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. Instead of artificial green food coloring, I used spirulina! Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria that makes up blue-green algae. It’s super rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, Iron, and even has 4 grams of protein per tablespoon (source). You can’t taste it at all in this frosting, but if you’re still skeptical, you can use natural green food coloring instead.

PS, if you love donuts, why not try my German Chocolate Protein Donuts next!

Protein powder recommendations

For some added protein, I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in German Chocolate flavor! The rich chocolate flavor blends perfectly into the chocolate donuts. I love that this protein powder has no artificial ingredients and is low in carbs and fat. Did I mention it tastes great?! Use my code “NOEXCUSES” for 20% off all LIV Body products at livbody.com 😉

If you using a different brand of protein, you may need to use more or less liquid. Just make sure that the batter has a thick consistency that can be piped out of a bag (like a soft dough). Keep in mind, any time you change the type of protein powder used, you also change the flavor and texture of the end product somewhat.

Sweetener substitutions

To add the perfect amount of sweetness without any added sugar or calories, I used my favorite organic stevia blend that’s twice as sweet as sugar with no bitter aftertaste! If you’ve ever had bitter stevia, chances are it was a cheap brand that uses the bitter part of the stevia leaf! That said, feel free to substitute twice as much granulated monk fruit, granulated erythritol, or baking stevia.

You can also substitute double the amount of coconut sugar or regular white sugar, but this will increase the calories, carbs and sugar per donut.

Flour substitutions

For the perfect cakey texture, I used gluten-free baking flour. You can also try half as much coconut flour (six tablespoons) for lower carbs. You could also use three-quarters cup of all-purpose flour, cake flour, cassava flour, brown rice flour, oat flour, or sweet white sorghum flour. These all behave similarly!

If substituting almond flour, I would suggest starting with one and a half cup of flour, omitting the milk, and adding more as needed to get a thick batter.

Other substitutions

I recommend dutch process or special dark cocoa for these as the dark chocolate goes so well with the mint! However, you can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa in a pinch 😉

These protein donuts use nonfat plain Greek yogurt to give a nice tender texture, but you can use a thick dairy-free yogurt. The yogurt can also be substituted for unsweetened applesauce, pure canned pumpkin, or mashed sweet potato.

I am not vegan, so I used half a cup of egg whites in this recipe, but feel free to use an equivalent amount of vegan egg replacer, OR three tablespoons of ground flaxseed in half a cup of warm water, OR one tablespoon of psyllium husk in half a cup of warm water.

Frosting substitutions

Last but not least, the frosting! It’s simply powdered monk fruit sweetener (any powdered sweetener or sugar will do), vegan buttery spread (can use unsalted butter), almond milk (or milk of choice), spirulina (or green food coloring), and the tiniest amount of pure peppermint extract.

Don’t forget the mini chocolate chips! You can use dairy free vegan chips if needed.

Here’s the recipe for these Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Donuts – I hope you enjoy 🙂 If you do try it, please do me a favor and comment below!

This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.

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