If you've been craving donuts but don't want the deep-fried, sugar-heavy kind, these healthy baked donuts are the answer. They're soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet - great for a school snack or at home with a coffee. Made with a simple mix of flour, oats, maple syrup, eggs, and coconut oil, they come together in under 30 minutes and have a delicious chocolate topping.
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The best part about these healthy baked donuts? They're kid-approved, freezer-friendly, and endlessly customizable.
They are baked instead of fried, with no refined sugar which is what makes them a healthier option. My kids love finding one of these in their school lunch box!
Looking for some more healthy snack recipes? Why not try our healthy superfood packed Healthy Rocky Road, delicious Chocolate Fudge Bars, simple Chocolate Dipped Frozen Yogurt Banana Slices or cooling Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Bark?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Flour - We used a mixture of self-rising flour and oat flour to keep it light, but also add a bit of extra fiber from the oats. You could change the ratio to use some more oat flour and less self-rising, but it will make it a more dense texture.
- Baking powder - This is added to help the baked donuts rise and make them extra fluffy.
- Maple syrup - This is what sweetens the healthy donuts. Any liquid sweetener like honey or agave can be used though.
- Milk - We used skim milk, but you could use a almond milk if you prefer.
- Vanilla - This adds a warmth to the recipe. Make sure to use vanilla extract and not essence.
- Eggs - Make sure to use medium sized eggs.
- Coconut oil - Melted coconut oil can be replaced with butter if you prefer.
- Chocolate - Use a good quality dark chocolate. We always use 80% dark.
- Sprinkles - We used out homemade Superfood Sprinkles to add lots of color, but keep them nutritious. You could add your favourite sprinkles though.
Variations
Cinnamon Sugar Style: Brush warm donuts with a little melted coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and coconut sugar mix.
Berry Glaze: Blend fresh strawberries or raspberries with a little powdered sugar (or blended oats for a no-sugar option) and dip.
Nutty Crunch: Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the batter.
How To Make Healthy Baked Donuts
Prep: Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil.
- Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold everything together.
- Step 4: Lightly grease the donut pan or moulds (we used these silicone moulds). Spoon the mixture into the moulds, about ¾ full. This is enough donut batter to make 12 donuts.
- Step 5: Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Then flip them out of the moulds onto a wire rack.
- Step 6: Gently melt the chocolate in a pan.
- Step 7: Dip the tops of the donuts into the melted chocolate and then add the one teaspoon of sprinkles per donut.
Storage
Make ahead: Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Place cooled donuts (without chocolate topping) in a single layer on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in the oven/air fryer.
Batch prep: Double the recipe and freeze half so you always have a healthy snack ready.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't over-mix the batter - it can make the donuts dense, especially with the oat flour.
- Use a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) to neatly fill the donut mould.
- Don't overfill the mould. They will rise as they cook and you don't want them to overflow.
- Make sure the donut mould is well greased, so that the donuts come out of it easily.
- If you don't have a donut mould, use a muffin tin instead - just reduce the baking time slightly.
- Make sure they have cooled before dipping them into the melted chocolate, as they won't set.
- Warm them up before serving for that fresh-baked taste. But only if they don't have the chocolate topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Swap the self-rising flour for a gluten-free self-rising blend. Ensure you use certified gluten free oats.
Yes, but it may give a stronger flavor. A light olive oil is best.
Swap the eggs for flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds and 3 tablespoon water per egg) and use non-dairy milk.
More Easy Baked Recipes
If you've tried this baked donut recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Healthy Baked Donuts with Chocolate Topping
Ingredients
- 180 g (1.5 cups) of Self rising flour
- 60 g (0.5 cups) of Oat flour - (blended oats)
- 1 teaspoon of Baking powder
- 1 pinch of Sea salt
- 2 Eggs
- 80 ml (0.33 cups) of Skim milk
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) of Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of Coconut oil - melted
- 60 g (2 oz) of Dark chocolate
- 4 tablespoon of Superfood sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together 60 g of Oat flour, 180 g of Self rising flour, 1 tsp of Baking powder and 1 pinch of Sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 2 Eggs, 80 ml of Skim milk, 1 tsp of Vanilla extract, 60 ml of Maple syrup and 1 tbsp of Coconut oil.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold everything together.
- Lightly grease the donut moulds (we used these silicone moulds). Spoon the mixture into the moulds. This is enough batter to make 12 donuts.
- Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Then flip them out of the moulds.
- Gently melt 60 g of Dark chocolate in a pan.
- Dip the tops of the donuts into the melted chocolate and then divide 4 tbsp of Superfood sprinkles over the melted chocolate.
Recipe Tips
- Don't over-mix the batter - it can make the donuts dense, especially with the oat flour.
- Use a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) to neatly fill the donut mould.
- Don't overfill the mould. They will rise as they cook and you don't want them to overflow.
- Make sure the donut mould is well greased, so that the donuts come out of it easily.
- If you don't have a donut mould, use a muffin tin instead - just reduce the baking time slightly.
- Make sure they have cooled before dipping them into the melted chocolate, as they won't set.
- Warm them up before serving for that fresh-baked taste. But only if they don't have the chocolate topping.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
MS says
The easiest, fastest, most delicious donuts. Thank you