Healthier chocolate donuts

Healthier donuts, yes for real and Mr Sweet has given them a taste test stamp of approval.

But I can not tell a lie. Before we get carried away here these donuts are not actual health food. They are just a healthier option than the dozens I have been buying from all the fabulous donut shops that have been popping up around the place.

Yup donuts are definitely the new cupcake around here anyway and the trend is the more loaded with sugar, candy and lollies the better. In fact pop a donut onto a cream loaded milkshake, add cookies and chocolate and pretty much you have an Instagram viral photo that everyone will swoon over.

I'm not complaining I love an over the top sweet as much as the next person, but I still like to fit into my skinny jeans, so in truth on a daily basis I am more likely to indulge in something like these healthier option donuts.

Made with wholemeal (wholewheat) flour, yogurt, olive oil, baked not fried, I have then topped them with dark chocolate because I read somewhere it's full of antioxidants ;)

In fact I sometimes send these donuts without the chocolate glaze to school and donut :) feel guilty about it at all.

To make these you will need a donut baking tin. I picked mine up from Big W (Australia for about $14) and I have used it for a few different donut related baking treats so I felt it was a worthwhile purchase.

I've found you can bake most cupcake or muffin mixes in the tin, just be sure to only fill it 1/3 to 1/2 full. I like to use a disposable piping bag to fill my tins, way less mess and if you don't have any handy you can use a plastic ziplock bag with the corner cut out.

Also in un-donut related news, I have had a few people sharing their pictures when they make my recipes or decorated cookies lately and I just love it, always feel free to pop through a post or tag me HERE on instagram.

Healthier Chocolate Donuts makes 10 donuts, recipe can be doubled

If you don't have a donut pan you can make 6 regular sized muffins. If you like you can glaze the donuts with a simple ganache (recipe below) and add chocolate crisp pearls or sprinkles.

1 cup wholemeal (whole wheat) flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup 2% fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

2 Tbsp 2% fat milk (US 2 Tbsp + 2tsp)

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 160 C fan forced (325 F)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon until well combined.

Spray donut baking tin with olive oil spray

Place mixture in a large disposable piping bag, cut off the tip and pipe the donut mixture into the prepared donut baking tin. Only fill each cavity 1/2 fill as the mixture will rise.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 -12 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Remove donuts from pan, serve warm if you like or cool on a wire rack and dip in chocolate glaze (recipe below). 

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze for dipping approx 10 donuts
60 grams (2oz) dark chocolate
30 grams (1 oz) cream

Place chocolate and cream into a microwave safe bowl and heat at high for 50 seconds. Remove, let sit for 60 seconds and then whisk until smooth.

Hold each donut by the edges and dip the tops into the chocolate glaze, add sprinkles if desired. Chocolate glaze will take a few hours to set, but that's ok you can eat it before it sets.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

A super yummy Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

 

The other day I felt like a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but with a party filled weekend on the horizon I didn't really want to fill the kids up with empty sweets, so I decided to modify my favorite cookie recipe and make it a bit healthier.

You'll notice I call them Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies, not health cookies or anything ridiculous like that.

They are modified to incorporate wholemeal (wholewheat) flour, reduce the butter by half and include some fruit. But they still include sugar and chocolate so a health food they are not.

If you would like to make them even healthier you could replace the chocolate chips with cranberries or sultana's. Or perhaps part white chocolate and part cranberries might be a nice halfway concession.

The finished cookie is not a thin crisp one, it is a dense, more cake like cookie, which luckily is the type I prefer. It's quite substantial and makes a great after school snack with a glass of milk.

Oh and those too cute for words little spotted cups are mini latte cups by Greengate. In case you have not noticed I am kinda obsessed with their range at the moment.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 16 cookies)

I used just under 1 lady finger banana - I find it's best to weigh as there can be such a variance with fruit sizes and although the recipe will still work it will make a difference to the finished cookie. Weight conversions are rounded.

1 1/2 cups plain wholemeal flour (whole wheat all purpose flour)
1 tsp bi carb soda (baking soda)
60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
60 g (2 oz) banana cut into pieces
1 large egg at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar or use granulated if you can't find superfine)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift the flour and bi-carb (baking soda), when you are finished DO NOT DISCARD the flour husks you must tip all the fibre back into the flour and bi-carb mixture.

In a large bowl cream the butter and both sugars for 2 minutes using an electric mixer at medium-high (or high if you are using a hand mixer), add the banana and continue to mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla mixing in between each addition until combined and scraping down the sides as required.

With the mixer still on low add the flour mixture until combined, do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Shape 1 1/2 Tbsp (2 US TBSP) of mixture into a cookie shape on the parchment lined trays and bake for 10 - 13 minutes until the cookies are turning golden.

 This recipe is a modified version of my recipe for Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 64 of my book Sweets on a Stick which is available to buy online, click the links below for Amazon and Fishpond.

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)