My older daughter absolutely LOVES donuts so one day, on a whim, I saw this “Mini Donut Maker” at Target and decided to try it out. It’s a plug-in machine (similar to a waffle maker) and comes with a booklet of recipes that I tweaked to use whole-wheat flour and no refined sugars. This discovery is nothing new (I’ve shared this maker within a post or two on the blog before), but we’ve been getting so many questions about it lately it I’ve decided to give it a post all of its own today! So without further ado, here are two whole-grain donut recipes that work great in this little donut maker, and if you’ve discovered any other variations of your own please share them with us in the comments below! And FYI – These obviously don’t have the same consistency as deep-fried donuts, but regardless both of my daughter’s LOVE these things as a special treat! In fact I think we’ll have to make a batch today.
Whole-Grain Donuts (for the Mini Donut-Maker)
Adapted from Bella Cucina Donut Maker Recipe Booklet
Ingredients
Original Flavor
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Chocolate Flavor
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, we prefer "special dark" 100% cacao
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Make a well (hole) in the middle and drop in the egg, milk, syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil.
- Stir together with a fork until well combined.
- Follow manufacturer directions to make donuts using the batter.
- Serve donuts or freeze for another day! We love to add these as an occasional treat to school lunches.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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I have found some really great recipes for donuts on pinterest that are baked. This way you don’t need to use harmful chemicals like those found in the nonstick coating of the mini donut maker. It would definitely be worth it to check out the site!
We like to follow the plain whole wheat recipe and add pumpkin and chocolate chips. Or, we have recently done the whole wheat plain and then added a little frosting (organic cream cheese, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla mixed together). Kids love them.
Great recipe! 2 questions…
How many donuts do the above recipes make?
Can you use a donut baking pan instead?
Thanks!
Tammy – I haven’t tried this with a donut baking pan myself so I am not sure about that, but this recipe yields about 2 dozen in the pictured maker.
Do you think I could make “donut waffles” with this recipe in the waffle maker?
Yes, I do think that would work! Let us know how it turns out :)
Hi Jen. I haven’t tried it, but, it might work. Let us know how it turns out. Jill
Hi!
I did try it – a few weeks ago.
They were awesome, the kids loved – and they were very chocolate-y. We will be making these again for sure!
Thanks so much,
Jen
I’m new to your blog but glad i foundi found it. Can you get the recipe for Choc Full O Nuts whole wheat donuts that’s in the Washington Post Cookbook from 2013. I can’t afford the book just for 1 recipe, but these were the best doughnut on the planet. I’ll love you forever if you can get it. Me and probably half of America!
Hi Sue, I’m not really sure which book you are referring too. – Nicole
Do you think I could substitute honey for the maple syrup? Nobody in the family really likes it so I don’t ever have any.
Yes, I think that would work just fine!
Yum! We made the chocolate ones this afternoon and the kids loved them! With all the junk they have been getting at school this week (even my preschooler had a cookie swap at school), it’s so nice to have a treat that’s not overrun with sugar. Thanks for the recipe!
Cool idea. Those donut makers are all over the place here. Coffee shops sell them using pancake mix… I’m sure my boys would love these ‘donuts’
I didn’t have cabinet space for the maker so we took it back and got an $8 doughnut pan at Bed Bath and Beyond. They can be a little flat on top if you don’t leave them in long enough, but it works just fine with Lisa’s recipe.
I have this donut maker because my girls are also gaga for donuts. Every time I let them have one I have this inner conflict about it. This recipe is great. I wonder though could I use agave or applesauce instead of maple syrup? Maybe I’ll try it!
Hi Nicole. We don’t use agave (here’s why…http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/). You could possibly use unsweetened applesauce, although I’m not sure if that will add enough sweetness. Jill
I just got this mini donut maker and am SO excited to try it! I was disappointed it only came with one recipe and it used white flour and sugar… I don’t ever use those and thus don’t own them… thanks so much for posting a whole wheat recipe! :)
We follow a similar recipe, but use honey (from our bees!) instead of maple syrup. I also add 2 tbsp of yogurt or applesauce, as we find them to be a bit dry sometimes. We top them with homemade jam or “icing” made by mixing Greek yogurt with honey, softened butter and a touch of cinnamon. My kids go ga-ga for these!
I used to have a donut maker similar to this about 20 years ago and LOVED it!
Maybe will have to get one again……….. your recipe sounds yummy
I have the same donut maker…how long do you cook these recipes for in it? And how full do you fill them?
Melissa – They really just take a couple minutes to fully bake in this maker and I fill them at least 3/4 of the way full.
Could butter be used in place of coconut oil?
Hi Cara. I have not tried it, but, it might work. Jill
l actually used better yesterday, worked great.
Thanks for the post. My daughter got one of these for christmas.
I am wanting to try these this weekend. I have a few questions:
1. I am baking these in a doughtnut pan for the over will they still work the same?
2. One member of my family is gluten free- can you suggest a flour to use? All purpose gluten free? Oat flour? White Rice Flour?
3. Any suggestions on a glaze?
Thanks for your help- I hope to try them this weekend
Meghan
Hi Meghan. I bake mine in the oven and they’re fine. Just make sure you spray your pans. I think I do 10 mins or so, but, I would just make sure you check them. You could use the gluten free flour, although, I will say that that flour is pretty processed (uses white rice flour amongst some others). As far as a glaze, I don’t really have a suggestion that wouldn’t use sugar of some sort. I guess you could try something that maybe uses honey instead, but, I’m not sure if that would give you the flavor you desire. Jill
Thanks I’ll be trying this however I’ll need to modify it to be GF and egg free so I’m interested to hear if anyone has tried an alternate flour? will probably try applesauce with chia seeds or egg replacer as well..
I followed your recipe but the doughtnut doesn’t seem to rise and is not fluffy. Both sides do not brown, how long must they be in the doughtnut maker for? Any advice?
Did you use the pictured donut maker? Are all your ingredients fresh (whole-wheat flour has to be kept refrigerated)?
Thanks for sharing these recipes! I love how easy they are to play with. I’ve made them before adding a little fruit spread to the mix, and today I added cashew butter (because my peanut butter was too hard). Yum!!
PS- I added the cashew butter to the chocolate recipe because I love that combo.
One other suggestion if you don’t have one is to make donut holes in your mini muffin tin. You’ll have to mess around with cook times, but should come out relatively the same.
At what temperature would you cook these in the oven?
Hi Amber. I bake mine at 350. Jill
This is one of my favorite resipes. My kids love it and they freeze so well. I experimented with this recipe to try accomodate friends kids who are on the SCD diet and it turned out great. Excited our kids can all eat the same thing when they come for breakfast/playdate!
1 cup Almond Flour
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Cocnut Oil
I was wondering if I could substitute something else for the maple syrup. I don’t have any pure kind and I am out of honey (I saw a post about using that instead). I want to try these for the girls tomorrow but it’s 4* without the wind chill right now and I don’t want to make another trip to the store. =)
Hi Megan. I’m sorry this is late in getting back to you. I hope you found a good substitute. Jill
FYI – Macy’s has these on clearance. I picked one up today for just $10! PLEASE come up with a pumpkin spice donut recipe! I may play around with it some, but I’m new to the whole grain baking and trust that you have more experience with these types of substitutions.
if i bake them in the oven in a donut pan, how long will i have to bake them?
Hi. We’ve not tried this before in a donut pan. I imagine it would be comparable to most baked donut recipe times. ~Amy
Ended up getting lucky and finding a 2nd hand doughnut maker never been used cheap. I made a batch of maple doughnuts yesterday and today made a batch using a banana instead of the egg. So good! Also added some cinnamon. l can’t wait to try out some more flavors.
You guys might want to check your local Target, mine has the Sunbeam donut maker on sale for $15.
Silly question – when you say 4 Tbsp melted coconut oil – is it 4 Tbsp before or after it is melted. Not even sure it would make a difference. Love your blog!!
Thanks!
Hi Sheri. Not silly at all…it should be 4T melted. Glad you enjoy the blog. ~Amy
Thanks!!
Where do you get your cocoa powder? I tried this recipe with my donut maker and while they tasted ok and my kids had no problem eating them up they were not very flavorful. I used some Navitas Raw Chocolate Cacao powder that I had but want to try it with something else next time.
Hi Tara. Lisa has used Hershey’s Special Dark in the past but any kind of dark cocoa powder should work well. ~Amy
We’ve enjoyed trying many of your recipes, but unfortunately, this one was a fail! If you put a duck costume on a pig, it doesn’t make it a duck. That is how I felt about these. Just because they are shaped like donuts, they taste NOTHING like a donut, and 1T cocoa gave no chocolate flavor. I’ll stick with the yummy banana pancakes instead!
Love this recipe. They freeze nicely. I make a double batch and freeze half. They are all eaten with in a week. So happy to have a delicious healthy and fun alternative for my kids at breakfast.
I was wondering if you happened to know the calorie content per donut?
I agree these do not taste like a store bought donut. But I’ve come to the point in my food journey that I prefer how “clean” (for a lack of a better word)food now tastes. If I were to eat a store bought donut I don’t think I would like it one bit. I know I don’t enjoy the smell. In my mind I associate that with unhealthiness and I’ve been eating non processed food for so long that when I do eat processed foods I get a head ache and stomach ache. Takes time but you adjust.
Hello Gina. Welcome. Sorry, we do not track nutrition information. This post may help explain why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/. ~Amy
I just found a donut maker at Target for half off so of course I had to try it out as soon as I got home. :) OMG are they good. We spread a little cram cheese on them. Very yummy. Definitely worth the investment.
I had received a babycakes cake pop maker for Christmas last year and it has been collecting dust until now. I have been making donut holes with it now using your recipe. I don’t use a glaze on the chocolate but sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and sugar on the plain. This is a very special treat for my kids and they love them. Of course they don’t taste like real donuts and thank goodness for that. I think peoples taste buds get so overloaded with sugar that it’s hard for them to appreciate a healthier alternative that is full of flavour without all the extra sugar and fat. Thank you for all your delicious recipes. You know you’ve “won” when your kids now can tell the difference between home made healthy treats and processed store bought stuff and prefer mom’s version! Also – my kids only want your pancakes now too :)
wow these were great! (our library had a mini donut maker to check out)…after trying it with this recipe….I promptly went online and ordered one of my own (using coupon codes etc. ofcourse). My kids like donuts but I rarely buy them because of the white flour and excess sugar etc. These were great and they loved them! Thank you thank you!
I have a question. Can we sub the coconut oil with regular oil. I am very allergic to coconuts.
Hi Krystal. Lisa would likely substitute with butter. Best of luck. ~Amy
These are fabulous! The Trader Joe’s coconut oil adds just the right amount of coconut flavor and I love subbing the maple syrup for white sugar. Mixed in some fresh blueberries and well, the entire batch has magically disappeared! Thanks for this take on their recipe!
I am still fairly new to all of this, but I have tried several of your recipes already. Most have been a big hit! I just made these donuts and my husband has gobbled up about six of them. My question is regarding cooking with coconut oil. How do you keep it from re-solidifying when you add it to the cold ingredients (milk, egg, etc)? This happened to me with the donut recipe as well as the waffle recipe. I end up with flakes of hard coconut oil in the batter. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Ashley. We have all had similar experiences when first starting to work with coconut oil in baking. I typically let my cold ingredients sit for a bit to reduce their chill and add the coconut oil gradually, mixing it in thoroughly as I go. This usually does the trick. Here is a post specific to cooking with coconut oil: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. Hope that helps. ~Amy
I figured out that there are about 75 calories per mini donut (using the chocolate recipe). If you use homemade applesauce in place of the coconut oil you cut out 30 calories (which are all calories from fat by the way), bringing it down to 45 calories per donut. I wanted to share this with people who want to eat real food but who have fitness goals as well.
My boys and I have been making this recipe for for about 6 months and they LOVE them!! Today, my oldest son decided that he wanted to use this donut recipe to make waffles. They were the most delicious waffles I have ever tasted!! Light, fluffy and sweet. I ended up making a triple batch, since 1 batch only made 5 waffles and I knew the boys would want extras. We did use white wheat flour and stuck with the plain recipe.
I see some fantastic looking bagels but no donuts. Where are the donuts?
Hi Mike. Here you go: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/12/21/recipe-mini-whole-grain-donuts/. ~Amy
How long do these stay good in the freezer and how do you recommend reheating them? I also was curious about the benefits of using coconut oil?
Hi Jessica. They should stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost them over night and toss them in a toaster oven if you want them warm. Here is more information on cooking with coconut oil: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Just scored a mini donut maker at a garage sale…my kids are in heaven! Your page/site/blog has redefined the word food in my home. Many blessings and thanks to you!!!
What can I add instead of maple syrup? Is honey okay? Thanks :)
Hi Milena. You should be able to exchange the maple syrup with honey though the consistency will be a little different. ~Amy
Hi! I was wondering if this recipe would work for a waffle maker? I don’t have a donut maker, yet, and am wanting to make these for breakfast in the morning.
Hmmm, Carey…I really don’t know. Let us know if you try. :) ~Amy
Hi. I just checked your ingredients and one of them just says “4 tablesppons melted.” What is that ingredient? 4 tablespoons of melted what?
Hi Stephon. Um, that would be coconut oil. We seem to have an extra bullet point. We’ll get rid of that. :) ~Amy
I love this recipie! I have used this recipie for almost a year now, and love it! Today I used 1/2 can of regular pumpkin, added the pumpkin spices and had pumpkin donuts. They were very good. I did cut down the maple syrup, but used. Vietnamese cinnamon instead which is a much sweeter cinnamon.
The coconut oil is very high in fat. Has anyone tried something less fatty?
I substitute applesauce for the oil. You can’t tell the difference. My kids love these. thanks for sharing!
While I’m working to transition our children to real food, I made the chocolate flavored donuts and iced them with Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter to add a little more sweetness. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lisa,
We can’t use Coconut oil in our house due to a food allergy. Any suggestions on what to substitute?
Hi there. We usually would substitute butter for coconut oil. ~Amy
Oh yum, these are good. I just ate a few too many eeeekkk! I was making them for my little girl’s 100th day of school tomorrow. Since she has allergies I make it all from scratch and she has her own little snack that’s similar to the other kids in the class. Thanks for this recipe!!
Just made these and I they were perfect. We have a coconut allergy (which is tragic b/c so many recipes call for it and I love it!), so I used one smashed, ripe banana for the oil. We baked them in the Wilton donut pans (not the mini, the full size) and my kids devoured them! I am going to make them on Sundays so my kids don’t have to say no to the church donuts without a yummy substitution :)
I just made these and my kids love them. My husband is currently running some over to a neighbors to try.
Thank You
Reine
There’s an error in the recipe.. you forgot the word butter for the listing?
-4 tablespoons melted?
-coconut oil
It’s 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil. That’s why there is no measurement for the coconut oil because it belongs with the line above. It shows it correctly in the second recipe.
Just made these and they are fantastic! Found the BabyCakes mini donut maker for $9.99 and this recipe is amazing. Trying chocolate next…..
I just made these. I added some PB2 (it’s peanut butter in powdered form) and I made them in a “baby cake”maker instead of the donut maker, so they are little cakeballs. My fiancé loves peanut butter and chocolate desserts so I topped them with some fresh organic peanut butter and a tiny drizzle of 100% organic maple syrup. They are delish! I think I may have had one too many! Ha. They’re small so it’s ok, right? I can’t wait for him to try them in the morning!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It’s definitely a healthy alternative for people like me with a crazy sweet tooth!
Found a mini donut maker at a thrift store for a dollar. Had not a clue what to do with it. Sooo cannot wait to make your recipes! My son is costing me way too much at the grocery store with his little donut cravings! Thank you!
I have been trying to swap over to all whole grain. My two teenagers are fine with that, but my youngest refuses to try anything that I make with whole wheat flour. I made these this morning and put two in her lunch for school. When she came home, she asked if I could please make some more donuts! I was so shocked, and normally wouldn’t have made this treat again so soon, but gladly plugged on the donut maker (especially since she said she would help me make them). This is a wonderful recipe! Thank you for helping me find a way to ease a picky eater into whole grain!
So exciting!! My daughter has never had donuts, because white flour makes her sick. We are going to have to buy a mini donut maker and try these out!!
Would these recipes work in a traditional donut pan for the oven? Any idea of what temp and how long to cook?
Hi Andrina. You might use this as a reference for baking: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cinnamon-baked-doughnuts-recipe.html ~Amy
These were really good and easy! Light and simple. Not heavy like one would think they would be.
My kids absolutely love your pumpkin muffin recipe, and your donut recipe! Is there a way to combine the two?
I replaced the coconut oil with pumpkin (same tablespoon amount) and added cinnamon. They taste like a donut version of her pumpkin muffins. So these were a little more fluffier. I put a little cinnamon sugar atop them as well and we all loved them. I’m trying other fruits to replace the coconut oil tomorrow.
I put the pumpkin muffin batter into the donut maker with no revisions and they turned out delicious! I actually prefer them to the muffins themselves!
So I bought a mini donut machine that was a display item and doesn’t have directions. Can someone tell me how long to cook them?
Do you happen to know the nutritional value of the donuts for this particular original recipe? I would like to make them for my childcare, but we have strict guidelines that we must follow…..
Niki
Hi Nicole. Sorry but e do not provide nutrition information on our recipes since our focus is on helping people make the switch to real food and not so much on numbers. We practice portion control and find that real food is far more satisfying than chemical- laden, nutrient poor processed stuff. These posts help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/. You can use online tools like My Fitness Pal to get all those details, though. ~Amy
These are amazing!
Hi! I love this website so much, and I have been making the pancakes and whole wheat muffins for my kids for lunch almost every day this year! They are getting a little sick of muffins after all of this time, so I just tried the donuts yesterday and they were a huge hit! However, my picky little eaters did not like them the second day after being in the fridge overnight.
Do you know If it would work to make a batch (or double batch) of batter and keep the batter in the fridge for a few days, and then cook Some donuts each day? I don’t know if the rising power of the baking soda or eggs would go away if left uncooked!! It is my first time cooking from scratch using recipes from this website!
Thank you so much!!
Sarah
Hi there. No, this is a batter that should be used up fairly quickly. You might consider freezing as an option instead.
I appreciate your work. Sure, I will try it on this valentine day for someone :)
We were going to make a batch of whole wheat blueberry muffins but I saw my lonely donut maker and found this recipe. The kids LOVED them. They were so easy to whip up too.
Can this recipe be used with silicone donut pans? any idea how long they should bake for at what temp?? thanks!!
Hi Janelle. We’ve not tried but tyou might use this as a reference for baking: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cinnamon-baked-doughnuts-recipe.html ~Amy
Made some of these this morning – they are light, fluffy & yummy! Just because I like it, I added a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. I don’t have a donut maker so used my donut pan & baked them for 8-10 minutes at 400F (200c)
Hello,
I do not have a doughnut pan. Would baking them in the oven work?
Hi Sheena. Other readers have baked them.
Love the chocolate! I doubled the coco powder and used 1/2 cup sugar. I also used half whole wheat pastry flour and half ap flour and added 1/8 t salt. Perfection! Thank you!
Just got a mini donut maker from Santa this past Christmas because I had to try this recipe with my daughter. It is fabulous!! We have made the original and chocolate several times and then have started to experiment. We have made spiced by switching out the cocoa with pumpkin pie spice. We have also made applesauce cinnamon and chocolate sour cream. All have been so delicious!! You can not go wrong with this recipe or donut maker. I got a babycakes mini donut maker off of amazon for $12. Best xmas present ever!
I have a mini donut pan – would I be able to bake them in there?
While we’ve not tried, I think it should work fine.
Can you bake these instead? I have a donut pan.
We’ve not tried but, yes, I think it would work fine.
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I made these in my wiltons baked donut pan and they turned out great I baked them in my oven at 425°F for 10 minutes if you want to dip them in syrup (I used a chocolate syrup) if you are not dipping them 7 minutes is fine (I’m 15)