Baked Cocoa Spice Donuts

Think a donut has to be fried to taste good?  This recipe proves that you can bake a decadent donut using healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour, cocoa, coconut oil, low-fat buttermilk, and non-fat yogurt.  No need to stop by the bakery on a Saturday morning.  Save money and calories, and still feel like you've had a weekend treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly spray a donut pan with non-stick buttery spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, apple pie spice and salt.
• Add the coconut oil, using your hands to mix it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and egg.
• Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• Fill prepared donut pan 3/4 full.  Batter will be thick.
• Bake donuts for 6-10 minutes, until they spring back when touched.  (Mine took a full 10 minutes.)
• Top with glaze and sprinkles if desired.

Makes 10 donuts.

Note:  For a quick and easy glaze, whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of cocoa (or more, depending on taste), adding milk by teaspoons until you reach the desired consistency, until smooth.  I used Silk dark chocolate almond milk in my glaze, which gave it a deep chocolate flavor.

This post is linked up at Mrs. Happy Homemaker "Makin You Crave Monday", Market Yourself Monday, Whatcha Whipped Up, and Made By You Mondays.