This vegan tahini doughnut recipe is healthy yet super tasty. These doughnuts are made with vanilla protein powder which makes them high in protein so they’re a perfect nutritious and indulgent on-the-go snack.
FLAVOUR
I know I’ve been posting a lot of tahini recipes (sorry not sorry) but I’m literally so obsessed! FYI tahini is a sesame seed paste that you’ve probably heard being used mostly for hummus/salad dressings, but it’s actually SO versatile especially when used in desserts. It reminds me a bit of peanut butter as it has slight saltiness so it goes really well with sweet ingredients to add a nice contrast.
These vegan tahini doughnuts (or donuts as Americans would spell them) have a perfect balance of flavour as the base has lovely sweet vanilla and cocoa flavour from the protein powder and cocoa powder whilst the glaze has a rich nutty flavour with slight saltiness from the tahini.
TOP TIP
This vegan tahini doughnut recipe is simple to make as it’s similar to a muffin recipe as the doughnuts are baked using a doughnut mould. If you do not have a doughnut mould you can make these into muffins instead (but you’ll make less as muffin moulds are deeper). FYI I bought my doughnut mould from Amazon.
NUTRITION
I used FreeSoul Vanilla Protein Powder (vegan blend) for the doughnut recipe but you can use your regular protein powder instead. I personally use FreeSoul as they add extra nutrients to their powders which has been specifically formulated for the nutritional needs of women. They also add in vitamin B12 which is great for vegans as vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient (not produced by the body) and is not found in adequate amounts in plant foods. Long term vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to tiredness, muscle weakness and psychological problems which can also be linked to Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia. You can read more about vitamin b12 and FreeSoul protein powder here:
However, if you are following a vegan diet, most health professionals would recommend taking supplements as your intake of the synthetic version needs to be quite high as it’s not absorbed well by the body*.
If you want to try out more tasty recipes using protein powder you can check these out:
- Post-workout overnight oats
- Caramel Chickpea Blondies
- Protein Yogurt Bowl
- Protein Pancakes
- Protein Porridge Bake
*Before making drastic changes to your diet i.e. converting to a 100% vegan diet, please consult a medical professional.
Vegan Tahini Doughnut Recipe
Ingredients
For the doughnuts
- 2 scoops Freesoul Protein powder (30g) see notes if you are not making these with protein powder
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 100 g oats
- 50 g plain flour
- 50 g sweetener of choice (or sugar/syrup)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 2 bananas
- 150 ml soya milk (or plant milk of choice)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
For the tahini glaze
- 1 tsp FreeSoul Protein powder (or sub in an extra tsp tahini and an extra tsp syrup)
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp agave syrup or honey if you are not vegan
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1-2 tbsp soya milk
Toppings
- chopped blueberries (optional)
- vegan chocolate, melted
Instructions
For the vegan protein doughnuts
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Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a 6-hole donut tin (I use a silicone one). Add in other ingredients and whizz up well. Divide between donut holes and fill to the top. Bake for 20 minutes then leave to cool. Whisk together peanut butter, maple syrup, almond milk, protein powder and a dash of water to form a glaze. Spoon this over each donut generously to cover. Top each with a sprinkling of granola and cacao nibs.
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Place oats in a blender and whizz up to form a flour.
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Add in other ingredients and whizz up well- if it's too thick (should be slightly thicker than a cake mix) add in some extra plant milk
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Divide between donut holes and fill just below the top and wipe off any excess mix around the mould (this makes it easier to clean after!).
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Bake for 20 mins until the doughnuts have rises and a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool then transfer on a cooling rack .
For the tahini glaze
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Whisk together the tahini, agave syrup, plant milk and protein powder to form a glaze. Add in a dash of water if it needs to be runnier. Taste the mix and adjust where necessary (if it's too sweet add in tahini and if not sweet enough then add more syrup).
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Pour the glaze in a wide bowl/plate. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze to ovenly coat.
For the toppings
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Drizzle over melted chocolate with a teaspoon by using a flicking action with your wrist. Add chopped fruit of you choice (small fruits work best).