Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts + Healthy Nutella

dessertnutcrack
Feb 7, 2021
4 min read

Updated: Mar 26, 2021

These chocolate hazelnut donuts have a soft, fluffy, and moist texture with a nutty and rich chocolate flavor! They are covered in a creamy healthy Nutella glaze. These are also vegan, gluten free, and healthy!

The Healthy Nutella

This healthy Nutella starts off with roasted hazelnuts! Roasting the hazelnuts bring out all the nutty, roasted flavors of the hazelnuts. Then you'll need to remove some of the skins, since they can be bitter. But don't go too crazy with this step since a good amount of skin still left on the hazelnuts won't hugely impact the final flavor. Next we need to blend the hazelnuts until it becomes a runny and smooth hazelnut butter! This is what makes the Nutella so creamy!

When you have hazelnut butter, now's the time to add ingredients that will transform this into Nutella! This Nutella is sweetened with dates, which should be soaked beforehand so it is easier to blend. Cacao powder gives it that rich chocolate flavor, and milk is used to help thin this out instead of using oil! Of course, you will need vanilla extract and salt in any baked good you make!

The Donuts

These donuts are made with oat flour to keep them gluten free! Oat flour is super easy to make, just blend up oats until it becomes a fine flour. Baking powder and baking soda are added to help the donuts rise! We are also adding vinegar, which will react with the baking soda, making the donuts extra tender and fluffy.

These donuts are made with healthy Nutella, which replaces the sweetener, chocolate, and source of fat! Do not use regular Nutella, because it has very different ratios of sugar and fat to the healthy Nutella. Finally, the flax egg is used to bind the donuts together!

The Donut Pans

The donut pans I use are nonstick metal donut pans. You can also use silicon donut pans, just keep in mind the baking time may be different since silicon transfers heat differently from metal. Even if you use nonstick pans, be sure to grease them! It's better to be safe than sorry, and you wouldn't want to spend so much time on donuts just for them to stick.

If you don't have a donut pan, you can make your own mini donut pans with muffin tins and foil, as shown below! Keep in mind these donuts will probably take a bit less time to bake than these larger donuts since they do have more surface area, and will therefore bake faster.

Storage

These donuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, or frozen for up to 3 months. The healthy Nutella can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or up to 3 months in the fridge. I wouldn't recommend keeping the Nutella at room temperature as it contains a lot of moisture and will spoil easily.

Watch this video on how to make Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts + Healthy Nutella!

Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts

Prep Time: 30 Min. Cook Time: 30 Min.

Total Time: 1 Hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Healthy Nutella

18 Dates
2 cups hazelnuts
⅓ cup (35 grams) cacao powder
1 ½ cups (360 grams) milk of choice
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt

Donuts

1 tbsp ground flax*
3 tbsp water*
78 Grams (3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp) Oat Flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp salt
60 grams (¼ cup) milk of choice
147 grams (½ cup) healthy Nutella
1 ½ tsp vinegar
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Soak the dates in hot water for 1 hour (or cold water overnight). Meanwhile, roast the hazelnuts at 350° F (175° C) for 15 minutes. Rub off their skins, and blend in a food processor until smooth and runny. Add in the soaked dates, cacao powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Mix together the ground flax and water, and set aside for 10 minutes to gel. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) and grease your donut pan.

3. In a medium bowl, add in the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. In a separate medium bowl, add in the milk of choice, healthy Nutella, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix until completely smooth. Add the dry ingredients into the dry, and mix until a batter forms.

4. Spoon the batter into your prepared donut pans. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for around 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Optional (But not really): Meanwhile, melt 100 grams (⅓ cup) healthy Nutella and dip the donuts into it. Top with chopped hazelnuts and enjoy!

Notes

*You could also make a chia egg by combining 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water. Or, if you are not vegan, you could just use a regular egg.

Nutrition Info

Serving Size: 1 donut

Calories: 195 kcal

Fat: 9 g

Carbohydrates: 24 g

Sugars: 13 g

Protein: 4 g

Sodium: 85 mg

Fiber: 3 g