Protein Donut Holes

Make a batch of these super healthy protein donut holes in seconds, for an easy and high protein snack recipe that’s completely addictive!

Two ingredient protein donut holes

That’s seriously all you need for the recipe, just two ingredients.

The no bake, high protein snack balls are quick to prepare and can be eaten at room temperature, chilled in the fridge, or even frozen straight from the freezer.

They are the perfect option for packing into a lunch box or taking on the go.

And the simple recipe can be vegan, keto, gluten free, nut free, soy free, egg free, low carb, low calorie, sugar free, and oil free.

Readers also love these Black Bean Brownies.

Tips for creating different flavors

Have fun trying out different types of nut butters and protein powders to find your favorite flavor combinations.

Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, chai, cake batter… the sky is the limit.

My favorite so far is granola butter and unsweetened pea protein powder.

You can also stir a handful of chia seeds, raisins, crushed walnuts, or mini chocolate chips in with the protein powder before forming a dough.

Or roll the finished donut holes in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, or unrefined cane sugar for a tasty crunchy texture.

Can you think of any other flavor combinations I should try?

Watch the protein donut hole recipe video – above.

Protein donut hole ingredients

All you need for this recipe are your favorite protein powder and nut butter or an allergy friendly alternative.

Make sure to choose a protein powder you already know you enjoy.

I personally find many flavored protein powders to have an artificial aftertaste and therefore prefer to use unsweetened, unflavored protein powder.

Especially if you are not using a sweetened protein powder or coating the donuts in cinnamon sugar, melted chocolate, frosting, or powdered sugar, I recommend going with a sweetened nut butter.

Cookie butter is also a wonderful choice here, as is granola butter.

How to make vegan healthy donut holes

If your nut butter is not already easy to stir, let it come to room temperature. Or gently heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until thin and easily stir-able.

Add the protein powder and nut or seed butter to a medium mixing bowl.

Stir the ingredients together until evenly combined. The consistency should be similar to that of cookie dough.

Some brands and types of protein powder will be thicker than others. And nut butters can have varying degrees of thickness or runniness.

So you may need to play around with the ratio of powder to nut butter. Add more protein powder if the donut balls are too sticky, or increase the amount of nut butter if the dough is too dry and crumbly.

Use clean hands or a cookie scoop to roll into balls.

Coat in sugar or other toppings if desired. Enjoy right away for breakfast, or store the protein donut holes in a covered container on the counter or in the refrigerator.

I also really love eating the donut holes as a healthy snack straight out of the freezer.

Leftovers should keep for around a week on the counter, or two weeks refrigerated, or up to four months frozen in an airtight covered container.

Using a food scale

If you want accurate results and easy clean up every time, I highly recommend food scales for creating both baked goods and no bake treats.

To use a scale for this recipe instead of cups, measure out 120 grams of nut butter or cookie butter and 32 grams of protein powder.

As mentioned above, depending on the specific types and brands of ingredients you choose, you may need to tweak the ratio of nut butter to protein powder in order to achieve an easily roll-able cookie dough texture.