The kids around here love carbs and sugar. I do too, if I’m honest. Always looking a way to use sourdough discard, I discovered a delectable recipe for quick and delicious baked sourdough donut holes with a bit of extra protein added in. Here is the recipe for whipping up a batch of sourdough donut holes.
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Why donut holes over doughnuts?
Simple: donut holes are much easier to make.
Tear off dough in small amounts and roll it between your palms.
No special donut mold for baking doughnuts. No need to shaped then make a hole in the middle then shape again.
Oh and portion control… if you have the willpower to only eat 2 donut holes. Best wishes!
What toppings for donut holes?
I love this recipe because we get to play around with different toppings to create new flavors.
Powdered sugar + Ceylon cinnamon
Melted milk chocolate (or dark chocolate)
Toffee crumbles
Nuts
Sprinkles
Powdered sugar glaze
Maple syrup (and bacon!)
The list can go on for a long time.
Sourdough Donut Holes Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (1/4 cup more flour for dusting hands and counter)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (or homemade yogurt)
1/2 cup inactive sourdough starter/discard
1 scoop whey protein powder
How to:
First, combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Then add Greek yogurt and sourdough starter. Mix well until there is a dough ball formed.
Next, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Now, start making donut holes by pinching a small amount of dough from the dough ball and rolling it between your hands until the dough ball is smooth. The dough is slightly sticky. Add flour to your hands between in dough ball to help it not stick to your fingers and hands so bad.
Then place the dough ball on a cookie sheet. You may line it with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.
Now place the cookie sheet in the oven and allow the donut holes to bake for 15 minutes.
When time is up, remove the baked donut holes from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before decorating.
Sourdough donut hole decorating time
Get creative!
You can decorate just the top of the donut hole or choose to fully baptize that donut hole in whatever toppings you like.
If using cinnamon and sugar as a topping or coating, dip the donut hole in melted butter, drip off excess butter, then roll or top the donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
If using a hard topping such as candy crumbles, sprinkles, or nuts; consider dipping the donut first in melted chocolate or an icing of choice. This will help the hard toppings to stay in place.
Fun ways to present sourdough donut holes
- church potlucks as a dessert
- anywhere as a “donut bar”- donut holes with different toppings, toothpicks or skewers for dipping
- sweet treat for snack time (pair with sliced apples and cheese)
- birthday party treat- think “cake pops” on skewer sticks
- dunked in a mug of morning coffee
- with a tall glass of milk for a kiddo’s birthday breakfast
- special Saturday brunch with the girls
- bridal or baby shower finger food
- Fun Fact: my daughter suggested I name these sourdoughnut holes
Are these sourdough donut holes bread-like or cake-like?
These baked eggless sourdough donut holes have more of a bread-like texture than cake texture inside if I had to choose between the two.
The yogurt does seem to give the texture a slight cakiness to it, though. Just slightly.
Why add whey protein powder to these donut holes?
Why not?
The whey protein we use in yogurt bowls, hot oatmeal, and fruit smoothies most contains 30g of protein in two scoops.
This recipe calls for 1 scoop so about 15g of protein in this recipe. Even spread out in several donut holes, that’s still better than mostly carbs and sugar!
Flour already has some protein in it but the carbohydrates and sugar nearly negate the protein. Adding extra protein to carbs and fiber intake is never a bad thing in my opinion. Opt to make the flour ingredient half all-purpose and half freshly milled flour for even more protein.
Additionally, using Greek yogurt provides even more protein and healthy fats to this sweet treat.
Pros and cons of this sourdough donut holes recipe
These sourdough donut holes are delicious and best served immediately after baking and decorating.
Pro 1– Eggless baking! With my recent food sensitivities, I’m having to find inspiration and create eggless baked goods. This one is a treat!
Pro 2– Baked; not fried! Most donuts are fried in likely some hydrogenated seed oil. These sourdough donut holes are baked with only avocado oil (optional) as a pan greaser.
Con 1– I have noticed that the longer they sit out, the drier the inside can become. Nothing a glass of milk or mug of coffee can’t remedy, though!
It is recommended to store the donut holes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Honestly, with kids around, they won’t last that long!
Con 2– The dough can be very sticky if you do not flour your hands well between each donut hole.
More recipes like this one
The Best Bake Sale Cookies (my son’s recipe and photography)
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Sourdough Donut Holes with added protein
Ingredients
Method
- Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Then add Greek yogurt and sourdough starter.
- Mix well until there is a dough ball formed.
- Next, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Start making donut holes by pinching a small amount of dough from the dough ball and rolling it between your hands until the dough ball is smooth.
- Place the dough ball on a cookie sheet. You may line it with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.
- Now place the cookie sheet in the oven and allow the donut holes to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baked donut holes from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before topping or decorating.
Notes
