Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake Donuts

I was that kid.

You know the one.

That nerdy kid that somehow always got to the box of Munchkin donuts first.

And last.

The one who always grabbed handfuls of the little chocolate cake donuts, passing by the powdered sugar and plain glazed ones.

No chocolate? No thank you.

I was sneaky – and still am!

If you bring a box of Munchkins anywhere near me…the chocolate cake donuts will not last long.

You can take your cinnamon sugar or regular glazed – the chocolate has my heart.

These are not Munchkins.

They are not fried, they are not bite sized, they are not crushed up against a powdered sugar donut in the bottom of a box.

But they are a healthier version of one of my favorite sweet treats when I was growing up.

These aren’t as dense as your normal cake donuts, but they fill the void. We don’t have Dunkin Donuts ’round these parts, so I’ve got to make my own.

Are you a chocolate, cinnamon, plain, or powdered sugar Munchkin lover?

Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake Donuts with Vanilla Glaze

Makes: 6 donuts in a standard donut pan

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix almond milk and lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes – you’re making almond buttermilk!
  3. Stir the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flax seed, and oil into the almond milk mixture just until all the dry ingredients are combined.
  4. Drop batter into greased donut pan, and bake 11-13 minutes or until they spring back when touched.
  5. Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool completely.
  6. Once the donuts are cool to the touch, mix the powdered sugar with vanilla and milk until you have a smooth glaze you can drizzle off the end of a spoon.
  7. Cover the donuts with the glaze and let them set. You can put them in the fridge to hurry them along, if you want.

31 comments

  1. Those donuts look like they have the absolute perfect texture and look so delicious. You can’t beat a chocolate donut!

  2. Totally all about the chocolate-glazed chocolate Munckins! You and I would have had to fight for ’em…

  3. Seriously, who doesn’t like chocolate Munchkins?! These donuts look delicious – exactly like the real thing!

  4. ha, i always went for the glazed ;) but these i’d fight ya for!!

  5. These LOOK better then Dunkin Donuts…..

    Oh. Man.

  6. Wow I have to try this. I have an addiction to the DD chocolate cake donuts, so a healthier version is awesome!

  7. I can’t wait to try these! I got a donut pan for Christmas, and I’ve used it a few times (and love it!). I like that these are a bit healthier than the recipes I’ve tried.

  8. i’m a chocolate lover so these look soooo good to me. yum!

  9. Yum!!! I am a cinnamon sugar and powdered donut girl along with the chocolate ones :) I can’t discriminate :)

  10. Ok confession time… I don’t actually know what Munchkin donuts are?! But growing up I did love chocolate cake donuts– ideally with sprinkles or coconut on top! How cool that these area healthier version!

    • I don’t even know how to respond to this! :) Munchkins are Dunkin Donuts version of donut holes. And they are delicious!

  11. I love a good chocolate donut. The other flavors? Meh, I couldn’t care less. But I will eat a chocolate donut any day of the week.

  12. OH my goodness, I want these! LOVE cake donuts!

  13. mmmm! The glaze on these looks perfect!

  14. These look SO good! I saw a pink donut pan in Target the other day. I must get it soon!!

  15. ohhhhhhhhhhhh man. i just got a donut pan and am totally making these. LOVE that they are vegan too (using 1 tbsp almond milk as your last ingredient instead of cows milk!) i’ve been nervous to try almond milk + lemon juice as a replacement for buttermilk, but i’m glad you showed me it works!

    • the almond milk + lemon juice works great! i love it even more in my vegan german chocolate cupcakes I made last year. they were incredible! best chocolate cupcakes i’ve ever made.

  16. i have GOT to try out my donut pan already–these look to die for!

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  18. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I am so glad I gave these a try. They are wonderful! I made mine as donut holes in my Babycakes cake-pop maker, the recipe made 24 donut holes. Each bash of 12 were ready in just 4 minutes! How easy is that? And prepping them was just as easy. I covered mine with a thin coating of chocolate candy melts and then rolled them in a sugar/cinnamon mixture. They are heavenly, thank you! :D

  19. Just wondering, I have white cake flour, do you think i could use that instead of the pastry flour and just had some bran and wheat germ? Thanks so much.

    • I think the cake flour would probably work well, or you could just use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat – should be fine!

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  21. My goodness, these look so perfect. Now I just need to go out and buy the right baking tin.

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  23. Do you think they’ll work ok as cupcakes? I don’t have a donut pan :c
    Also are the flax seeds necessary?

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  26. Do I have to use ground flax seed,I don’t have it in the house.What is the purpose  of it?

  27. Hi, I’m allergic to egg, but not to dairy. So can I use regular dairy milk instead of almond? Thanks for the recipe – it looks fab!

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