These chocolate zucchini donuts with white chocolate maple frosting all started with a donut pan I'd been eyeing for awhile.
Quest for Healthier Donuts
One of our family's guilty pleasures is grabbing a package of chocolate glazed donuts from the bakery section as an easy breakfast for the kids and a change of pace from their cereal/pancake/oatmeal rotation. Inevitably, the Mr. and I always eat one too, let's be honest.
Once I realized this was becoming more of a habit than an occasional indulgence, the wheels started turning. How could we still enjoy our donuts but in a healthier way?
Zucchini Donuts!
Alas, zucchinis to the rescue. Zucchinis blend in really well with any baked food. They don't have an extremely distinct flavor and they provide some much needed moisture. My family loves my chocolate zucchini bread, so as you can imagine, that's where the evolution of the Chocolate Maple Zucchini Donuts began.
And by evolution I mean, not really that different at all. These "donuts" are basically chocolate zucchini bread baked into a round shape, glazed and sometimes topped with sprinkles or piped with white chocolate infused with a bit of maple syrup.
Do my kids know there is zucchini in their donuts? They didn't at first but they've wised up to my vegetable hiding ways. They don't mind though. They still get their donuts. I get them to eat their veggies. Win-win!
White Chocolate Maple Icing
Lets talk about that. The blend of maple syrup and chocolate is a beautiful thing that only nature can properly explain in scientific terms but I'll just tell you, it's good. Really good. The more "real" the maple syrup the better, but if you're trying to avoid calories, it's fine to go with a light maple syrup.
Sprinkles or icing, you decide
If you're more of a sprinkle person that's fine! If you're lucky enough to live near an Amish or country market, you will likely find an aisle full of fun sprinkles in bulk. Typically the sprinkles come in square, plastic packaging. No shaker cap. So, if you're a bulk-sprinkle-buyer, a really handy thing to have is a few mason jars and these shaker caps. The caps fit on any sized mason jar with a regular mouth. I've found they work great for storing and shaking out homemade breadcrumbs, powdered sugar and also acts as a lazy-man's sifter for flour too!
Some Special Tools You'll Need
So, go ahead and get your kids to help you make this fun, easy recipe and enjoy some donuts—guilt-free!
Things you will need for this recipe: a donut pan, a mixer, and a cooling rack.
Want more breakfast ideas?
Browse all my breakfast recipes!
These chocolate maple zucchini donuts were featured on Foodie Friday!
Maple Chocolate Zucchini Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon special dark coca powder
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
TOPPING
- ½ cup white chocolate chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together dry ingredients.
- In a larger bowl, using a mixer, beat together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, coconut oil, maple syrup and shredded zucchini.
- Add dry ingredients slowly until batter is formed. Spoon batter into greased and floured donut pan, filling ¾ of the way to the top of the pan.
- Bake at 350˚ for 10-12 minutes or just until toothpick poked into thickest part comes out clean. (Don't overcook or donuts will be dry)
- Remove donuts from oven and flip onto a cooling rack.
- To make the glaze topping, use a glass measuring cup to melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Use 30-second increments stirring in between until melted all the way through (about 1 minute) Stir in syrup then pour over top each donut. Immediately add sprinkles so they stick. If you want a thicker icing to pipe on, add less maple syrup to the icing.
- Enjoy!
Have you ever made them without sugar?? That’s my only concern because that’s what I’ve been staying away from and wondering if there’s an alternative?? TIA!!
Hi Iris, You can substitute the sugar with more maple syrup, agave nectar, honey or an artificial sweetener of your choice.
So easy and fun to make! I modified with AP flour and they came out great.
That's awesome, Holly! Thanks for the feedback. And now you have a donut pan! Woo hoo! 😉