Donut baked with low-sugar cinnamon and honey is a way to love the original fried dough dessert that tastes amazing. 🍩 And these are made with healthy flour and ingredients. Recipe below.
The hole is credited to a sea captain on the waters in 1847.
Holed-donuts even look a bit like life preservers 🛟… and his story (and history) goes like this: the captain wanted more even cooking all around, so he punched a hole in the middle.
Then years later, donuts became “oily cakes” from the earliest donut shop recorded on land in the U.S.
And today, you can avoid oil and water (in cooking) by easy baking low-sugar donuts.
And you get more of an even bake like I did, using your special pans.
I used my Nordic Ware for this baking project that would hold up to any heated baking wars inside the oven. 😊
When you mix in whole wheat flour, you’re getting more fiber and protein than all-purpose flour. It’s a small tweak you can make in your cakey dough recipes.
The dough-batter will be a little darker in color.
I grew up on whole wheat sandwiches so it was an easy substitute for me.
You can see it holds up well in the pan of whole and hole donuts. With holes too, you get double the w(hole), plus more.
And sometimes a low-sugar healthy sweet cinnamon donut hole bite is all you need to fulfill the sweet tooth inside the pie hole (mouth).
When I worked with food event planning in Lebanese restaurants, one of the more popular desserts was Awamat (donut holes).
So this is where it can get confusing… is the hole the space in the middle of the donut or the donut round hole? 😁
In my party planning days 🥳, it was the round holes.
Those were often the choice for birthday parties or special dinner events that could be built up into a Croquembouche display (like a Christmas pine cone tree 🌲).
Holes in the middle can’t do that as they’re just air.
So the solid holes was something special and new to me. 🍩
Another new change I learned: donuts aren’t just for breakfast anymore like they used to be.
And the decked out party cinnamon donut holes I worked with were made with honey instead, and zhughed with saffron that gave a tangy tasting top.
…Plus a pretty interesting look with the stringy red strands.
In reminiscing about those special event donut days, this is my low-sugar healthy whole wheat version of the donut that you can decorate for any sweet occasion. You can make these anytime.
And add a melted chocolate glaze to the top, add rose tea buds, or a low-sugar chocolate frosting.
You can also try a coconut donut with a chocolate glaze.
Celebrate! And Mabrouk as we’d say… that means Congratulations! 🎉
Healthy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Donut - Low-Sugar
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp light extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp cinnamon spice
- additional cinnamon for zhughing (optional)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Roll 8 balls with hands and add to baking sheet pan (or make 2 donut rings and 4-5 1" balls).
- Bake on 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes. Don't overbake. Tips: With whole wheat flour, you'll tend to think that it may not be baked through so time is more reliable. About a few minutes or 5 minutes before finished, you can also flip the donut bottom to top of the pan, and see that the bottoms are slightly darker and finish your bake more evenly. Or for the donut holes, have fun rolling them around!
- For a simple glaze, save your egg white and add a splash or water. Glaze donuts about 5 minutes before end of bake. You can also add a melted chocolate, light honey, or maple syrup glaze after the donut pan is cooled. Or simply zhugh with a dusting of cinnamon.


