By These cottage cheese donut holes are fluffy, golden, and rolled in cinnamon sugar straight out of the air fryer. About 8g of protein per donut from the blended cottage cheese - no powder, no frying, no donut pan required! They take 6-8 minutes in the air fryer and taste like something from a bakery case that you'd feel fine eating three of.
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Recipe
cottage cheese donut holes (air fryer)
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These cottage cheese donut holes are fluffy, golden, and rolled in cinnamon sugar straight out of the air fryer. About 8g of protein per donut from the blended cottage cheese - no powder, no frying, no donut pan required. They take 6-8 minutes in the air fryer and taste like something from a bakery case that you'd feel fine eating three of.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Protein: 8g
Serves:
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Ingredients
dough
- ¾ cup (170g) cottage cheese (any fat level)
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour (plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- olive oil spray for hands and air fryer
cinnamon sugar coating
- ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (5g) cinnamon
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Blend the ¾ cup (170g) cottage cheese just briefly so most of the curds are gone - you do not want them overly blended or the dough will not hold together. Add the blended cottage cheese to a mixing bowl with the 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla bean paste. Stir to combine.
- Add the 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt. Mix until a sticky dough forms. If the dough won't hold a ball shape, add flour one tablespoon at a time.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F (if yours is the style that needs to be preheated) and spray the basket with oil or place a liner in it to prevent the doughnut holes from sticking.
- Lightly grease your hands with olive oil spray. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the air fryer tray or basket, leaving space between each. Spray the tops lightly with olive oil.
- Air fry at 350F for 8-12 minutes until golden and cooked through. Check at 6 minutes - a toothpick should come out clean. You may need to shake the basket or rotate them to get them cooked evenly on each side.Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar mixture by combining ⅓ cup (65g) sugar with 2 teaspoons (5g) cinnamon in a wide bowl.
- While still warm, spritz with additional olive oil spray and then roll each donut hole in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Then enjoy!
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Notes
Storage: Best eaten the day of. Store in an open container or loosely covered (the cinnamon sugar gets wet when in an airtight container) at room temperature for up to 2 days, or fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 325F for 2 minutes to refresh and maybe roll in some more cinnamon sugar.
Freeze: Freeze before the cinnamon sugar coating for best results. Reheat from frozen at 350F for 4-5 minutes, then roll in cinnamon sugar while warm.
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Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg
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