High-Protein Lemon Blueberry Donut Holes (Air Fryer & Low Calorie)

Skip the deep frying with these Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry Protein Donut Holes! 5-minute cook time, no yeast, and a sugar-free glaze. The perfect low-calorie, healthy snack.

Have you ever been scrolling and a recipe video completely hypnotizes you? That was me recently with a video for raspberry lemon cottage cheese donut holes I saw on Instagram. I kept watching it on repeat, desperately wanting to eat them right now. So, I went ahead and revamped my protein beignet recipe to create these high-protein lemon blueberry donut holes in the air fryer instead!

But the absolute best part? That glaze. I wanted a perfectly crackly, bakery-style finish that I saw in that recipe, and it actually came through!
It's got a sweet crunch but is a sugar-free lemon glaze, and went so well with the donut holes, I was legitimately shocked when I took my first bite. It was actually one of those recipes that I couldn't stop myself from having more of!

I am so pumped to share this protein blueberry donut holes recipe with you guys because it hits every single craving without any of the deep-fried guilt.

Why You Will Love These

Making low calorie blueberry donut holes is an absolute game changer. Here is why you'll be making these on repeat:

• 5-Minute Cook Time: No deep frying, no hot oil, no mess.
• Zero Yeast: No waiting for dough to rise. Just mix, roll, and air fry!
• Macro-Friendly: Packed with protein and low in calories to easily fit your goals.
• That Glaze Crunch: Hardens beautifully for the ultimate bakery-style crackle.
• Always in Season: Using frozen berries means you can whip these up all year round.

Ingredients For Protein Lemon Blueberry Donut Holes

Here is what you need to whip up these high protein blueberry donut holes (be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements!):

For the Donut Holes:

• Flour: The base of our dough. Regular all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour or 1:1 gluten-free baking blend works perfectly.
• Vanilla Protein Powder (Whey-Casein Blend): This gives the donut holes their sweetness and also avoids them drying out. Quest Nutrition is the one I use!
  • Sub: Swap out for plant-based protein powder like Birdman, KOS or Truvani; Also add a bit of vanilla extract and stevia sweetener in this case.
• Unflavored Protein Powder (Plant-Based): This replaces some of the flour, and adds protein without altering the sweetness. I use the one from KOS.
  • Sub: Use 2 tablespoon extra flour.
• Lemon Zest: Don't skip this! The zest holds all the essential oils for that bright, punchy citrus flavor.
• Baking Powder: Gives our no-yeast dough a beautiful rise.
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt: Keeps the donut holes incredibly moist and bumps up the protein.
  • Sub: light or regular Greek yogurt or even Coconut yogurt would work.
• Cold Butter (Grated): A little bit of grated cold butter into the flour mixture creates little pockets of steam as they air fry, making the donut holes light and fluffy.
  • Sub: Vegan butter will work just as well!
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: Just enough to bring the dough together.
  • Sub: Any milk of choice - dairy or non-dairy.
• Frozen Blueberries: Frozen berries are perfect because they don't turn to mush when you fold them into the thick dough.
  • Sub: Fresh blueberries 🙂

For the Sugar-Free Lemon Glaze:

• Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar: Swapping regular powdered sugar for a zero-calorie alternative keeps this recipe macro-friendly! I use Lakanto Powdered Monk Fruit.
  • Sub: Regular powdered sugar (or make your own by blending ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch/cornstarch).
• Lemon Juice: For that sweet and tart finish.
• Vanilla Extract: Balances out the citrus bite.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: To thin the glaze to the perfect dunking consistency.

Instructions: How to Make Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry Donut Holes

Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer Preheat your air fryer to 375°F for about 3 minutes. A hot basket ensures the donut holes puff up immediately!

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, vanilla protein powder, unflavored protein powder, lemon zest, and baking powder.

Step 3: Create the Dough Base Add the grated cold butter, Greek yogurt, and almond milk (adding the milk just a little bit at a time). Mix with a spoon until a rough, shaggy dough starts to form.

Step 4: Fold in the Blueberries Toss your frozen blueberries in a tiny pinch of extra flour (this keeps them from sinking or bleeding too much color into the batter). Gently fold them into the bowl until a cohesive dough forms.
Important: Do not over-mix, or the protein powder will make the donut holes tough!

Step 5: Roll and Air Fry Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
Lightly grease your hands with cooking spray to prevent sticking, and roll them into smooth balls. Place the balls into your air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry for exactly 5 minutes.

Step 6: Make the Sugar-Free Glaze While the donut holes are cooking, make the sugar free lemon glaze for protein donuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and almond milk (adding the milk a little at a time) until smooth but thick.

Step 7: Dunk and Cool Once the donut holes are done, transfer them to a wire cooling rack and let them cool slightly. (Warning: If you glaze them while they are piping hot right out of the basket, the glaze will melt right off!). Using a fork, dunk each donut hole into the lemon glaze to coat it completely, then return them to the cooling rack.

Step 8: Set and Enjoy! Let the healthy blueberry donut holes sit for a few minutes until the sweet lemon glaze hardens, then serve and enjoy!

Tips for the perfect High-Protein Blueberry Donut Holes Recipe

This air fryer blueberry donut hole recipe is really easy to make, but here's some pointers to get it right!

• Preheat air fryer so the donut holes start cooking immediately and butter does not melt inside.
  
• Make sure to use cold butter so it creates airy pockets in the middle when exposed to the high temperature. 

• Don't over-mix the dough or add too much flour - this will give you dry and tough low calorie lemon blueberry donut holes. It should take about 10 seconds. 
  
• Toss the blueberries in flour so they don't bleed too much into the dough as the lemon blueberry protein bites cook.

Storage & Reheating of Mini Lemon Blueberry Protein Donuts

• To Reheat: They are delicious cold, but if you want that fresh-out-of-the-fryer warmth, pop them in the microwave for just 10-15 seconds. Keep in mind the glaze will melt slightly, but they will still taste phenomenal!
• Countertop: Keep the donut holes on the countertop for upto a day.
• Fridge: Store any leftover donut holes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze the donut holes for upto 2 months
• Fresh Glaze:  If freezing or refrigerating, I recommend making the glaze fresh in this case since it will melt during storage.

High-Protein Lemon Blueberry Donut Holes (Air Fryer & Low Calorie)

Print recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 10 donut holes

Calories: 65kcal

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Skip the deep frying with these Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry Protein Donut Holes! 5-minute cook time, no yeast, and a sugar-free glaze. The perfect low-calorie, healthy snack.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Blueberry Donut Holes:

• ⅔ cup Flour, 80g
• ⅓ cup Vanilla Protein Powder, Whey-casein, 30g
• 2 tablespoon Unflavored Protein Powder, Plant-based, 11g
• 2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ⅓ cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt, 75g
• 1 tablespoon Cold Butter, Grated, 14g
• ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 60ml
• ½ cup Frozen Blueberries, 75g

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 6 tablespoon Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar, 48g
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 5ml
• ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-2 tablespoon Unsweetned Almond Milk, 30 ml

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Instructions

For the Donut Holes:

• Preheat your air fryer to 375°F for 3 minutes.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, vanilla protein powder, unflavored protein powder, lemon zest, and baking powder.
• Add the grated cold butter, Greek yogurt, and almond milk (adding the milk a little at a time). Mix with a spoon until a rough dough starts to form.
• Toss the frozen blueberries in a tiny pinch of extra flour (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom), then gently fold them into the bowl until a cohesive dough forms.

  Tip: Do not over-mix, or the protein powder will make the donut holes tough!
• Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and use your hands to roll them into balls.

  Tip: Lightly grease your hands with cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Place the balls into your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 5 minutes.

For the Lemon Glaze:

• While the donut holes are cooking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and almond milk (adding the milk a little at a time) until smooth.
• Once the donut holes are done, transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool slightly.

  If you glaze them while they are piping hot, the glaze will melt right off.
• Using a fork, dunk each donut hole into the lemon glaze to coat completely, then return them to the cooling rack.
• Let the donut holes sit for a few minutes until the glaze hardens, then serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Nutrition information is calculated using the products recommended below.
• See post for alternate ingredients, tips and storage options.

Product Recommendations:

• Quest Nutrition Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder
• KOS Plant Unflavored Protein Powder
• Lakanto Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar Substitute
• BIRDMAN Vanilla Fitmingo Vegan Protein Powder
• KOS Plant Vanilla Protein Powder
•  

Nutrition:

• Servings: 10 donut holes | Serving size: 1
• Calories: 65 cal
• Fat: 1.7g | Saturated fat: 1.3g
• Carbohydrates: 12.8g | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1.1g
• Protein: 4.4g

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