Move Over, Cronuts- It's Time For Something Leaner....Monuts

Those who know me well would probably agree that "Mona" and "donut" and are not exactly words that go together. But believe it or not, I've been on a major donut kick this summer! No, my brain hasn't been taken over by aliens (unless you count my children) But I have discovered, thanks to a $2 garage sale find, that I can make my own, healthy, baked donuts for special treats. We've made chocolate, blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, and you-name-it-berry donuts, but so far the reigning favorite (as declared by my trusted band of taste testers) is this whole wheat baked cinnamon version. It's not the kind of thing we eat every day, but for a treat- absolutely.

So yes, you CAN put Mona and donut together without compromising your health goals and ideals. Behold, the Monut.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat donut pan with baking spray.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
 

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.