Vanilla Protein Donuts and Cake: THM Deep-S Keto

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Now you can have your cake (and donuts) and eat it, too! Vanilla Protein Donuts and Cake are THM Deep-S, keto, high-protein, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free! And only 0.8 net carbs per serving!

My birthday is coming up and I realized that it falls on a Deep-S day during my upcoming fuel-cycle. So I wanted to see if I could figure out how to make a traditional yellow cake, Deep-S style, for my birthday cake! 🎂 And, while I was at it, some glazed and powdered donuts would be nice, too. 😉🍩 Well, here ya go folks! These Vanilla Protein Donuts and Cake are out-of-this-world good! So rich and moist! And they have a secret ingredient – yellow summer squash (but don’t worry, you can’t tell it’s in there)!

The vanilla version of my popular Deep-S Chocolate Protein Donuts and Cupcakes

My Deep-S Chocolate Protein Donuts and Cupcakes recipe was such a hit, I wanted to make a vanilla version of it! However, they are not exactly the same recipe. The chocolate one uses spinach (which is well hidden by the cocoa). This recipe uses yellow squash instead to give a natural yellow color. After all, it is a yellow cake recipe! 😉 Some of the ingredients and ingredient amounts are slightly different, too. But they are both very rich and moist! 😋

This recipe has a Vanilla Buttercream frosting, while the chocolate one has a Skinny Chocolate frosting. But feel free to swap them up, too! Like vanilla on chocolate or chocolate on vanilla!

You can make cupcakes or even a layered cake with this recipe! The collagen will not yield big thick layers, though, so you may want to double the recipe (or sub whey protein) if you need something thicker. And you’ll want to double your frosting, as well!

And, while the chocolate recipe makes chocolate glazed donuts, this recipe can be used for glazed “Krispy Kreme” style donuts and powdered donuts. 😋 You could also glaze the vanilla donuts with chocolate, too, (like Chocolate Gem Donuts) if you so desire! So many possibilities!

What’s in Vanilla Protein Donuts and Cake?

Collagen Peptides – Provides protein and acts as a gluten-free, zero carb “flour”. Whey protein isolate can be substituted and I’ve provided the amounts in the recipe card. The collagen gives a moist, delicate crumb while WPI is drier and fluffier.

Oat Fiber – This is not the same as oat flour or oat bran. Oat fiber is made from the hulls of the oats and is basically pure fiber and zero net carb. It’s very absorbent and gives structure to the donuts and cake, acting as a gluten-free “flour”. Coconut flour may work as a substitute, though would change the recipe to THM-S instead of Deep-S. I would try 1/3 cup coconut flour in place of the 1/2 cup oat fiber.

Psyllium – This is also basically pure fiber and gives a bread-like texture to gluten-free baked goods. I buy NOW Whole Psyllium Husks and grind it into a fine powder in my coffee/spice mill BEFORE measuring. I have not tried this recipe with whole psyllium flakes/husks or psyllium powder but they should work as long as you weigh them out to 10g. Golden flaxseed meal may work as a substitute (though may need different amount) but would change the recipe to THM-S fuel.

Yellow Summer Squash – Like zucchini, yellow squash is a great low-carb, non-starchy veggie that is keto and allowed during Deep-S. Beside providing nutrients and fiber, it also provides moisture and richness. If you don’t have access to yellow squash, riced cauliflower or zucchini should work, too! But, of course the color may be a little different (peel zucchini if you don’t want green specks). It’s the dead of winter here right now but I was able to find yellow squash at my local Aldi’s.

What’s not in them?

Nuts – Nuts and nut flours (including almond and coconut) are not allowed in Deep-S. (Though small amounts of unsweetened almond milk is allowed but can be subbed for a nut-free milk). DS focuses on pure fats, protein, and leafy greens. While nuts are high-fat, they have too many carbs to be considered a “pure” fat.

Dairy – Dairy is also not allowed in DS. The only exception is butter, but coconut oil is recommended. This recipe can be made 100% dairy-free with collagen and coconut oil (lard would work, too). But, refined or butter-flavored coconut oil may be best if you don’t want the donuts/cake to have a slight coconut flavor. If using refined coconut oil, you may want to add a little butter extract to give a buttery flavor.

However, even though these donuts/cupcakes/cake are allowed in Deep-S, make sure to still focus on your pure fats, proteins and greens!

They’re easy to make!

Like the Chocolate version, these Vanilla Protein Donuts and Cake are super easy to make! In fact, they’re mostly made in the blender!

Just start with room temperature eggs, blend the wet ingredients in the blender until smooth, and then add the dry ingredients until just mixed. Then let the batter sit for 5 minutes to allow the “flours” to expand and absorb and you’re ready to bake!

The glaze is easy to make, too! Just mix the ingredients together and coat the donuts. And they’re ready to eat! 😋

To make the frosting, you’ll first need to “bloom” the gelatin in a little unsweetened almond milk for about 5 minutes. Then you add some hot almond milk to dissolve the “bloomed” gelatin. Next you add your melted fat and other ingredients. It’ll be very “soupy” at first but it will thicken as it cools.

To quickly cool the frosting, place the mixing bowl in some ice water and stir every couple minutes as it thickens. Add a teaspoon at a time of almond milk as it cools/thickens, continuing to “fluff” it up like frosting, until it reaches your preferred thickness. Then it’s ready to use on top of your fully-cooled donuts/cupcakes/layered cake!

You might also like:

Chocolate Protein Donuts and Cupcakes THM-Deep-S

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