Old-Fashioned Mini Donut Bites

An old-fashioned donut is mostly about one flavor: nutmeg. That warm, slightly woody spice is what separates it from a plain cake donut, and it's what makes these protein bites taste like something from a bakery box instead of something from a supplement aisle.

Two ways to cook the same batter

The oven gives you actual little bites with browned edges, which is closer to the real thing. The microwave gives you one big, soft donut hole in 90 seconds. Same batter, same coating, your call. The Raspberry White Chocolate Protein Bites work the exact same way if you want a fruit version.

Heads up

A full tablespoon of nutmeg between batter and coating is a lot. If you're not sure you love it, start with half that and use cinnamon for the rest.

The coating trick

Dry spice won't stick to a dry donut. A quick mist of cooking spray gives it something to grab onto, the same way butter works on a real sugared donut. Toss them in a small bowl or a zip-top bag and they come out evenly dusted.

Don't coat anything you're planning to save. The spice goes damp in the fridge. Coat after reheating instead.

If you like the warm-spice direction, the Apple Pie Muffin leans the same way with cinnamon and apple.