My boys love donuts, but I hate giving them the deep fried version. I know donuts aren’t the best food to give them, but I do let them eat them every now and then. After all, I can’t force them to eat oatmeal every day.

So, when I ran across this recipe, I just had to make it for my boys. They absolutely loved it. They especially liked the banana flavor. I didn’t feel too guilty making it for them either, because these donut holes are baked and not deep fried.

Baked Banana Bread Donut Holes

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, throw the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and mashed bananas and whisk until well combined. Pour the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg on top of the wet ingredients and then stir just until combined.

Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls into a greased muffin tin. Donut holes will be rounder if you use a mini muffin tin, but a regular one works fine too. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

While donut holes are baking, pour the sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and stir until well combined and then set aside. Scoop the butter into a separate bowl and zap in the microwave until melted. Set it aside.

Pull the donut holes out of muffin tin and let them cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes. Lightly roll the holes in the melted butter and then roll them in the cinnamon and sugar mix. Set the finished donut holes in a dish lined with parchment paper.

Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.

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