Steamed Chocolate Donuts Without the Calorie Overload

Okay, these aren't exactly donuts.

They're more like steamed buns.

I first came across these buns at an Asian restaurant in Amsterdam while traveling around Europe years ago.

It was a tiny vegan restaurant far from the city center, serving the softest steamed buns with an incredible chocolate coating.

At the time, I lived not too far from Amsterdam—just a 6-hour drive!—and made the trip at least once a month just to devour those buns.

So for Hanukkah, I decided to try to recreate those amazing donuts. Sorry, sorry. Steamed buns.

Don't get me wrong: even though I'm currently bulking, at least until February, I'm still holding firm on not eating a single sufganiyah (an Israeli Hanukkah donut).

For me, it's simply not worth the calories.

But I do make a batch of these donuts-slash-buns for every Hanukkah candle-lighting gathering I'm invited to.

Sure, their resemblance to actual donuts is pretty much a coincidence. But admit it: they'd fit right in on the holiday table.

A Little About the Recipe

If you're familiar with steamed buns, think of these as a twist on Chinese bao.

The best part? They turn out soft as clouds, and you don't need a drop of oil to make the buns themselves.

Instead of baking in the oven, they cook in the steam rising from boiling water.

You can add aromatics to the water—rosemary, lemon, lavender, or whatever you like—to give them a little extra fragrance.

You can find the steamer you'll need at Asian grocery stores. Bamboo steamers are common and usually very inexpensive.

I use 1 cup of all-purpose flour to keep the buns a little lighter and airier. You can use all whole wheat flour instead; the buns will be denser, but still delicious.

You can also replace the applesauce with the same amount of ripe banana: 120 g (4.2 oz) total.

Want another chocolate treat? Click here. 

Nutrition Information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli Clinical Nutritionist and Fitness Coach):

One donut, from a batch of 25, weighing 40 g (1.4 oz), contains:

100 calories

3 grams protein

24 grams carbohydrates

2 grams fat

Steamed Chocolate Donuts

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield 25 donuts

Ingredients

For the Topping

• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate

For the Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• 6 tablespoons applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar or your favorite sweetener
• 3/4 cup soy milk

Instructions

1. Mix all the dough ingredients in a stand mixer or knead by hand for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth, uniform dough.
2. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
3. With wet hands, shape the risen dough into small balls about the size of ping-pong balls and set them on a work surface.
4. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.
   
5. After the second rise, bring water to a boil in a large pot.
6. Set the steamer over the pot and line it with parchment paper so the dough won't stick.
7. Place 3–4 dough balls on the parchment, cover with the lid, and steam for about 8–10 minutes, until the buns are cooked through.
   
8. Time to decorate!
9. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.
10. Stir in the teaspoon of oil and mix until smooth.
11. Coat each bun with a little chocolate and finish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.