Steamed Chocolate Doughnuts Without the Calories

Okay, these aren't exactly "sufganiyot" (traditional Israeli doughnuts).

They are more like steamed buns.

I first encountered these steamed buns in an Asian restaurant in Amsterdam while traveling through Europe years ago.

It was a small vegan restaurant located far from the city center, and they served incredibly soft steamed buns with a wonderful chocolate coating.

I lived not far from Amsterdam back then (a 6-hour drive) and made sure to visit at least once a month just to devour these buns.

So, in honor of Hanukkah, I decided to try and recreate the recipe for those amazing doughnuts (sorry, I mean steamed buns).

Don't get me wrong—even though I'm currently in a "bulking" phase (at least until February), I still insist on not eating even a single traditional deep-fried doughnut.

In my opinion, it's just not worth the calories.

But for all the candle-lighting events I'm invited to, I make the effort to prepare these doughnuts/buns.

While any resemblance to a real deep-fried doughnut is purely coincidental, you have to admit they look like they belong perfectly on the holiday table.

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Dec 4, 2018 at 7:44am PST

A Bit About the Recipe

For those familiar with steamed buns, this is a slightly different version of Chinese Bao buns.

The great thing about these buns is that they come out soft as a cloud, and not a single drop of oil is needed for their preparation.

The cooking is done using steam from boiling water rather than an oven.

You can add spices to the steaming water to infuse additional aromas, such as rosemary, lemon, lavender, and more.

The steamer required for the recipe can be found in Asian markets; it's usually made of bamboo and is very affordable to purchase.

I used one cup of white flour to make the bun fluffier, but you can skip it and use only whole wheat flour if you prefer. The bun will be denser but still delicious.

You can also omit the applesauce and replace it with the same amount of ripe banana (total of 120g).

Want something else sweet with chocolate? Click here

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness coach Noam Bachar:

One doughnut out of 25 (weighing 40g) contains:

100 kcal

3g Protein

24g Carbohydrates

2g Fat

Print

Steamed Chocolate Doughnuts

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 10 minutes

Total time 1 hour 45 minutes

Serving size 25 doughnuts

Ingredients

For Garnish

• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 100 g dark chocolate

For the Dough

• 1 cup white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• 6 tbsp applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar or any other sweetener you prefer
• 3/4 cup soy milk

Instructions

1. Mix in a stand mixer or by hand all doughnut ingredients for about 5 minutes until a uniform dough is formed.
2. Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour in a warm place.
3. After rising, use wet hands to create small balls the size of a ping-pong ball and place them on a surface.
4. Cover with a towel and let rise for another half hour.
   
5. After the second rise, bring water to a boil in a large pot.
6. Place the steamer on top of the pot. Place a piece of parchment paper inside so the dough doesn't stick to the steamer.
7. Place 3-4 dough balls on the parchment paper, cover with a lid, and steam for 8-10 minutes until the buns are ready.
   
8. Decorate
9. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.
10. Add the teaspoon of oil and mix well.
11. Coat each bun with a bit of chocolate and garnish with powdered sugar.