My daughter is a donut fiend. And even though I've been trying to avoid my oven while in the midst of summer... these vanilla wonders were absolutely worth it. 

Originally I wanted to use actual vanilla bean in these bad boys, but... they're a little pricey (nearly $10 for one bean!) Needless to say, I opted for vanilla bean paste instead ($9 for a large jar.) I've never used vanilla bean paste before and I generally buy the cheapest vanilla extract that I can find, but I remember reading somewhere about the magic  of vanilla bean paste.

I. Am. In. Love.

These donuts are pure bliss and absolutely bursting with vanilla perfection. 

No one will ever guess that these are light since they absolutely taste like a rather indulgent treat. 

My daughter scarfed down her donut in record time and I followed right after her with a whole two donuts! That's right... two donuts for under 250 calories. I'll take it!

If you're in a pinch and don't have vanilla bean paste, you could always sub in vanilla extract. But... I would definitely suggest giving the vanilla bean paste a try! It has a slightly different taste than extract and I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Skinny Vanilla Bean Donuts
 TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 Donut • Calories: 118.6 • Fat: 1.2 g • Carb: 23.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 3.4 g • Sugar: 11.1 g • Sodium: 89.8 mg

Ingredients:
Donuts:
1 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
1/4 C. Sugar/Sweetener/Honey (I used half sugar and half sweetener.)
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 Large Egg
1/4 C. Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp. Fat Free Milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Light Butter, Softened
1 Tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Bean Glaze:
1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp. Fat Free Milk
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and lightly spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the first four dry ingredients (flour, sugar/sweetener, baking powder, and cinnamon) into a marge bowl until well blended. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients until smooth and creamy. 

Add the wet ingredients in with the dry and combine just until everything is fully incorporated. 

Spoon or pipe the dough into the prepared donut pan, dividing evenly among the sections.

I put my dough into a gallon ziplock, sealed it, cut the end off and used that to pipe into my pan. 

Place the pan into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the donuts are cooked through. 

The donuts will not turn golden brown, but should 'spring back' to the touch when done. 

In the mean time, whisk the ingredients for the glaze together in a small bowl and set aside.

Once done, remove the donuts from the oven and allow to cool.

Dip the donuts face-down into the glaze and set on a wire rack until set. Maybe 5 minutes or so.

Enjoy! One or... two.