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Donuts were never a food my parents had around the house growing up, but I’d happily eat donuts elsewhere whenever given the chance. Years later, when I started making low carb recipes, I felt like I was missing out on all those donuts at the office, so I created my own keto donuts with almond flour. And as I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, they’ve only gotten better with time. If you miss them too, make these healthy sugar free donuts with me and you don’t have to anymore!
Why You Need My Keto Donut Recipe
- Soft and cake-like texture – Whether you call them “keto donuts” or “keto doughnuts”, these taste a lot like regular cake donuts. They’re moist, fluffy, and everything you want in a donut. Perfect with a keto coffee, creamy keto hot chocolate, or your fave keto drink from Starbucks!
- Multiple flavor options – The recipe card has the “powdered sugar” coated version I love the most, but you can switch it up with different flavors or glazes, too! See my variations below. 👇
- Quick to whip up – You might think making sugar free donuts would be a hassle, but they’re done in just 30 minutes. Including baking time!
- Very keto friendly – With just 3g net carbs each, these are easy to fit into your macros. They’re also gluten-free, with options for paleo or dairy-free.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto donuts, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Gives these low carb donuts their perfect cakey texture. I use this brand because it’s super fine—most brands are too coarse (even ones labeled fine) and will leave your donuts gritty. Plus, it’s perfect for baking so many other goodies, like my keto cookies, almond flour bread, almond flour pancakes, and almond flour pie crust.
Can’t have almond flour?
If you need a nut-free option, sunflower seed flour will work. The flavor will be a little different and they might turn green, but it’s just a reaction with baking powder. Don’t use coconut flour, because it’s too drying.
- Sweeteners – I highly recommend Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend for the batter and Besti Powdered for the coating. This sweetener locks in moisture and has no aftertaste. Virtually every other brand of monk fruit and stevia contains drying erythritol. And unlike other sugar substitutes, it won’t crystallize. The closest alternative is plain allulose, but increase the amount to 1/3 cup.
- Unsalted butter – You can swap it with melted coconut oil for dairy-free or ghee for paleo.
- Keto Milk Of Your Choice – I use unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk beverage or heavy cream diluted with water will work, too.
- Eggs – Flax eggs or other egg alternatives that are binding should work if you need a substitute.
- Baking Powder – To help your keto donuts rise. I like this non-GMO brand. Don’t mix it up with baking soda!
- Flavor Boosters – Cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Donuts
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, Besti, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Combine the wet and dry. Whisk until combined.
- Fill the pan. Scoop the batter evenly into your donut pan cavities. I love this pan because it never sticks and the lighter color doesn’t burn the outside. Fill each about 3/4 full.
- Bake until golden. Your healthy sugar free donuts are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before removing.
- Remove from the pan. Use a mini silicone spatula (I love these!) to loosen the edges, then gently twist to release the donuts from the pan.
- Add the coating. Pour powdered Besti in a shallow bowl and dip the keto donuts in, coating both sides.
My Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring your eggs and almond milk to room temperature before you mix them with the melted butter, to avoid solidifying the butter when whisking them together.
- I repeat: your almond flour needs to be super fine. Use this one to avoid a grainy texture.
- Your donut pan makes a difference. Lots of delish donuts didn’t make it when I tried using a silicone donut pan. Darker colored pans will bake more quickly and may burn the outside before the inside is done. This is the pan I recommend — it released the donuts effortlessly and didn’t brown them too much.
- Grease the pan very well. Even with a great pan, this batter is sticky. Grease the cavities really well, especially around the edges.
- Transferring batter is so much easier if you pipe it in. Just snip the corner off a zip-top bag and squeeze it into the pan in circles.
- These keto donuts don’t rise as much as traditional ones. I recommend filling the cavities about 3/4 of the way. Too much, and you’ll get overflow; too little, and your donuts will be flat.
- Make sure they’re fully baked. The donuts should pull away from the pan and turn a deep golden brown underneath. Silicone pans will need about 5 extra minutes.
- Resist the urge to take them out right away. Let them cool completely in the pan, or they’ll crumble and stick.
- Remove carefully. Run a mini spatula around the edges and the hole first. If there’s any batter over the center, remove it before twisting as you lift the low carb donuts. If they don’t budge, they might need a little more baking time.
Recipe Variations
Just like regular donuts, you can dress up this keto donut recipe with different flavors and fun toppings!
Toppings:
- Glaze – Mix 1/4 cup powdered Besti, 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or coconut cream), and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add more cream as needed for the consistency you want, then pour over the donuts.
- Chocolate Glaze – Whisk 1/4 cup powdered Besti, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons water or cream. Dip the donuts for a rich, chocolaty finish!
- Sprinkles – Top glazed donuts with sugar free sprinkles for a fun, festive touch!
Flavors & Types:
- Apple – For a cozy fall vibe, swap the vanilla for apple extract and the cinnamon for apple pie spice.
- Blueberry – Fold in up to 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries before baking.
- Chocolate – If you want the donut itself to be chocolate, try my chocolate protein donuts or find classic keto chocolate donuts in my Wholesome Yum app.
- Donut Holes – Just use this batter in a donut hole pan! They’ll bake faster, so keep an eye on them.
- Pumpkin Spice – Use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and add 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree. Reduce the amounts of butter and milk to 2 tablespoons each. It’s like fall in every bite!
Prefer a pillowy, chewy keto donut recipe?
These are the best sugar free cake donuts I’ve ever had, but my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook has a pillowy, chewy version that reminds me of Krispy Kreme. I can’t decide which I like more. Try both and tell me your favorite!
Keto Donuts (Sugar Free & Easy)
By
These 30-minute keto donuts taste like regular cake donuts coated in powdered sugar. An easy, sugar free breakfast with just 2.8g net carbs!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease a nonstick donut pan well.
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In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, Besti, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, almond milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
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Transfer the batter evenly into the donut cavities, filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake for about 15 minutes (longer for a silicone pan, possibly less time if your pan is dark – but this lighter nonstick pan works best), until golden brown.
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Cool completely in the pan. Run a mini silicone spatula along the edges of the donuts (a knife also works, but may scratch your pan), then twist and gently release.
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Pour Besti Powdered into a small, shallow bowl. Press both sides of the donuts into the powder to coat. (You can also use a different frosting or glaze if you prefer.)
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 keto donut
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help you get the right texture in your keto donuts, prevent sticking or crumbling, and tricks for the batter.
- Flavors and glazes: See my recipe variations above to make apple, blueberry, chocolate, or pumpkin flavors, donut holes, or different topping options.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days at room temp, or up to 1 week in the fridge.
- Freeze: Freeze on a lined sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend freezing without the powdered coating and adding it fresh after thawing.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Donuts
846 Comments
Ed
0This recipe tasted nothing like donuts and I followed everything to a tee. What a waste of ingredients.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ed, I’m sorry these didn’t suit your tastes. I have several other breakfast recipes that you may prefer, like chaffles, almond flour pancakes, and keto breakfast casserole.
Marie
0Tried the recipe with the xanthan gum. It came out perfect and delicious . Now my go to recipe for a sweet tooth .
Emily
0These are amazing; my family loves them! Any way to adapt the recipe to make a pumpkin version for fall?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you love these, Emily! Yes, I have a few variations listed above. Enjoy!
Sandra
0Oh, my gosh…how did I ever over-look this recipe?? This is a must for me to try this one out. Have all the ingredients, & the donut pans too. Will let you know how they turns out. My oven can be a bit fussy at times, so I will have to “stand by” to make sure things go well.
Thank you for posting this. The great reviews say it all!
Sandra W.
Adrienne
0Can I use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Adrienne, Yes, that will work fine.
Gail
0Very easy recipe to follow and donuts turned out great!
Janna
0Very good! Made as listed, except used 1/3 cup + 2 tsp erithritol for the sweetener. My Pampered Chef metal donut pan has 12 smaller donuts, this recipe for 6 filled them perfectly. Cooked a little faster than recipe says since they were smaller, 20 minutes in my oven.
Greased the pan with coconut oil, poured the batter into a Ziploc and cut a corner off to pipe it in to the wells neatly, came out perfectly. After cooling, used a plastic orange peeler gadget to gently loosen them without scratching the pan.
Gemma davies
0Hi, what are the carbs per one?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gemma, It’s 2.8 net carbs for one donut. Enjoy!
Robert
0I have a son that has peanut/tree nut allergy. Can you recommend alternative in recipes and amounts/measurements.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Robert, The texture will be different, but this recipe will work with sunflower seed flour.
Hannah
0Hey There! I would love to try these but I don’t have a donut pan! Can I make these in a muffin tin or 8×8 pan? Do I have to adjust the times for this?
Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Hannah, I haven’t personally tested this, but other readers have commented having success with making these donuts in a muffin tin or an 8×8″ dish. I’m not exactly sure how it would change the timing, but I would start checking after the 22 minute mark for doneness.
Sharon
0So excited to try this recipe. I am however allergic to monk fruit sweetener. I have THM Super Sweet and THM Gental Sweet on hand,which would be better to use and do I need to adjust the amount?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, I think either would work fine. Please check out my Sweetener Conversion Calculator to figure out the exact amounts you will need. Enjoy!
Mahalia
0Tasted delicious Didn’t have to grease my pan at all. Used a deep non-stick metal one. With the size of pan I used (which wasn’t the size of those small “Dunkin Doughnuts”), I managed to make 12 out of the mixture, not 6 as ate 2 of them. Yum
Leah Randin
0I have both monk fruit & Erythritol but not the blend itself. What should I do?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leah, I don’t recommend erythritol or most brands of monk fruit because they are drying. You can get Besti here.
Mary Alice
0Love it. Thank you for cooking tip, I would have removed before I did.
Deedee
0Delicious but donuts stuck very badly to my non stick donut pan even after I let it cool and loosened the edges with a knife. Very big mess. So I made them into cupcakes and they did well in foil liners. Very sad they didn’t want to come out of the pan ☹️
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deedee, Sorry your donuts stuck to the pan. Please be sure to grease it well, even if using a nonstick pan. Be sure adequately grease the center hole too, as that’s where they stick most often.
Rosalia Bahena
0These are perfect delicious donuts. I added a little bit of pumpkin spice. I’m so excited to know that I can make these whenever I feel like it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Cindy V.
0OMG!!!! These are so very delicious! I made a double batch, and good thing too, because as soon as I had as sugared up, they were gobbled up! Luckily I had put away a few for myself to eat later, because these little monsters kept coming back for more. I followed the directions to a T and my donuts didn’t stick to the pan at all. Slid right out when we flipped it over. I printed this baby out and will be making some more! Absolutely recommend these to anyone with a sweet tooth, on a diet.
Stephanie
0My family and I love donuts, but on the keto lifestyle we aren’t exactly free to indulge. My daughter came across this recipe last month and WOW, amazing. These cinnamon donuts completely satisfied our craving, buttery, sweet, and fluffy, the recipe made 4 mini Bundt cakes, I will be purchasing a donut pan for these, everyone loved them, Thanks for your recipe!!!!
Jasmine
0Such a great idea. I followed the instructions but like others, left them until they were almost black on top but unfortunately couldn’t get them out of the pan and ended up with ‘cinnamon donut’ crumble.
Still tasty.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jasmine, It sounds like maybe these donuts were too close to the heating element in your oven. They should turn golden brown, but not black. Also, be sure to grease the inside of the donut pan well, that center hole is where they like to stick!
Kim
0Can you substitute coconut oil for butter to make them dairy free?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Yes! Feel free to make that substitution.
Michelle
0These were pretty tasty. Very easy to make. Next time I will try different flavors, like pumpkin spice. I did use a silicone baking pan with no issues.