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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
Zunika
0I made the donuts using silicon mold and they came out of the pan no issue I used coconut oil o grease the pan and coconut milk in them. Only took about 25 minutes and they were already separating from the mold at that point. I used a toothpick to make sure they weren’t stuck around the ring in the middle and they just pretty much fell out.
Robin
0I am going to make these donuts for sure. One question can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Robin, I’m sorry, that won’t work in this recipe.
Shauna
0Could these donuts be made with an apple cinnamon flavoring to have like an apple cin donut? Or I have other flavors as well?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shauna, Sure, that sounds great! Feel free to use any flavoring in place of the vanilla.
Angela
0Turned out great! Even my non Keto family members enjoyed!
Joanna
0Made these today they turned out very yummy, I added orange zest and they baked up in 25 mins! Will make again by adding new flavors ??
Justin
0Made these today but I left out the cinnamon, instead I used keto blueberry jam in 3 of the doughnuts and for the other 3 I added Rum extract. They both turned out really good. I would like to find a keto friendly maple frosting and add bacon next!
Bren
0Ok, so I made these for the first time tonight. As always they were delicious! Now either my donut molds are much smaller or I did not fill them to the right amount because I got 11 donuts out of the batter. It was a good thing I kept an eye on them because they only took 12 minutes to cook probably due to the size. They smelled so good I didn’t even wait to dust them with the cinnamon “sugar” mixture. I ate one before I did that. And omg it was tasty. We are getting ready to go on a camping trip in the next few weeks and I am going to make some goodies ahead to have on hand and this will make for a great morning camping treat! (Yes, it’s only May but summer starts early here in Az ) Thanks once again Maya for a winning recipe.
Kristina Piasecki
0I made these yesterday. The cinnamon/monk fruit coating wasn’t great, too much, so I popped them in the freezer. Defrosted half of one this morning by baking it in the toaster oven for 5 minutes, and it ended up PERFECT! So delicious!
Susan
0Can’t believe theses are Keto. They are easy to make and awesome in taste. Note to self though to really grease the pans
Posted a photo on Facebook
Five star for sure!!!!
Nicole
0I made these as donut holes in a cake pop iron. I added an extra 1/4 cup of sweetener which was just right. For some I added about 1 dark chocolate chip in the middle. I made a simple glaze with powdered sweetener, vanilla, and almond milk for some.
Even the kids loved them.
Jessica
0Does the sweetener need to be granulated for the donuts? I have powdered (confectionary style) erythritol which will be fine for the glaze – will it work ok for the donuts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, Powdered will work, but the texture of the donuts is better with granulated.
Giselle
0Mmmmmm perfect at first try
JoAnn Sarmiento
0These donuts were ahhhmazing! my husband, son, and I loved them. Thank you for the recipe!
Toni Bixby
0These donuts were easy to make and very yummy! I will be making these again.
Desiree Lopez
0What is a substitute for the melted butter? Can avocado oil be used instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Desiree, The best substitution for melted butter is coconut oil. Use the same amount as written in the recipe.
John Carmichael
0Please put a skip to recipe button at the top. I don’t want to read all that before I realize I’m missing some essential ingredients.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi John, The ‘Jump to Recipe’ button is at the top of the page.
Ange
0Hi I wonder if i will make in a donut maker it still gonna be ok instead of baking them…
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ange, I have not personally tried this, but please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it!
Sandy
0In the video it says to bake for 15-18 minutes and in the instructions 22-28 minutes. I’m glad I caught that. Mine are still in the oven.
Karen
0Perfect with morning coffee
Terri
0Keto or Diabetics: My goal was for no sugar or even substitute to be in the donut. So I left all sweeteners out, upped the salt a smidge, doubled cinnamon and left everything else the same except I did use Heavy Whipping cream. Topped with softened cream cheese mixed with cinnamon and maybe a drop of Heavy Whipping Cream. I love cinnamon. Used my mini Bundt cake maker. I used so much cinnamon my cake came out brown. I told myself that they were Chocolate! Hit the spot!
Janet Huyton
0Made these, delicious, added 2 tbsp instant espresso powder. Would post a pic if I knew how!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janet, I would love to see pictures! Feel free to post them in the Facebook group!
Judy
0I made these donuts this morning. Very easy and delicious! I didn’t have Almond Milk , so I used regular milk.
They are going to be a regular!
Lily
0Can oat milk be used as an almond milk substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lily, The recipe would turn out with oat milk, but it’ll be higher in carbs.