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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
Patricia
0I was so excited because of the wonderful reviews but mine turned out with a terrible, bitter aftertaste. Can’t figure out what I did wrong?? The donut without the sugar and cinnamon coating tasted terrible, and with the coating, it was sweet followed by bitter. The only thing I can think of is I used Trader Joe’s blanched almond flour instead of the Wholesome Yum brand. Would love some advice because we were so looking forward to these!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patricia, Did you by chance use baking soda instead of baking powder? That can cause a bitter taste in a recipe like this one that doesn’t have an acid to activate it.
Lori
0Delicious! Question, how many donuts is this recipe supposed to make? I made twelve. I bought the pans you used, filled 3/4 way, used all batter any yet they came out flat, and my baking powder did not expire.
Steph
0Hi there!
Can I make these with an erythritol blend?
I’m in Canada & don’t have the one listed.
Any other sweetener blend that’s available in Canada that would work in these?
Also, would I still have to grease silicone doughnut moulds?
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Steph, You can try it with an erythritol blend, but the results are much better with Besti. It’s available in Canada here — just switch the flag at the top to Canadian.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked these, Lori! This recipe makes 6 donuts, so it sounds like you needed to fill them higher if you wanted to make the same number and have them be taller like my pictures. Hope this helps for next time!
Jeremy
0I’ve tried this recipe twice now, and both times my donuts did not rise. They ended up looking like half of a sliced bagel lol. I thought maybe my baking powder was too old, so I bought a new container and tried again- same results! Not sure what I’m doing wrong
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jeremy, Even though almond flour will never rise as much as regular white flour, it does still do that a bit. Each cavity in the donut pan should be filled 3/4 way. You’ll end up with flat donuts if you don’t put in enough batter.
Carole
0These were excellent in texture, taste, and looks. I used coconut milk in place of the almond as that is all that I had. It worked out fine. I made a mistake and added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the melted butter but went ahead and used it to coat both sides anyway. I also used 1 tsp in the allulose, but the taste was great! Later after 2 were cooled I dipped them in melted chocolate. Again a hit! I used silicone molds and 25 minutes was the perfect time in my oven (which tends to run hot). Thank you for this great recipe. It is the first time I have ever made donuts!
Tee
0I had a donut like this at Sugar Daddies in Cambridge, Ontario. I looked on Pinterest for a recipe and found this one. It tastes the same! Delicious! Thank you!
Rob
0I disagree with the almond flour over almond meal approach, almond meal happens to be dirt cheap here locally so it’s what I use for all of these recipes and they are all great. They tend to have a real cakey texture. I first tried these earlier this week using a regular muffin tin, then instead of the cinnamon coating, I put coconut cream and sugar free maple syrup. I’m making them again since I’ve found a donut tray locally and you know they’ll be even better.
Alyssa
0Can these be fried in coconut oil?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alyssa, No, sorry, the batter is too runny to do that.
Kathy
0This is one of my favorite recipes. I have them in the oven as we speak. My kids and picky husband loves these as well.
carole kiewicz
0Love this. Made with coconut milk..awesome! But the cook time is only about 15minutes. I burned my first batch baking it for 22 min. Also must cool donut completely before dipping in butter and Swerve..next time I’ll try the chocolate donut recipe..with this recipe I might put pumpkin pie spice or Apple. pie spices…also, Wonder if I can put applesauce in the recipe?.I make the best chaffles with applesauce and sunflower seeds. Love this site. The BEST recipes.
Carol Peitzsch
0Hi Carole! Do you mind sharing your chaffle recipe? That sounds awesome! 🙂
Lissa
0This recipe is amazing. I made two batches with my non-keto teen. The first was as written. The second left out the cinnamon and we made a strawberry glaze, which is her favorite big-chain flavor. She couldn’t wait to eat them, even to take a photo!
Suzanne Rydzik
0Moist, yummy, cinnamon deliciousness
Debbie
0I made these and they were absolutely delicious! They stayed fresh in the fridge for a week before I finished eating them, and the chocolate topping looked just as good then as when I put it on. gave one to a friend at work who eats keto, and she loved it too. Thank you for a great recipe!
Joy Stoermann
0Okay, so, I just made these, had all my ingredients sitting our and TOTALLY a missed the almond milk….wondered why the batter was so thick, but oh well!, used the donut pans I had on hand already~which are the silicone one ones…oops!~again, oh well…and the donuts came out like cake donuts do, and the plopped right out of the pan when I turned them onto a cooling rack! Crazy!
Lala
0Can I keep this outside the fridge for a couple of days?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lala, Yes, the countertop works great for a few days. Enjoy!
Karen
0Could I fry these and still be keto? Don’t have donut baking pan.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, Sorry, the batter is too loose to pour into a deep fryer.
Joyce
0Thank you. I love donuts!!!!
SHARI
0Not a fan of cinnamon. Is there a sweet glaze I could use instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shari, Yes, I have a couple glaze options above. Enjoy!
Irene
0Can you substitue flax or chia egg for the eggs?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Irene, Yes, you can, although your donuts will be more fragile.
Str3032
0Recipe is great. Used a silicone pan, donuts popped right out and looked perfect so not sure what the issue with silicone pan was in the commentary above. But it worked for me!
Kornelia Brown
0I just made this doughnuts, they came out sooo good. Will make those again. I did not have a doughnut baking pan, I used a muffin pan , and they looked great.
Lori
0These were really good. I did use 1/2 Lupin flour and 1/2 Almond flour which resulted in a very authentic texture. I also used 1/2 granulated Erythritol and 1/2 Allulose. The donut itself was perfect. But the glaze was just ok since I used all powdered Erythritol and I don’t like the cooling effect. I’m afraid to use 100% allulose due to the digestion issues 😉
Thank you for a great recipe!