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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
Becky
0I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now and so thankful for it. It satisfies my donut craving 100%
Becky Walsh
0These donuts were amazing! I had been craving donuts for weeks. This was a perfect solution and they were so easy to make. I used a buttered silicone mold pan without any problems. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Marymargaret
0Sounds terrific but I have an egg allergy do you think aquafaba will work or what else can I substitute for the eggs.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary Margaret, Yes, that should work. Your donuts might be more fragile.
anne winstanley
0Oh my gosh, what a treat. Wish I had made double the quantity. It made 6 moulds in a donut tin and 3 in silicone moulds. All turned out perfectly as I did grease the moulds well with coconut oil. I’ll use a little less sweetener next time but oh so tasty. Injected the three odd ones with sugarless raspberry jam – so good. Many thanks everyone for tips.
Betty
0Donuts were amazing! Can’t tell that it’s low carb. Everyone in my office loved them.
Want to make them again but I only have vanilla unsweetened almond milk. Will that work too?
Emma Smith
0I LOVE these donuts! The monk fruit sugar gives it such a light, fresh taste. I have used both the dark nonstick donut pans and also purchased a silicone pan for mini donuts. They came out of the silicone easily when I followed your advice to let them bake until the edges pulled away.
Wholesome Yum D
0So happy you’re loving them, Emma! Love that you’ve tried both pan styles and had great results!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Glad you liked them, Betty! Yes, vanilla almond milk is fine to use.
Teri Smith
0I cannot wait to try this recipe. I had a great keto recipe and have lost it. I want to try yours out. Can the batter be placed in a piping bag and used to fill the wells of the pan instead? or would making little balls then flatten them and poke a hole in the middle work too? thanks in advance.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teri, Yes, absolutely you can use a piping bag! That’s actually one of my tips above. 🙂 The batter isn’t firm enough to make balls.
Debra
0I make a ton of recipes from your site and can always count on a great tasting end result! But, you outdid yourself this time!!!! These doughnuts (with a bit of added expresso powder) were the best thing yet. DELISH!!!!!!!!??
Rowena
0I love the taste and texture. I too had trouble taking them out of the pan. Used silicone donut pan and generously greased with butter. I also waited to cool well. Unfortunately, some fell apart 🙁 I don’t want to give up on this recipe because of its taste. So light! Maybe will try with 3 eggs? Only 7 out 12 were successfully released from the pan and had to pry out gently
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rowena, I haven’t had much luck making this recipe in a silicone pan. I have tips and recommendations above to address the issues you had. Hope this helps for next time!
Maria
0This is an amazing recipe! Very easy to follow. I have tweaked it and made it in a cake pan in exactly the same way. A slice with a coffee for breakfast starts off my day when I’m in a Keto cycle – just be careful as you’ll want to eat the whole thing! Many thanks for this recipe.
Teri Smith
0Maria, I would love to know what type of cake pan you used and what was your approximate baking time. Thank you!!!
Lori Cormier
0Love!!! They have great flavor!! I made mine with sunflower seed flour because I get tired of almond flour flavor;). I used straight allulose because it’s my favorite. My only struggle was the sticking to the pan. I have the pan you talk about and I used avocado oil spray liberally and they stuck. I had more batter than 6 donuts so for the 2nd batch I rubbed butter on instead. They still stuck but not as bad. With patience I got most of them out without breaking them;)
Linda T
0These actually came out quite well except they were too big for the donut pan! I made six, but the tops were sealed. Next time I will make 8 so they stay open in the middle. The taste is great however! I had no trouble with them sticking either! Popped right out of the pan. I used 1/2 monk fruit sweetener and 1/2 allulose in the donut. Just monkfruit sweetener for the topping.
Karin
0Can I use a muffin pan instead of a donut mold?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karin, I always make these in a donut pan, but other readers have told me a muffin pan worked for them.
Jacquie
0Found the donuts a little on the bland side but easy to make which matches my skill level. Found the flavoring comes from the glaze. I didn’t have powdered allulose. I melted peanut butter and dipped in.
Carolyn Marker
0I LOVE these donuts! The monk fruit sugar gives it such a cool, light, fresh taste. I have used both the dark nonstick donut pans and also purchased a silicone pan for mini donuts. They came out of the silicone easily when I followed your advice to let them bake until the edges pulled away.
Tammy Heggerud
0I did not have any luck with this recipe. I made exactly to your recipe with the exception of using Lakanto sweetener. I used the same exact 6 donut pans. The first batch expanded so much that it ran off the pan and I caught it before it made too much of a mess in the oven. So with the second batch I divided the batter amongst 10 donuts. Again it expanded and ran over. The third time I divided the batter amongst 12 donuts and they kind of sunk in the centre of the donut. I double checked and it’s set to the single batch of 6 donuts. I used the almond flour from Costco, large eggs, baking powder not baking soda. I am at a loss.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tammy, I don’t recommend Lakanto sweetener for this recipe because it’s drying and crystallizes, but I doubt that’s the reason for the issues you had. I’ve never had what you’re describing happen. Are you sure you’re not using a mini donut pan? Also, make sure the molds are not too full.
Holly
0Just made these doughnuts. I put the chocolate glaze on them. Don’t have a doughnut pan. Just used a muffin pan. They turned out awesome!!!!! My husband and kids love them. Now going to buy a doughnut pan. Used an egg substitute and coconut oil butter. In case someone wants to know the egg substitute that we use to cook or bake with is called NAMASTE egg replacer. It it works really well. We definitely make this again with the doughnut pan. We love your recipes!!!!
loa337
0Delicious! Great recipe. The texture was just right after they cooled. I topped with melted sugar-free chocolate chips with a little coconut oil and it was just the sweetness it needed. If you are not frosting, the recipe definitely needs more sweetener but with a sweet topping, the balance is excellent. These will go into my permanent rotation for keto treats.
Olivia
0I have disaccharide deficiency and presumed coeliacs. It is a challenge to find nice food and recipes that I can eat and others like too. I love these donuts and others do too. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy this recipe and what a difference it makes to me. Thank you so much!
Monica
0Can I use Oatmilk instead of Almond Milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Monica, It would work from a recipe standpoint, but it’s not low carb.
Carolyn
0First time making this recipe. I was pleasantly surprised because keto is new to my family. Family felt it needed more flavor, which is something we can play with. This is definitely a recipe we will come back to.
I used mini Bundy cake mold, took about 20 minutes to bake.
Christy Hall
0These turned out so good. The cakey-ness is perfect. My kids even loved them. After they had one each, I told them they were healthy and they still wanted more later. 🙂
I didn’t have the same sweetener, so used another brand for both the granulated and powdered parts in the recipe. I like the taste of monk fruit, so I imagine the Erithritol/Monkfruit blend is yummy.
Also, since I wanted the kids to enjoy them, I made the glaze with half powdered sweetener and half regular powdered sugar. Next time I’ll try the recipe with all zero-carb/calorie sweeter as it calls for, or if I use a little regular powdered sugar again, I’ll use even less.
Renee
0Very Good!! I mix mine in a glass bowl with a handle and pour lip.. that way you can pour the batter into the donut pan as opposed to piping it or scooping it. I use Swerve as it’s easier to get in my area right now. It seems to work fine. My donuts did get really dark but tasted great, not burnt