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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
Norma
0OMG. These are so good. Had no issues with sticking to the pan but I added a 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, not sure if that helped but I didn’t even need to release from the pan they just fell out whole. Awesome!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Norma! Thanks for stopping by!
Monique
0Try this recipe in cupcake form with a bit of cream cheese frosting. You will be trying to prove to all those muggles that they’re actually low carb. Live your best keto life.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the donuts, Monique! Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda Raibourn
0This recipe is FABULOUS! I just made it and used a muffin pan. I got 12 smaller muffins out of the batch. I baked them until they were dark golden and pulled away from the pan. After sitting on a cooling rack they got wonderfully hardened to a nice little crunch then the inside is so moist and tender. I’m a crunchy texture person so this is perfect for me!
I use Lakanto monkfruit sweetener and there is no chilling effect from this recipe that I detect sometimes. (Maybe the cinnamon helps offset that?) I also used HWC instead of almond milk because it was what I had. It was so simple and they are so good that I know I will keep these made from now on! Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the donuts, Amanda! Thanks for stopping by!
Tonya
0Amazing!!!! Love them, I made cupcakes, I didn’t have donut pan. I will be making them again. I didhave to add extra cinnamon and bit nutmeg extravanilla.
Next time Ill add nuts. Otherwise great go to snack.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the donuts, Tonya! Thanks for stopping by!
Melissa Szucs
0I made these donuts tonight and they were AMAZING!!!
I did use cashew milk instead of almond milk and I can’t believe they are low carb!
Thank you so much Maya!
With all your great recipes eating this way is so much easier and fun!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Melissa! I’m so glad you liked them. Do be aware that cashew milk is higher in carbs than almond milk, so the carb count would be a little higher if using cashew milk.
Melissa Szucs
0Thanks Maya i didn’t think of that!
They were so great and all your tips helped as usual!!!! Yet one more awesome recipe of yours to add to the repeat frequently list! Thanks again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You are welcome, Melissa!
Lori
0These donuts are why I can stay on a Keto diet! They are delicious without the cinnamon topping. The only problem is I have to stop myself from eating all of them. So good!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Lori! Please come back again soon!
Kelly
0THESE ARE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
I made ’em in a silicone pan…just sprayed well with butter flavor Pam…zero issues! I can’t wait to monkey around with the recipe, because the recipe is SOLID. I am going to fiddle with flavors, add-ins, and maybe glaze. I think they might be great just plain, though. I’m so elated!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Kelly! Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica
0I made these today as muffins instead of donuts AND I made a batch of chocolate…. I did everything the same except changed the cinnamon for sugar free cocoa and added some dark chocolate chips!!!! So so good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that you added chocolate chips, Jessica!
Angie
0Made this with the exact ingredients listed, it tasted a little bitter for me and cant figure out where the bitterness came from. I even ommited sea salt from it. Do you have any tips to make this right?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angie, Did you use baking soda instead of baking powder? That is the most common reason for bitterness. If it isn’t that, one of your ingredients must have been going bad.
Jolina S Allison
0I made this recipe and put it in mini muffin tins because I don’t have a donut pan. Turned out wonderful! Cooked for 15 minutes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Jolina! Thanks for stopping by!
Teresa
0I tried the recipe followed the instructions to a tee . I have a non stick donut pan but sprayed it anyway just to make sure. They did not want to come out of the pan ! Very disappointed in the result . they taste great but looks like an earthquake.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teresa, I have tips about this in the post above the recipe card!
Heather
0Made with heavy whipping cream subbed for almond milk since it’s what I had… turned out delicious… amazing recipe… crispy crunch outside… moist delicious inside… yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing your substitutions with us, Heather!
Kayla
0I made these donuts super skeptically but holy crap am I impressed. They taste like the little mini donuts you get from the carnival. I baked them until I thought they were dark brown enough but I ate a donut as soon as the timer went off and it crumbled quite a bit. Luckily I had the oven on and could just pop them back in. I would recommend these to everyone!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Kayla! Thanks for stopping by!
Angela
0Thank you for this recipe!! These were awesome!! I used egg replacer so my son with allergies could eat them!! I used a generous amount coconut oil on silicone donut bakeware! Made six donuts!! So yum yum!!!! Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am happy you liked the donuts, Angela!
Gaye Miller
0Made these for the second time today. I doubled the recipe and had enough batter for 12 donuts plus 4 muffins. Which means less carbs per serving. ☺YAY! I LOVE this recipe. Besides the cinnamon/sugar topping they are great with a dab of cream cheese or whipped topping. I will store several in the freezer and add topping when I eat them. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the donuts, Gaye! Please come back soon!
Kaity
0This recipe was a complete disaster for me. I decided to double it to get a dozen donuts and followed the recipe exactly. My “dough” was bubbly and foamy and almost had a cream of tartar like taste. During baking, the donuts spilled over the top of the donut pan and made flat cookies on top. I baked it extra long to try to avoid the crumbling but there was no way to get the “donuts” out of the pan. The flat cookie part broke off and I had to scoop the insides out with a spoon. Not sure what I’m going to do with a large bowl of crumbs now. Bummer!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kaity, Sorry you had issues with it. Did you check the tips in the post above the recipe card? I specifically have info addressing the donuts spilling over the top as well as the crumbling issue. For what it’s worth, you can still use the “crumbs” to make a parfait with whipped cream and berries, or as a crumble topping for muffins.
Becky tejkl
0I don’t have a donut pan so I made them into muffins. They were so good. I will be making these again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Becky! Agree they make great muffins, too.
Julia
0Will these be okay in the freezer by chance to be reheated?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Julia, Yes, you can freeze them. You might want to add the coating fresh, though.
Holly
0Hey! These look amazing and I’m definitely going to try them. Right now, I only have sugar free macadamia nut milk on hand, no almond milk. How important do you think the almond milk is? Or is it really just an issue of needing a liquid for the recipe? Or I could also use heavy cream to sub in for the almond milk. Which do you think would work better? Thanks for this recipe, can’t wait to try!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Holly, I think the macadamia nut milk should work fine. Heavy cream might also be ok, but haven’t tried. The nut milk would probably be a closer substitute.
Bobbi Convery
0I have made these twice in the last two weeks. I made donut holes because I don’t have a donut pan, and they came out beautifully. It is a very easy recipe to make, too. My husband and I enjoyed them very much. Thank you for a great recipe!
Nancy
0I haven’t made these yet, but they sound delicious! I don’t have a donut pan and was wondering how I could make donut holes? I’m not sure how liquidy the batter is. Thanks!
Bobbi Convery
0I went to Hobby Lobby and used their 40% off coupon to buy a donut hole pan – it is non stick Wilton, and the donut holes come out great.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Great, good to know that worked!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nancy, The batter is fairly runny, so you need something that will provide structure. Some readers have reported making these in a muffin tin – in this case, it’s better to use parchment muffin liners.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Bobbi! Donut holes sound great, too.