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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowDonuts 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.
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)
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!
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Instructions
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 Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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
844 Comments
Katie
0What would be a good dairy free substitute for butter?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Katie, Coconut oil will work great for this.
Carol L
0Fantastic! This is one of the first recipes I tried and it’s one of my favorites! I only put the sweetener/cinnamon coating on top.
Ann
0Very good! I prefer them without the sugar coating. Great with cold brew coffee!
Baker Judy
0Hi Maya,
Just curious, would this recipe work in an 8”x8” pan?
I realize it won’t be donuts, but I’m short on time and want a quick coffee cake.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Judy, Yes, that should work just fine! The baking time will take longer, though.
Shannon Keenan
0My family and I absolutely love these!! Even my husband will eat them and he’s not keto at all! I have to hide them from the kids they’re so delicious. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Janell
0Great recipe! Mine didn’t rise as much as yours in the photo, so I think I’ll try replacing my baking powder before I try this again. The flavour is excellent. Thank you.
sabharwal.akhilesh@gmail.com
0Simply awesome and quite impressive! Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca
0Amazing! They are even better on 1 or 2 days after baking. I’ve made these twice and they were a hit. People are so surprised to find out how truly “guilt-free” these donuts are. The second time I coated them with a bit more butter, and oh man they were good. I’m wondering if the butter has a chance to soak in after a day or two to make them extra good. Highly recommend!
Lo
0Delicious! I had a problem with them sticking to the pan, but that didn’t prevent me from trying. What type of grease is used to coat the doughnut pan? I used Avacado spray….I will definitely try these again with the right type of grease. The flavor is very good.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lo, Avocado spray should work fine. Alternatively, you can rub the pan down with cold butter or solid coconut oil. Enjoy!
Nina
0Hello from Panama, Central America. Hope you are well! Just made half a batch for 12 mini donuts, they were amazing! It is only me on Keto at home, but they just disappeared! My hubby and kids loved them as well! I used a babycakes donut maker: 6 in 5 minutes. Full batch next time!! Thanks again!
Karyel
0Hi Nina! I’m from Panama but live in Germany. Can you please tell me about your experience with the donut maker. Did you follow the recipe to a T and did you grease the plates? Id love to make these for my family too. Just got a mini donut maker 🙂 lots of love and strength!
Nina
0Hello Karyel! As far as the recipe, I followed it exactly, just half of everything. Then I preheated the d-maker and sprayed just a bit of coconut oil. When ready I followed the rest of the instructions to cover with the cinnamon sugar and took pictures, as they looked sooo good. Moments later, they were gone! Hehehe Hope this was helpful! God bless!
Brianna
0Can I substitute normal sugar instead of using the sweetener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brianna, Yes, you can, but they would no longer be low carb.
Sofia
0Just made it, and they look like a giant biscuit, not a donut 🙂
Not sure what went wrong , maybe the conversion between US and Metric is not working probably, or if you bake them not in a proper pan they spread …. I don’t know, still a disaster.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sofia, These need to be baked in a donut pan. They will not come out with the proper shape without a donut pan.
Nikki
0LOVE this recipe so much! I’m making for myself for Mother’s Day 🙂
Andrea a
0Hi I tried this and it was delicious however they stuck to the pan so badly that they fell completely apart.
Followed the recipe except I subbed coconut sugar instead of sweetener.
22 mins in a dark pan, tops were browned so it definitely didn’t need longer. Not sure what happened. Was I supposed to grease the pan?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Andrea, Yes, please grease the pan well (see step 1 where the instruction is listed). Even with a non-stick pan, it will still need to be greased. I hope you try them again soon!
Kathy
0These were the best and I have tried others… Best tip is don’t overfill. DELICIOUS.
Lu
0Can I substitute eggs for flaxseed eggs?
Kat
0I tried this the donuts were tasty but did not rise and were a little dense.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kat, The common problem with these donuts not rising is the baking powder. Make sure yours is within its expiration date.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lu, Yes, you can. Your donuts will be more fragile, though.
Kelly
0Can I use an air fryer? What would I use as a surface to cook them on inside?
Just got one and thought this would be awesome !
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kelly, If you have an air fryer large enough to fit a donut pan, then I think it could work. I would check on them at half the oven time.
Amber
0I can honestly say that this is one of the best Keto recipes everrrrrr. I can’t cook or bake very well but this was so easy and I was able to make it in such a short amount of time. Love this recipe!
Ryan
0Forgot the stars. Lol
Ryan
0So this was my first time trying keto baking. I am not an expert baker by any means. I tried these this morning. Don’t have a donut pan so I used a mini loaf pan. They came out great. Glad to have found this website. Can’t wait to try some other recipes.
Tanya
0Very tasty and nice light texture and consistency but I had a hard time getting them out of the pan. I made them with the ‘Milked’ brand hazelnut milk which has a little cane sugar because I had it (quarantine options) and 2 squirts of liquid stevia. Very good! I will grease the pan/holes better next time.
**If I were to use stevia powder is it the same amount and monk fruit?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tanya, It really depends on the brand of stevia sweetener. Some are for baking and can be used 1:1 and some are highly concentrated. You’ll need to check to see if your brand is 1:1 with sugar. Even if it is, most brands of stevia use erythritol as the filler, so your donuts will be more dry than using Besti. You can get Besti here if you don’t want dry donuts.
Laura Zavala
0Three questions:
Let say I want to add 6 more g of protein powder, Do I have to adjust other measurements/ingredients, if so how much?
How about to add cocoa?
How about to do just a plain protein donut, Do I just eliminate the cinnamon?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, 1. If you were wanting to add more protein, I would not use a protein powder, but a collagen peptide. Collagen will dissolve into the donut batter and not impact the texture (too much) of the final recipe. Protein powder will have an affect on the texture and flavor. 2. Cocoa powder will affect the recipe, so if you decide to add it, you will probably need to adjust the amount of almond milk that goes in as well to keep the consistency correct. I would keep the amount of cocoa powder to a minimum, 1 – 2 tablespoons. 3. For a plain donut, omit the cinnamon. I hope this helps!
Nikki
0My s/o is allergic to nuts, recommendation on using coconut flour?
Melissa
0Hi Nikki, I have not tested this, but the recipe will probably still work with sunflower seed flour. The almond milk can be replaced with coconut milk. Best wishes!
Blake
0Hi! I was just curious if you think freezing the batter and then popping them in the air fryer would work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Blake, I wouldn’t recommend doing this, I don’t think it would work.
Kat
0I made these last night and I did try to sub flaxseed egg so my vegan companion could have some too, mine sank in the middle. I’m not very familiar with baking can you tell me what I did wrong? Even though they didn’t quite turn out they were really freaking yummy and hit the spot for some badly missed French Toast! Definitely will try this again!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kat, Please check the expiration on your baking powder to make sure it’s still good.
Danelle
0Can I use any kind of artificial sweetener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Danelle, I never recommend artificial sweeteners and only bake with natural sweeteners.
Kristi
0I want to try making these, but I don’t have a doughnut pan, what can I use?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristi, I have not personally tried this, but you may be able to bake these donuts in ramekins. They would roughly be the right size, just without the hole in the center!
Xiomara
0I used a non-stick pan and greased it with vegan butter. They were all stuck in the pan. How would you recommend greasing my pan? Using a baking spray?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Xiomara, The place where the donuts usually get stuck is around the center hole. Use a knife and loosen them from the center. If you greased the pan well with butter then they should release easily from the rest of the pan.
Celeste
0I made them last night! No problem at all, I used 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener, it’s a perfect taste! Thank you so much! I’m sooo happy with these amazing recipe! I highly recommended.
Mary Yee
0Hi! I’m on keto, but don’t have monk fruit sweetener. Can I use the swerve sweetener brand any of the two for baking, the granular orange bag, or the Confectioner purple bag, and which one would work better for the recipe? I’m so excited to try it out.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, You could try one of the sweeteners you have, but all of those have erythritol as the main ingredient, so your donuts will definitely be more dry. You can get Besti here to get the best results.
BRENDA EGELSTON
0I loved these! They turned out so moist. I was wondering, however, if you could adapt a recipe for making sour cream donuts without any cinnamon. I know it is probably able to be done, but I don’t know how to adjust other ingredients to make it work.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Brenda, I don’t think you can achieve the right texture because traditional sour cream donuts are fried in oil and these need to be baked.
Eli
0The suggested baking powder is not paleo. It has cornstarch in it. Do you have an alternative baking powder?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Eli, You can mix cream of tartar and baking soda in a 2:1 ratio to make your own paleo baking powder. Hope this helps!
CL
0These are amazing, followed the recipe exactly except I didn’t have any almond milk, only reduced-fat milk (so probably slightly more carb-heavy) but still good! I could see any sort of milk is a great addition to this. Does not taste too almondy, and overall it’s a delicious addition to your keto diet.
Irene
0Excellent flavor and crumb. Did not need to brush with butter. Just dipped in the cinnamon sugar mixture on the bottom side and was quite enough.
Jessica Hatch
0I made these today, incorporating all your tips and they were great! My 4 year-old and her friend even approved! Thank you for sharing:)
Keira Gosling
0My doughnuts didn’t rise.. followed tips and recipe to a t. Any suggestions ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Keira, Check your baking powder and make sure it’s still within expiration.
Ashley
0I used the Splenda type blend “delecta” from aldi (that’s the only granular sweetener I had). I baked in mini muffin tins then poked a hole in the middle With a thick straw after baking. I feel like they came out pretty tasty. I do think they have a more muffin-like consistency. Did anyone else experience this? Either way, I’m pleased with the recipe!
Claire Dougherty
0Do you think you could use flax seed eggs instead of real eggs?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Claire, I think that should work fine.
Maria
0Hi, they sound amazing.
Can they be frozen?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maria, Yes, you can freeze these.
Gigi
0Batter was very stiff like cookie dough. I followed the recipe completely.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gigi, I’m sorry this didn’t turn out as you had hoped. Did you remember to melt the butter after measuring? It incorporates better as a liquid in this recipe.
Lori J Colbert
0My daughter wants to try making apple cider donuts…any thoughts on how to adapt this recipe to incorporate apple cider? I’m pretty new to grain free baking so I don’t have a good feel for how to tweak recipes to add or substitute ingredients.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lori, I don’t have specific recommendations for that, but I do have an apple variation above.
Ellen
0Just started keto, desperate for bread and biscuit recipes, my daughter in law referred me to this site, it looks very promising!
Stephanie
0I just made these and what can I say except that they are absolutely to die for! Awesome recipe!!! I know the recipe says “serving size 1 donut”. Well, I couldn’t resist and ate 2. YUM!!! I used a silicone donut pan and I cooked the first batch for 30 minutes…which was a bit too long. I had some batter left over and found that the batter thickened as the first batch cooked. The second baking (only 3 donuts) came out really good (28 minutes) so I think the next time I make these I will let the batter sit for a while before baking. There was absolutely no sticking as I sprayed the donut pan really good with PAM. Got a winner here! Thank you!!!!
Joyce
0What is the cholesterol level per donut? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joyce, Sorry, I don’t have that information.
Maria S
0These are incredibly delicious! I used my electric babycakes mini donut maker and they did not take long to bake at all (10 minutes maybe?). I made these with my three year old who wanted pink sprinkles on top of hers so I made icing with almond milk, swerve and a little bit of coconut butter. Next time I am going to do the cinnamon sugar. This recipe is a keeper, thank you so much!
Nora
0This was exactly the comment In was searching for! Can’t wait to pull my babycakes maker out in the morning! 🙂
Brooklynn Carney
0OMG – these are SO good and you would have no idea these are Keto donuts at all. I didn’t have unsweetened almond milk so I used heavy whipping cream. The batter came out thicker than the video but they still tasted AMAZING. Because they’re so good I was skeptical but have been consistently losing while still having these as a treat. DEFINITELY recommend.
Royale
0How much HWC did you use? I wanted to make these tomorrow morning and just realized I have no almond milk. 🙁
CAROL
0Made these yesterday. Fantastic! Only had salted butter and whole milk in the house. Will definitely make again.
Sally
0Hi, want to try these donuts. My sister made them delicious. Can I use cashew milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sally, Yes, cashew milk should work just fine, but be aware it’s higher in carbs than almond milk.
Kim Tanner
0I received an electric mini donut maker for Christmas and wanted to use it. My first batch was hard to spoon into the small donut shapes and was too liquidy and spread on the donut maker. I added 1/2 cup of almond flour and put the batter in an icing tube to put into the pan. They turned out wonderful!
DIANE SALZMANN
0These are AMAZING!!!!!!! I didn’t have a donut pan so I used my giant muffin pan…it has 6 wells so it worked great! I cooked them for 22 minutes and I ate one while they were still warm…Oh My Gosh!!! These are at the top of my list!!! (I didn’t have any almond milk either so I had to use Vitamin D milk) They came out great!!!
Rita landa
0Hi I can’t wait try the low carb donuts. Can I use coconut oil melted instead of butter. I need make it pareve non-dairy and butter has a lot of fat.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rita, Yes, you can use coconut oil instead of butter.
Rita landa
0Can’t find ingredients for the recipe. Tried 20 times.
Anne
0TASTED GOOD AND CAME OUT FINE. BUT THEY FELL ALL APART.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rita, The Recipe card is close to the bottom of the page. You may need to turn off your browser’s ‘Reading Mode’ to be able to view it.
Jennifer
0Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of almond milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, you can use heavy whipping cream, but it will change the recipe macros. I would dilute it with water before measuring the amount for the recipe.
Jennifer PINSONNEAULT
0I made these last night and goofed – used powdered sweetener instead of granulated (Swerve). I was baking a bunch of your other recipes for my holiday baking, some of which called for powdered erythritol and I guess I wasn’t paying attention. I knew something wasn’t right when my batter was way thicker than the video. I did add more almond milk to try to thin it more, but didn’t want to mess it up too much (I had doubled the recipe because I figured 6 donuts was not going to be enough). I ended up with 12 donuts and 8 muffins! The taste was still amazing, the donuts & muffins did rise and were not crumbly at all. So I guess it was not a fatal flaw! Thank you so much for your amazing website & easy recipes (not to mention all the tips which are great for those of us who are not experienced bakers). My husband loved them along with your other recipes that I tried. Will definitely recommend this website to my other Keto friends!