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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
Cassandra
0AMAZING!!!! I MADE THESE IN MY MINI CAKE POP MAKER. TURNED OUT AWESOME!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS❤
Rowena Espina
0I tried it today with my mini donut maker I got from Christmas. The outcome is so cute. Mini donuts. It’s very delicious
Jacqueline
0I loved this recipe…I did use silicone molds, it was all I had and they came away fine. I gave them a good spray of coconut oil. These are delicious….very satisfying indeed. I used 3 tsp of monk fruit sweetener and i find them sweet enough, especially with the coating and i made my own pumpkin spice to coat them. I’m going to double batch next time… hahaha, can’t see this lot lasting long.
Jenni
0BEST KETO CINNAMON SUGAR MUFFINS EVER!! Oh my lord, these were so good. I didn’t have a donut pan so I made mini muffins using parchment paper liners and baked for 18 minutes at 350. It made 24 mini muffins. Only changes were I used ghee instead of butter to make them non-dairy and I used brown sugar Swerve as the sugar. When they came out I just dropped a bit more brown sugar Swerve on top to give it a crunchy top. Everyone devoured them. I making my third batch in a week now. 🙂
Magè
0These are awful. Absolutely do not recommend. Total waste of ingredients and time.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Magè, I am sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. What was your experience baking these donuts? Maybe I can help you troubleshoot the issue.
Lina
0Hello, can coconut sugar be used as a replacement of the monk fruit Eyretherol? Or possibly maple syrup?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lina, The recipe would no longer be low carb or keto if using real sugars. If that is not an issue to you, then I recommend using coconut sugar over the maple syrup. Liquid sweeteners will not work well in this recipe. Enjoy!
Kelly
0These are fantastic! The entire family loved these donuts. Note… make a double batch, you will happy you did!
Marjolijn
0Made these into adorable mini muffins. They were delicious and husband and 5yo made them magically disappear…
Thanks for the tip about letting then get properly browned, it really was what they needed and made sure attempt 1 was successful. Very tasty, muffin-like structure and super cute.
Julie
0Highly Recommend!! These little donuts are moist and hold together nicely! My husband and I both enjoyed them very much!!
Dani
0So good! And very easy to follow recipe. I’m diabetic and it didn’t spike my numbers. Thank you for sharing!
Ashley
0Hey there!
I only have monk fruit but not the blend is there something else I can use as a substitute for the blend?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ashley, This recipe needs the bulk from the sweetener. You can get Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend here.
Barbara Gander
0LOVE! Made them today, using heavy cream instead of Almond Milk (that’s what I had). I made mini donut size so literally 1.5 net carbs – so amazing. I brought some over to a friends for coffee when they were still warm (coffee & donuts!). I’m ready to adapt and try different variations – it was exactly what I needed.
Loren
0Thank you for this, so good!
MrsFlorida
0The recipe turned out amazingly, I got gorgeous little cake type donuts that, for someone on keto, were mouth magic!
I used a non-stick donut pan, resisted the urge to try to pop out of the molds early, and the only ingredient adjustment I made was upping the amount of cinnamon.
LOVE someone else’s suggestion to make pumpkin spice donuts because, you know, tis the season! Seems like a very adaptable recipe, I’m going to try to make a blueberry version.
Michele
0This recipe saved me from messing up my WOE. Every Wednesday one of the drs I work with brings in 2 dozen donuts from DD. I started making these tasty donuts every Wednesday morning to take to work. Many coworkers loved them so much that I had to start doubling the batch. I have even make some minor change and added pumpkin, allspice and nutmeg to the recipe to make pumpkin donuts. Huge hit during this autumn season. One person makes these and freezes them to give to his son who also follows a keto WOE.
Rie
0Super delicious!
Donna
0I do not have a donut pan so I used the dash mini waffle maker, I did add an extra t. of cinnamon to the batter and the dusting sugar (I used just under 1/3 C swerve granular for the batter) and used the powder sugar (swerve/cinnamon to the tops….I didn’t have any almond milk so I used heavy whipping cream, my batter was thick, when they came out of the waffle maker they were very soft like a pancake, but once on the cooling rack they totally firmed up, then brushed with melted butter and face down into the finishing sugar….they are very good and I would definitely make these again, I stored in air tight container in fridge, they are good cold, this made 10 mini waffles using 1/8th cup batter for each one.
emmajune
0Very helpful tips ! Thank you. I do have silicone donut molds but love the idea of waffles from my Mini Dash. Brilliant !
Cyndi Johnson
0LOVE this recipe SO MUCH!! We have a local bakery that sells protein donuts for $5 each, and I love to support them. HOWEVER, it gets very expensive when I buy them for an event (or when I need more than one!!). This recipe can be modified for special flavors…..lemon, orange, almond, chocolate…it’s a great base. So thankful I found this donut recipe for my keto diet. It has been my go-to for my special treat!
Angie
0Hi!!! I would really love it if you could please share with me how you modified your special flavors. I’m also going to add a unflavored vegan protein powder. The plan is to use erythritol. I have seen in the comments that people have used it and liked it. I have never used it, only allulose. I would love any feedback you have and any and all flavor combinations. Thank you.
Chelsie
0Awesome recipe! I didn’t have a donut pan so I made muffins. I used silicone muffin cups and they popped out effortlessly. Cooked 22 minutes and made 8 muffins from the batter. Loved how they weren’t overly sweet, almost like a coffee cake!
McKayla Dow
0The keto donuts are the best. I really think you should try them out.
Samantha
0What would the difference be if I used salted butter instead of unsalted?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Samantha, Using salted butter means you have less control over the amount you can add to the recipe. I would omit the additional salt in the recipe if you decide to use salted butter.
Shaun
0Hello,
Can I use ghee instead of butter?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shaun, Yes that will work just fine.
marie
0I haven’t tried the recipe yet but definitely will, sounds yummy. My question is can I use xanthan gum so it holds together better as in my experience almond flour since it doesn’t contain gluten can be crumbly. What do you think?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marie, Yes, you can add a small amount of xanthan gum if you like. Sprinkle in a pinch (1/8th of a teaspoon or less) into the batter.
Ed
0This recipe tasted nothing like donuts and I followed everything to a tee. What a waste of ingredients.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ed, I’m sorry these didn’t suit your tastes. I have several other breakfast recipes that you may prefer, like chaffles, almond flour pancakes, and keto breakfast casserole.
Marie
0Tried the recipe with the xanthan gum. It came out perfect and delicious . Now my go to recipe for a sweet tooth .
Emily
0These are amazing; my family loves them! Any way to adapt the recipe to make a pumpkin version for fall?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you love these, Emily! Yes, I have a few variations listed above. Enjoy!
Sandra
0Oh, my gosh…how did I ever over-look this recipe?? This is a must for me to try this one out. Have all the ingredients, & the donut pans too. Will let you know how they turns out. My oven can be a bit fussy at times, so I will have to “stand by” to make sure things go well.
Thank you for posting this. The great reviews say it all!
Sandra W.
Adrienne
0Can I use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Adrienne, Yes, that will work fine.
Gail
0Very easy recipe to follow and donuts turned out great!
Janna
0Very good! Made as listed, except used 1/3 cup + 2 tsp erithritol for the sweetener. My Pampered Chef metal donut pan has 12 smaller donuts, this recipe for 6 filled them perfectly. Cooked a little faster than recipe says since they were smaller, 20 minutes in my oven.
Greased the pan with coconut oil, poured the batter into a Ziploc and cut a corner off to pipe it in to the wells neatly, came out perfectly. After cooling, used a plastic orange peeler gadget to gently loosen them without scratching the pan.
Gemma davies
0Hi, what are the carbs per one?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gemma, It’s 2.8 net carbs for one donut. Enjoy!
Robert
0I have a son that has peanut/tree nut allergy. Can you recommend alternative in recipes and amounts/measurements.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Robert, The texture will be different, but this recipe will work with sunflower seed flour.
Hannah
0Hey There! I would love to try these but I don’t have a donut pan! Can I make these in a muffin tin or 8×8 pan? Do I have to adjust the times for this?
Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Hannah, I haven’t personally tested this, but other readers have commented having success with making these donuts in a muffin tin or an 8×8″ dish. I’m not exactly sure how it would change the timing, but I would start checking after the 22 minute mark for doneness.
Sharon
0So excited to try this recipe. I am however allergic to monk fruit sweetener. I have THM Super Sweet and THM Gental Sweet on hand,which would be better to use and do I need to adjust the amount?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, I think either would work fine. Please check out my Sweetener Conversion Calculator to figure out the exact amounts you will need. Enjoy!
Mahalia
0Tasted delicious Didn’t have to grease my pan at all. Used a deep non-stick metal one. With the size of pan I used (which wasn’t the size of those small “Dunkin Doughnuts”), I managed to make 12 out of the mixture, not 6 as ate 2 of them. Yum
Leah Randin
0I have both monk fruit & Erythritol but not the blend itself. What should I do?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leah, I don’t recommend erythritol or most brands of monk fruit because they are drying. You can get Besti here.
Mary Alice
0Love it. Thank you for cooking tip, I would have removed before I did.
Deedee
0Delicious but donuts stuck very badly to my non stick donut pan even after I let it cool and loosened the edges with a knife. Very big mess. So I made them into cupcakes and they did well in foil liners. Very sad they didn’t want to come out of the pan ☹️
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deedee, Sorry your donuts stuck to the pan. Please be sure to grease it well, even if using a nonstick pan. Be sure adequately grease the center hole too, as that’s where they stick most often.
Rosalia Bahena
0These are perfect delicious donuts. I added a little bit of pumpkin spice. I’m so excited to know that I can make these whenever I feel like it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Cindy V.
0OMG!!!! These are so very delicious! I made a double batch, and good thing too, because as soon as I had as sugared up, they were gobbled up! Luckily I had put away a few for myself to eat later, because these little monsters kept coming back for more. I followed the directions to a T and my donuts didn’t stick to the pan at all. Slid right out when we flipped it over. I printed this baby out and will be making some more! Absolutely recommend these to anyone with a sweet tooth, on a diet.
Stephanie
0My family and I love donuts, but on the keto lifestyle we aren’t exactly free to indulge. My daughter came across this recipe last month and WOW, amazing. These cinnamon donuts completely satisfied our craving, buttery, sweet, and fluffy, the recipe made 4 mini Bundt cakes, I will be purchasing a donut pan for these, everyone loved them, Thanks for your recipe!!!!
Jasmine
0Such a great idea. I followed the instructions but like others, left them until they were almost black on top but unfortunately couldn’t get them out of the pan and ended up with ‘cinnamon donut’ crumble.
Still tasty.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jasmine, It sounds like maybe these donuts were too close to the heating element in your oven. They should turn golden brown, but not black. Also, be sure to grease the inside of the donut pan well, that center hole is where they like to stick!
Kim
0Can you substitute coconut oil for butter to make them dairy free?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Yes! Feel free to make that substitution.
Michelle
0These were pretty tasty. Very easy to make. Next time I will try different flavors, like pumpkin spice. I did use a silicone baking pan with no issues.
Ann Boyer
0I tried this once. If you read the directions right they turn out wonderful.
Corie
0These were so easy and my kids ate them up!
Caroline
0These were yummy! I didn’t have almond milk so I used coconut cream (using the liquid and not the thick cream) and granular Swerve. It was perfect. So yummy and sweet. What a treat!!!
Carol
0Great! One of the first LC recipes I tried and it’s one of my favorites.
juli c. ferrando
0The flavor was really good however I tried two different times and could not get these out of the pan I did them exactly as recipe and used teflon donut pan and greased the heck out of them i was so bummed because i wasted so much product. I could not have oiled them more. Truly sad
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Juli, It sounds like these donuts were slightly underbaked. They will separate from the pan easily when they are fully cooked. Don’t be alarmed, they will turn a dark golden color when they are done.
Cristen
0I honestly do not know how to thank you. I wanted you to know that I’m a huge fan of this recipe. I can finally eat donuts again minus the guilt . Thank you :).
Cristen from Orlando
Beverly J Flynn
0I got bustling around in the kitchen and my husband asked me what I was doing. “Making donuts” I replied. “Keto?” he asked. “Of course” I replied. I followed the directions EXACTLY. I had a bit left over in the bowl. I used a silver Nordicware donut pan and greased it with unsalted butter. It covered over the center hole while baking, but I let them cool completely in the pan then flipped them out onto a plastic cutting sheet without trying to cut out the center. I had no issues with them releasing. I gently rolled each one in monkfruit/erythritol and cinnamon mixture. When I brought one out to him, he gave me a funny look like he wasn’t sure, and said “This is going to be interesting.” He took a bite, his eyes got big, and he said “If you hadn’t told me these were Keto, I’d have never known.” These are awesome! Next time I’ll try glazing. I was out of heavy cream. Can’t wait!
Nikki
0Wanted to make this but didn’t have a donut pan so managed to turn these into muffins, absolutely delicious. My expectations were low since most of the keto desserts I’ve made were dry & crumbly but the muffins turned out nice & moist. Couldn’t even tell they were keto.
Lourdes
0Amazing recipe! I used the Besti Sugar blend and it was delicious!! I’m baking the recipe as a cake!! Let’s see how it goes!!!
Susan
0Hi, I would really like to try this recipe but my husband is allergic to almonds. Is there other things that I could use in place of the almond flour and almond milk for this recipe and others?
Melissa
0Hi Susan, 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!