This easy recipe makes Low Carb Chocolate Donuts that are keto friendly and grain-free, but still tender and tasty. They make the perfect chocolate treat for people on low-carb or gluten free diets. I may be biased, but I think this may be the best keto chocolate donut recipe on the web.
(I’m updating this post to add additional information and process photos. This post was originally published on June 27th, 2017.)
The recipe for our Keto-Friendly, Low Carb Chocolate Donuts
I love chocolate! I mean, I really love chocolate! One of the best things about chocolate, other than the addictive taste, of course, is that it is loaded with antioxidants. It also packs a healthy punch of magnesium.
What is better than plain chocolate? Chocolate donuts, of course! These donuts have rich chocolate flavor and a spongy texture. I love having some in the fridge for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Because these donuts travel well, I almost always make them before I go on a road trip. It’s hard to find low-carb snacks on the road, so I pile these in a tin and take them along in a cooler.
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Does it make sense to purchase a donut pan?
One thing that kept me from making donuts for so long is that they require a special pan. I hesitated to purchase donut pans, partly because I thought the donuts would seem fake-like a cupcake masquerading as a donut.
I also have limited storage in my kitchen, so I like everything in my kitchen to have more than one purpose. Donut pans, well, they are only good for making donuts. Finally, an intense longing for chocolate donuts changed my mind and I purchased a two pack of these pans.
I don’t regret the purchase one bit. The donuts look beautiful on both sides-like a, well, a donut. The donut pans found a home among my versatile cookie sheets and I find I use them frequently. Since I developed this recipe, I make these donuts at least once a week. They are fast, easy and tasty–perfect for even weekday mornings! Who knows, maybe I’ll find an additional use for the donut pans. Bagels, anyone?
How to serve keto friendly, Low Carb Chocolate Donuts
While these donuts can be served by themselves, I like to jazz them up a bit. I like to glaze them with my low carb hot fudge sauce. You just can’t beat chocolate drizzled over chocolate.
If you want to make them even more decadent, you can add some shredded coconut or chocolate chips over the fudge goodness.
If you prefer a contrasting glaze, you might want to check out this sugar free glaze from Foodaciously. Another option for a topping is my Orange Scented Low-Carb Glaze. This glaze is a dairy-free/Paleo option.
If you’re short on time, but still want to add a special touch, a dusting of powdered sweetener is the way to go. To do this, simply put a bit of powdered sweetener in a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle a dusting of sweet snow over top. A tea strainer works great for this.
What sweetener should I use for these keto-friendly chocolate donuts?
Final words about our Keto-Friendly Chocolate Donuts
Who elos loves chocolate donuts? This recipe for Grain-Free Chocolate Donuts makes a low-carb and keto-friendly version that you’re going to love!
Low Carb Chocolate Donuts
These Low Carb Chocolate Donuts are keto friendly and grain-free. These baked chocolate treats are tender and tasty.
Ingredients
- Coconut oil spray to coat donut pans
- 2 cups super fine almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup granulated stevia/erythritol blend Pyure--2x sweeter than sugar.*
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two donut pans (each with room for six donuts) lavishly with oil.
In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking soda and sweetener. Use a whisk to mix thoroughly.
Add melted coconut oil or butter to dry ingredients and stir until absorbed.
In a smaller mixing bowl, wisk the eggs, then whisk in the vanilla extract and almond milk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir batter until smooth
- Spoon into prepared donut pans.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Donuts are done when the top springs back when touched. Place pans on a cooling rack and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
Recipe Notes
Adding the melted coconut oil and combining it before the cold wet ingredients helps prevent it from becoming a solid mass in the batter.
*Allulose may be used, but the amount must be doubled and they won't be quite as sweet as the ones that use Pyure. They will, however, have a softer consistency.
GREAT RECIPES!, LOVE DONUTS!.
I love donuts too! I make this recipe a few times a month. They make a great “grab-n-go” breakfast or snack.
What is the “icing” on the donut please?
Nikki,
I think I thinned out the following recipe with some cream for the photo: Low-Carb Cream Cheese FrostingSome other ideas for a glaze for these donuts are as follows:Orange Scented Low-Carb Glaze, Low-Carb Hot Fudge Sauce. I think the Fudge sauce would be fantastic with them. It thickens as it cools and would make a great glaze for chocolate lovers. The Orange Scented Glaze is dairy-free.
How did you thin out the cream cheese frosting?
I believe I used heavy whipping cream. I
Annissa
Oh, I love donuts! I may need to look into some donut pans, too!
This is the first time I’ve tried making LC donuts and it was a huge success. I made them with the help of my 6 & 8 year old granddaughters. They were intrigued with the idea of making donuts at home. Their eyes got very big when I told them that they were healthy donuts! They were easy and tasted great. Thanks so much!
I’m glad you all enjoyed them! We put that recipe up in our early days, but it’s still a go-to recipe for me. I love taking these donuts on road trips for a snack.
-Annissa
I am going to make these (CUTTING THE RECIPE IN HALF), but before I do I need to know if I can replace the 3 whole eggs with 3 egg whites?
Thanks!
Monika,
I don’t think that would be a problem. The egg yolks help to moisten the donuts,so they may be a bit drier than they would be using whole eggs. This dryness could be offset by adding a tablespoon of an oil of your choice.
-Annissa
Has anyone tried freezing these? I’d love to make them…even 1/2 a recipe…but with just me & hubs, I don’t need them hanging around on my kitchen counter!!
Hi Kay,
I can’t remember if I’ve frozen these or not, but I don’t think it would be a problem.
-Annissa
I made these this morning and they were soooo good! My husband ate 3 when I wasn’t lookong! I can’t wait to make these again. They were very easy!
Have you ever made these without cocoa powder? I’m curious how they would turn out plain so I can experiment with different toppings.
Glad you like the recipe! I have made these without cocoa powder. I altered this recipe to make a lemon donut recipe. Have fun making your own creation!
-Annissa
I am so excited to have stumbled upon your site. I have ankylosing spondylitis and I am really trying to eliminate the foods that cause inflammation. I have noticed a good number of your recipes call for granulated stevia. I really don’t feel well when I use this…are there any other things I could use in its place?
Julie,
I am so happy that you are trying to decrease the cause of your inflammation, rather than just hide the symptoms with a pill! The sweetener I use for almost all of my recipes is Pyure which is a blend of erythritol and stevia. I use this because erythritol tends to affect blood sugar less than other sugar alcohols and is also easier to digest. The cooling effect of erythritol is offset by the addition of stevia. The stevia makes it sweeter so you don’t need to use as much so it limits the cooling effect. I also love that Pyure comes from organic sources.
Pyure is twice as sweet as sugar. You can usually substitute any other sweetener, but be sure to adjust for the sweetness level. For example, if the sweetener you use measures the same as sugar, you will need to use twice the amount I use of Pyure. Sometimes this can cause issues because of the added bulk. Mostly, it should work out fine. I generally try to stay away from chemical sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame. I also don’t use sweeteners that include maltodextrin, which is a form of sugar, or sugar itself. Sugar tends to fuel inflammation.
Good luck in your journey to health!
-Annissa
Simply amazing!!! I put the dough into a gallon ziplock bag and then cut the corner to make it easier to place into the donut pan so the bag acted like piping, and it was a total hit! Going to make the low carb hot fudge sauce tomorrow to top these bad boys!
I love the idea of using a plastic bag to get them in the donut pan! If you have any hot fudge sauce left over, you can use it to try our hot chocolate recipe.
-Annissa
I love this recipe, it’s so good, I don’t add the chocolate on top.
Tammy,
I don’t always make the fudge sauce either. They are good by themselves, but the fudge sauce looks good in pictures.;)
-Annissa
No doughnut pan. Do you think this would work as a bundt cake?
I think I would try it as muffins before I would as a bundt cake. The size is more similar. It may very well work as a bundt cake, but the baking time will be longer. Good luck and have fun!
Can you use a mini-bundt pan instead of a donut pan? I already have one of those…
I think a mini-bundt pan should work fine. The cooking time may need to be increased slightly.
-Annissa
I made these last night, but i made them in a donut hole pan, i topped them with some sugar free peanut butter and dark chocolate sauce, and sprinkled some unsweetened coconut on some of them, they are all delicious!
I love the addition of peanut butter! Sounds yummy!
-Annissa
Can I use confectioners swerve?
Sure! The only thing you will need to change is to adjust the amount of sweetener as I use Pyure which is twice as sweet as Swerve. To adjust, you will need to use twice as much.
-Annissa
Really looking forward to making these. However, is there a way to make these gluten free? I dont think its the same as grain free.
These donuts are gluten free as well as grain-free. Just be sure that all of the ingredients you use do not contain gluten. Enjoy!
-Annissa
Can you substitute coconut flour instead of almond flour for these?
No. There are a lot of other changes that would need to be made for that substitution to work.
-Annissa
These were so delicious. I didn’t have unsweetened almond milk but used unsweetened chocolate almond milk instead…yummy. Thanks so much for this recipe…makes low carb so easy!
This was delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect!
Do you know if making these in a silicone donut pan would alter the bake time up or down? They look delicious and I can hardly wait to try them!
You will need to increase the baking time a bit.
-Annissa
I made them in a mini-muffin pan. Delicious
Made 24 and took 12 minutes.
These are amazing. Soft and a really good crumb. Baked mine in a greased, non stick donut pan for about 15 min at the 350. Came out of the pans beautifully.