These amazing keto donuts taste almost like the real thing. The moist, delicate crumb and the luscious chocolate glaze are wonderful!
They're really good with just the glaze, but it's also fun to use different toppings, such as crushed nuts and shredded coconut.
These wonderful donuts are yet another proof that one can indulge in amazing treats even on a low-carb diet. They are soft, moist, and wonderfully chocolaty. They remind me of chocolate cake donuts - an old favorite. 🍩
You'll need a donut pan to make them, but other than this special piece of equipment, making them is a straightforward affair and not particularly challenging. The only reason I don't make them often is that they're so irresistible, I tend to overindulge!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these tasty keto donuts. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Eggs: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, this one included.
- Unsalted butter: I love using European butter, it's so flavorful.
- Milk: Only three tablespoons. You can replace it with heavy cream if you wish.
- Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite, which pretty much eliminates the bitter aftertaste typical of stevia products. You can probably replace it with a granulated sweetener.
- Coconut flour: An excellent flour substitute. Try to measure it by weight if you can. Every extra gram makes a difference in this ultra-dry ingredient.
- Cocoa powder: It's best to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Salt and baking soda: If you'd like to try using gluten-free baking powder (though I haven't tested it in this recipe), remember that ¼ teaspoon of baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- For the glaze: Dark chocolate chips and avocado oil. I use extra dark chocolate chips (85% cacao) to make the glaze. You can find them on Amazon (I included a link below in the recipe card). You can also use extra-dark chocolate such as Lindt 85% or Lindt 90%. You could use stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, but personally, I'm not a huge fan of them and prefer to use the real thing.
Instructions
Making these keto donuts is easy! The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
- You start by whisking all the ingredients (except for the glaze ingredients) in a single bowl.
- Next, add the batter to a greased silicone donut pan. Bake the donuts in a 350°F oven for about 17 minutes.
- The donuts are really good at this point! But we do want to glaze them. So your next steps are to completely cool them, then carefully remove them from the pan and glaze them. Allow the glaze to set, then enjoy!
Expert tip
The baking soda in this recipe needs an acid to react with. The milk provides some, via lactic acid. But for best results, it's best to use natural cocoa powder and not Dutch-processed cocoa powder that was treated with alkali.
The natural cocoa powder is acidic and will react with the baking soda to produce fluffy donuts.
Frequently asked questions
It's really important to use a silicone donut pan. These donuts are made with coconut flour and stick to metal pans - including nonstick ones.
They sometimes very lightly stick even to silicone. So when it's time to release them from the pan, do so very slowly, using a knife or a tiny rubber spatula to very gently separate them from the pan as needed.
They can be made with any low-carb flour. Two popular choices are almond flour and coconut flour. In this particular recipe, we're using coconut flour.
It's especially suitable for donuts because it tends to produce baked goods with a slightly spongy texture, which works well in a donut recipe.
Unfortunately, you can't. This recipe was specifically written for coconut flour, which is extremely absorbent and needs extra eggs and liquids to prevent baked goods from being too dry.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- As mentioned above, you can use heavy cream instead of milk.
- You can use baking powder instead of baking soda (gluten-free if needed). You'll need 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- I like to top the donuts with shredded coconuts and chopped nuts. Another tasty option is to drizzle the donuts with melted peanut butter.
Serving suggestions
These donuts are very rich and are best served as dessert. However, on occasion, I do serve them for an indulgent breakfast - they're perfect with a strong cup of coffee!
Reader reviews
KetoChris made this recipe, loved it, and posted this beautiful photo on Instagram, which she graciously allowed me to feature here. It makes me want to make this recipe again, right now!
And Mel posted this gorgeous photo of her own creation:
She says: "Just in time for National Donut Day! Found a keto donut recipe that may just work as a cake recipe! These donuts are more of a cake-like moist donut! So good!
I only glazed 2 of them so the others we can try with other glazes. This recipe is kid and hubby approved! Little man kept walking to the kitchen asking what's that smell!? while they were baking."
Storing leftovers
Once completely cool, keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a single layer in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Remove them from the fridge 30-60 minutes before you plan on eating them. Chocolate always tastes best at room temperature.
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Recipe card
Keto Donuts with a Chocolate Glaze
INGREDIENTS
Donuts:
- Nonstick oil for pan
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (112 grams)
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals ⅓ cup sugar)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not treated with alkali)*
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Glaze:
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips (4.5 oz)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 10 silicone donut pan cavities.
- Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, milk and stevia.
- Whisk in the coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Fill the pan cavities ¾ full. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the donuts comes out clean, about 17 minutes.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, in 30-second intervals, stirring after each session. Stir in the avocado oil.
- Gently run a knife around the edges and center of each donut. Carefully release them from the pan. Dip each donut into the glaze.
- If desired, sprinkle the donuts with toppings such as shredded coconut or chopped nuts, or drizzle them with melted peanut butter.
- Cool the donuts until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes, then serve.
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NOTES
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 