Low carb grain free chocolate donuts with a sweet Irish Cream glaze. Perfect for any St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Plus a great recipe for sugar-free Irish Cream.
Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, St. Paddy’s Day is a-comin’. Yep, that’s my version of a very bad Irish brogue. My apologies to the Irish people, I know you don’t really speak that way. Just as I know you don’t eat corned beef and cabbage and drink green beer on March 17th. But we here in North America sure like to pretend you do. Just as we all like to pretend for that one day that we are all Irish. Sure, many of us, myself included, have plenty of Irish heritage in our backgrounds. But let’s face it, we are really just using the day as an excuse to kick up our heels and drink beer, green or not. And I have a true love of corned beef and cabbage, it’s one of my favourite meals. This year, I am attempting to corn my own beef, per a recipe out of Cook’s Illustrated. If it works, I will share it, but not quite in time for St. Paddy’s.
But I did decide to jump on the holiday blogging train and come up with a recipe I could share ahead of the day (just barely, since it’s tomorrow!). I’m not always good in this regard, but I woke up one morning early this week with the notion to bake up some donuts. And it occurred to me that the bottle of Bailey’s that has been languishing in the back of my refrigerator would make a great glaze to a chocolate donut. I don’t actually like Irish Cream that much myself, but I thought that paired with chocolate, it would taste mighty fine. And would you know? I was right!
Now, if you are concerned with the carb content of Bailey’s Irish Cream, you have some options here. First know that Bailey’s contains about 11 g of carbs per serving and a serving is 3 tablespoons (a standard jigger in cocktail making). This recipe only uses 3 tablespoons of Irish Cream so it only adds about 1 g of carbs per donut.
That said, I know many readers like to avoid sugar in all forms, so you can also make your own sugar-free Bailey’s and it’s not very hard to do at all. I created a recipe for Sheknows.com and it’s a great option for a low carb Irish Cream. You can use it in this recipe or just drink it straight if you like. And it comes in at a whooping 1 g of carbs per 2 tablespoons. So it adds practically nothing to the overall carb count of these donuts. Check out my Sugar-Free Irish Cream recipe here.
Chocolate Donuts with Irish Cream Glaze – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup granulated Swerve Sweetener
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla stevia liquid extract
- OR ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia extract
- ½ cup almond milk
Irish Cream Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3 tablespoon Irish Cream liqueur or Sugar-Free Irish Cream
- 1 to 3 tablespoon almond milk
Instructions
Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a donut tin.
- In a large bowl whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Stir in eggs, butter, vanilla and stevia (or vanilla stevia liquid) until thoroughly combined. Add almond milk and stir until smooth.
- Fill holes of donut tin ⅔ full (you will have to do 2 to 3 batches if you only have one donut pan). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until set and donuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
Glaze:
- Whisk together powdered sweetener and Irish Cream in a small bowl until smooth (mixture will be very thick). Stir in almond milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, drizzly consistency is achieved. Spread evenly over cooled donuts.
Notes
Total fat: 14.75g
Calories from fat: 132
Cholesterol: 56mg
Carbohydrate: 7.08g
Total dietary fiber: 3.83g
Protein: 6.60g
Michelle says
Anyone else not do well on sugar alcohols? And why is everything a blend? Just want some pure stevia or monk fruit but they all seem to have erythritol etc! And it’s coconut sugar helpful/lowish carb or no? Thanks!
Carolyn says
There definitely is pure monk fruit extract: https://amzn.to/3k4cHsq
It’s just that because it’s so concentrated, it doesn’t have any bulk and so bakes very differently.
Sheri says
What can I use if I don’t have liquid stevia?
Carolyn says
Any sweetener will do. Add to taste.
Nancy Scarselletta says
These donuts are amazingly delicious. I have made the several times…my husband also likes them so the don’t last long.
Since I cannot have sugar, I have also made the sugar free Irish Cream…delicious!!!!
Using swerve for the glaze, it turn out grainy. Today
Y I am going to try half swerve and half powdered xylitol to see if the texture will be less grainy…the texture was as if I had used granulated…instead of powdered.
My donut pans are for the smaller donuts so I get 16 to 18 donuts out of this recipe.
They also freeze well…. VERY YUMMY!!!!!
Thank you, Carolyn
Jessica says
What would you suggest as a substitute for the Irish Creme in the glaze? Could I just add more almond milk? I’m thinking maybe the sweetened vanilla variety.
Carolyn says
That would be fine.
Frodosdojo says
I have trouble pinning your recipes – the pictures don’t show up and it prevents the pin. Your site is the only one I have this problem with. Do you have any suggestions ?
Carolyn says
It’s Pinterest, not me. It’s glitchy sometimes, you simply need to close out and go back in. It may also be your browser. But this happens to me sometimes on other people’s sites.
Stacy says
I usually have to tweak things for what I have on hand. I made these this morning in addition to your peppermint truffles. I had to use heavy cream instead of almond milk and added some Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips I had on hand. Delicious. We have breakfast ready for the week. Thank you.
Della says
Love Your Blog!!! I will use it in your donut recipe and to sweeten heavy whipping cream when I whip it! Do we need to put our email in the comment or does the “Email” field do the trick?
Della
Carolyn says
Your fine, your email came up. Thanks!