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Published: Jan 8, 2020 · Modified: Jul 9, 2021 by Carolyn

Keto Cinnamon Donuts

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Prize winning keto donuts! These tender almond flour donuts feature a dreamy brown butter glaze. Seriously, what’s not to love about this delicious sugar-free treat?

Close up shot of cinnamon keto donuts on a white plate with a bite taken out of one.

Prize winning keto donuts? Okay, I confess, it’s more like keto recipe battle winning.

If you’ve ever seen the fun and hilarious High Falutin’ Low Carb on YouTube, you know what I am talking about. He takes two similar recipes from low carb bloggers and tries them both out, on camera.

And then of course he declares a winner. He’s an absolute hoot to watch so I highly recommend seeking him out. It’s all done with good humour and good grace.

Honestly, I had all but forgotten about these delicious keto cinnamon donuts, since I originally wrote the recipe back in 2012. But his recent video brought it back into my sights and I decided to have a go at it again myself and do my own instructional video. So now you can see first hand just how delicious and easy they are to make.

Two keto cinnamon glazed donuts on a white plate on a white napkin. A cup of coffee and a cooling rack with more donuts in the background.

Browning butter is incredibly easy!

Brown butter is absolutely magical and it can totally transform your recipes from pretty good to absolutely outstanding. It’s great in sweet and savory recipes, everything from Brown Butter Chicken to my famous keto blondies.

How to make brown butter

Place it in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and watch it carefully, as it can burn if you’re not paying attention. For ¼ cup to ½ cup butter, it usually only takes 4 to 5 minutes to achieve a rich amber color.

The froth can sometimes obscure the color, making it hard see if the butter is properly browned. Grab a spoon and push some of the froth aside to check it. You can also swirl the pan a bit if the butter is browning unevenly.

Remove it from heat as soon as you see a deep amber color, as it will burn very quickly after that.

A pile of keto cinnamon donuts on a cutting board a white table.

How to make keto donuts

The baking pan:

Thank goodness for donut pans! It’s made a world of difference for those of us who can’t, or don’t want to, eat the sugary high carb variety.

I highly recommend the donut pan from USA Pan, as it’s incredibly non-stick and your keto donuts will practically fall right out of them. Yes, it is pricier than most, but you are paying for durability. I have learned in my many years of baking that quality matters. Purchase a ten dollar pan and you will likely be tossing it in a few years when it everything starts sticking. Purchase a good pan and it will last you forever.

The keto flour:

Keto donuts can be made with any number of low carb flours. My Keto Chocolate Donuts are made with coconut flour and it’s one of my most popular recipes. I’ve also made keto donuts with a combination of almond and coconut flours, and I’ve even made some donuts with hazelnut flour.

This particular keto donut recipe is made with almond flour, and they are light and fluffy, and absolutely delicious. To be honest, they are good enough on their own. But then that brown butter glaze takes them to new heights.

The keto sweetener:

I am a big fan of Swerve and their powdered sweetener is beyond compare, in my opinion. I recommend Swerve for this recipe, especially in the glaze as it helps give it the right consistency.

If you want other options, your best bets are BochaSweet or Lakanto. Do be aware that Lakanto powdered sweetener is 2x as sweet and so you need less of it, which will make your glaze a lot thinner.

Additionally, BochaSweet powdered sweetener is very clumpy so break it up before you try to make the glaze. You also may find that your glaze is softer and thinner as well.

The protein powder:

Yes, it is a critical ingredient. I wouldn’t add it to a recipe if it wasn’t. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.

Every time I skip the protein powder, I regret it. Don’t do it! But you can sub egg white protein instead.

The brown butter glaze:

Be patient and let that brown butter cool properly before adding it to the glaze. You will regret it if you rush the process as the glaze will clump up and then separate.

The brown butter should be just cool to the touch but still liquid. Slowly drizzle it into your sweetener, whisking constantly. The mixture will be thick until you add the cream and then it should become a thick frosting that you can spread on your donuts.

If you would prefer a thinner glaze, just add a little more cream.

Two keto donuts on a white plate over a striped napkin, with a cup of coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have a donut pan, can I make these as muffins?

Absolutely! This is a pretty basic almond flour recipe that works as muffins too.

Can I make these keto donuts with coconut flour?

This recipe is almond flour based and it’s hard to sub one for the other. However, if you look up my Samoa Donuts recipe, you will find a very good base donut made with coconut flour. Use that and add a little cinnamon.

Do I have to use the protein powder?

You can skip it, but it does help the consistency of the donuts and makes them lighter and fluffier. If you leave it out, be prepared for them to not rise as well and be a little more fragile. See the How To section about why protein powder helps keto baked goods.

Can you use collagen protein powder?

This is not a good substitute, as it tends to make keto donuts very gummy and hard to cook through. Use whey, egg white, or plant-based protein powders.

Can I use a different sweetener?

The donuts are fine with any sweetener you like best, but the glaze really needs a powdered sugar substitute. Please see the How To section for recommendations.

There you have it, my friends. An updated version of my delicious Keto Cinnamon Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze. You are going to love them!

Two glazed keto donuts on a white plate in front of a cup of coffee and a white coffee pot.

More keto donut recipes you might like

Keto Cinnamon Donuts

Prize winning keto donuts! Tender almond flour cinnamon donuts with a dreamy brown butter glaze. Seriously, what’s not to love about this delicious sugar-free treat?

4.80 from 29 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto donut recipe, low carb donuts

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 38

Servings: Donuts

Calories: 287kcal

Ingredients

Donuts:

1 ½ cups almond flour
6 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
2 tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 tablespoon butter melted
¼ cup almond milk (can sub half cream and half water)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

3 tablespoon butter
7 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
1 to 2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Donuts

Preheat the oven to 325F and grease 8 wells of a donut pan (If your pan only holds 6, you can make muffins with the remaining batter or work in batches).
In a large bowl, whisk together teh almond flour, Swerve, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir in the eggs, melted butter, almond milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Fill the donut pan wells approximately ⅔ full and bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until the donuts are lightly browned and set.
Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with any remaining batter.

Glaze

Melt the butter in small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool about 10 minutes.
Place the powdered Swerve in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the browned butter until well combined. The mixture will be quite thick.
Stir in 1 tablespoon of the cream at a time until a spreadable consistency is achieved. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Spread glaze on cooled donuts and let set, about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

*How many donuts you get will depend on the size of your donut pan. Some are a little bigger than others.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Cinnamon Donuts

Amount Per Serving (1 donut)

Calories 287 Calories from Fat 224

% Daily Value*

Fat 24.9g38%

Carbohydrates 6.8g2%

Fiber 3.2g13%

Protein 9g18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Keto Cinnamon Donuts