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?
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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This is a pretty basic almond flour recipe that works as muffins too.
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.
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.
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.
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!
More keto donut recipes you might like
- Keto Chocolate Donuts
- Coconut Flour Samoa Donuts
- Maple Bacon Donuts
- Chocolate Dipped Mini Keto Donuts
- Lemon Poppyseed Donuts
- Keto Strawberry Donuts
Keto Cinnamon Donuts
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
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.
Pam Dugan says
These sound amazing. What are your thoughts of making them in a mini waffle iron. I have been making various “chaffles”.
Carolyn says
Sorry, I really can’t say how that would work out. I haven’t tried it myself.
Jennifer says
Just made these and they are so tasty! I didn’t use any glaze, I found they didn’t need it and I browned the 3 tbsp butter in the dough for extra depth. I made them in a silicone donut pan with no problems releasing them. Even my 7 year old loved them and she eats Dunkin’! I froze them with no issues. I just thaw on the counter so they are ready for afternoon coffee.
Fatima W says
These are amazing. It is my go to doughnut recipe for keto. I once substituted vanilla collagen protein when I didn’t have whey protein and they were still amazing. Love them!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Nancy says
I was looking for some that didn’t taste like sawdust and I finally found it! I made the chocolate ones as a test run after I got my doughnut pan and they were okay. So when I made the Cinnamon donuts I use 1/2 Almond and 1/2 Coconut flour and toasted the flour in the oven until it was light brown before I used it. I doubled the cinnamon and added a pinch of nutmeg. This is the first time I actually enjoyed something made out of Coconut or Almond flour! My husband agreed that these are good! Thank you!
Nicole Carroll says
So. Freaking. Good. I didn’t have swerve so used Lakanto Classic, and am allergic to chicken eggs so I used 2 duck eggs minus maybe a TBS or so due to size difference. When I tried one, I did a double take in my head because I couldn’t believe how tasty, moist and cake like these were. I expected decent and got amazing. The doughnuts came out perfect. I don’t like glazed doughnuts so didn’t top these. Thank you so much for this not so little piece of heaven!
Erin says
My daughter made these for me the other day. The donuts are amazing but the glaze way too sweet, it hurt my stomach. Do you have any other kind of glaze to put on top? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Just skip it!
Vivian says
Can you use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Annette Flanery says
Does it make a difference if we dont add the whey protein?
Carolyn says
Yes, it certainly does. Watch the video and you will understand why it’s important.
Kai says
These are delicious! How long do they keep on the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer?
Pat says
Can you sub collagen powder for the whey protein? If so, same amount? Thank you
Carolyn says
No, it makes baked goods gummy and hard to cook through. YOu’re better off skipping the protein powder altogether in that case.
Pat says
Thank you.
Fawn says
Can you use Monkfruit sweetener instead of Swerve? Or do you recommend jus using swerve since it has worked best for you? I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love donuts way too much to give them up completely!
Carolyn says
If by “monk fruit sweetener” you mean a blend like Lakanto, then yes. But REAL monk fruit is a highly concentrated extract.
Jennifer says
How much vanilla should I add if I’m using plain whey protein?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
1/2 a teaspoon should do it!
Karin Owens says
Made these this morning for my family. So yummy! They were a hit with everyone, even my non-low carb kids. My husband and I were pleasantly pleased. Lol Will definitely make again!! I love browned butter so I knew I had to make the glaze as well. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Happy to hear it!
Sara says
So delicious!! I used vegan butter and a pea protein powder. I am so happy to have found this recipe. Will definitely be a go to when I’m craving something light and sweet.
Rebecca says
I don’t have donut molds, so I did attempt making them in the smaller rings of a Kransekake mold, but they come out too thin. I decided to try them in mini muffin tins and I am able to get 24 mini muffins per batch making them about 1 carb each. They are perfect for a quick sweet snack and my husband loves them! The browned butter glaze is to die for!! I’ve made these several times now and they are a regular in our house! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Geral says
These donuts are as delicious as they look. I made sure to buy the pan Carolyn suggested, followed the recipe exactly, and was rewarded with amazing donuts.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Lynn says
If I have one weakness, it’s donuts. I’ve tried other recipes, and they didn’t come close now I’ve tossed out all my other donut recipes because no one’s can compare to this recipe. I just dusted mine in a mixture of Swerve sugar and brown sugar and they were amazing. Next time I’ll do the icing, too. Many thanks for all you do for us keto-its!
Carolyn says
That’s a lovely compliment, thank you!
Maria C Rodrigues says
Is there a protein powder that you recommend?
Carolyn says
I just recommend grassfed, mostly.
Anna says
Low-carb donuts sound heavenly! Love the brown butter glaze!
Erin says
These make for the perfect breakfast or treat! Love the glaze!