Low Carb Coconut Flour Donuts have real fried donut flavour. Grain-free and gluten-free, this homemade fried donuts recipe makes the best sugar free donuts I’ve ever eaten.
I am about to toot my own horn here. You ready for this? You might want to stand back, it’s going to be a bit loud. Cover your ears!
YIPPEE, I MADE FRIED COCONUT FLOUR DONUTS! Sorry about the all caps, but it needed to be done. I needed to shout a little bit, because coconut flour is such a tricky ingredient and getting it to fry up without disintegrating in the oil is a sweet little accomplishment for me. And by sweet, I mean sweet with that real fried donut flavour. Baked donuts are all very well and good and I love them, but this homemade fried donuts recipe is everything a donut should be.
And I am very thankful for whoever invented the donut pan, as it allows us home cooks to easily whip up baked donuts for breakfast. But let’s face it…baked donuts are really donut-shaped muffins or cupcakes. As a general rule, I am okay with that. It’s really a lovely thing to have another shape for my muffins and my cupcakes, especially since they delight my kids so much. Somehow, being circular with a hole in the middle makes those donut muffins that much more exciting to my kids.
Fried Coconut Flour Donuts
But fried donuts are another creature altogether. They have an intensity that is unrivaled by other baked goods, by virtue of the fact that they are fried. In fat. And in my world, that’s a very good thing. A healthy thing, assuming you are using quality oils and not yucky processed or hydrogenated stuff. Quality oils will soak beautifully into fried donuts, giving them a deeper, more satisfying flavour. And they will be good for you too, as long as they are not full of sugar and other carbs. They will keep you full longer, give you more energy and increase your good cholesterol. All that from a fried donuts recipe? You bet.
But here’s the tricky part. Almond flour and coconut flour don’t really lend themselves well to being cooked in oil. Lacking the magical binding properties of gluten, things made with almond or coconut flour tend to simply disintegrate when subjected to hot oil. I’ve tried it before, and ended up with a pan of oil and a lot of little bits floating around. Fried coconut flour crumbs don’t quite have the caché of fried coconut donuts, do they? Plus I wasn’t ever sure how to get a nice round donut with a hole in the middle without special equipment. But my solution to this was rather brilliant, if I do say so myself.
I baked them first and THEN I fried them. Yup. These coconut flour donuts are baked and fried, and they’re awesome. This way, they hold their round, lovely shape, they soak in some lovely, healthy oil, and they taste phenomenal. It’s an extra step, but it’s so worth it!
PS – I highly recommend using the Wilton Non-stick Donut Pan. I had a cheaper one, with smaller cavities, and it’s non-stick ability wore off quite quickly. My kids bought the Wilton version for me for Mother’s Day and it’s been a treat to use. Treat it kindly so it keeps non-sticking for a while! I help my donuts release by inserting a thin rubber spatula between the donuts and the pan, and I always clean it with a soft cloth.
Looking for more tasty donut recipes? These Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts from Gluten-Free Palate and these maple-bacon doughnuts from It’s Yummi look amazing. They are not low carb, but I bet the recipes could be adapted!
Fried Coconut Flour Donuts – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Donuts:
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener or other erythritol
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon stevia
- Oil for frying coconut, grapeseed, etc.
Coating:
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut lightly toasted
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or other powdered erythritol
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a donut pan well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder and salt.
- Stir in eggs, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla and stevia until well combined and batter is smooth.
- Fill wells in donut pan about ⅔ full (you will have leftover batter and will need to do another batch).
- Bake about 16 minutes, or until set and just barely brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter (I got 10 donuts out of my pan).
- In a large skillet, add oil so it is about ½ inch deep. Heat over medium heat.
- While oil is heating, combine toasted coconut and powdered sweetener in a medium bowl.
- Once the oil is hot, add 5 or 6 donuts to the pan. Flip after 1 to 2 minutes (they brown quickly), and cook the other side another minute or so. Remove from the pan and quickly dip each side in the coconut coating, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Let cool slightly on wire rack (they are really good warm out of the oil!).
Patty says
I made these today as mini-donuts for portion control! (Not that it helped much-I just ate more of them). They were so good! I rolled half in powdered Swerve and dipped half in chocolate. I’m not sure which I like better, but the donut itself is perfect. Tender, moist inside with a slightly crisp outside. Total perfection! Thank you for yet another perfect recipe!
Linda says
Hi Carolyn,
Donuts are next on my list of TO DOs and of COURSE you had a fried recipe when I googled keto fried donuts (yea you!).
Unrelated to the frying part – I have a silicone donut baking pan, which I’ve yet to use, but I noticed you use a metal (wilton) non-stick here. Do you still use that type of pan? The wells in mine are pretty small so I was thinking of upgrading to something bigger.
Thanks and can’t wait to fry! 🙂
Regards,
Linda
Carolyn says
Yes, I LOVE my USA Pan donut pan! Super non-stick. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DS0U8I/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B008DS0U8I&linkId=b72cf6962a6228390d6a052eafdadbc5
linda says
Thank you!
Nivasha says
I made these last night and they turned out great! Not as thick as yours though so maybe my pan is bigger. I coated them in a cinnamon-xylitol mix because my husband doesn’t love coconut. It worked so well!!! Everyone loved them!! 😍😍
Marina Olsson says
Hi, thank you for sharing the recipe. How important is 1/4 cup of sweetener? Can i use stevia powder instead?
Kind regards
Marina
Carolyn says
You can sweeten these with your preferred sweetener.
Tiffany says
Thank you, thank you!I made mine “sugar” and cinnamon with Erythritol.
Like a french toast donut!! Kids loved them, would love to add cacao powder next time. Definitely satisfied the donut craving and so simple. Thank you so much for giving us tasty keto food to enjoy! Wish i could post a pic, but i did on pinterest! Cant wait to have all of your books!
Mel says
Would it be possible to deep fry these beauties?
Mary McKinney says
I made these this morning to satisfy a donut craving and they were amazing! I did sub the swerve and stevia with Just Like Sugar.
Sonja says
I love your blog and I just bought Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen. I was wondering what you would add to these to make them chocolate coconut donuts (my favorite flavour from Tim Hortons).
Carolyn says
I’ve already done the work for you! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-classic-chocolate-donuts/
Esther R. says
These taste just like a raised fried donut!! The are amazingly great !!!
Sherry M Glenn says
Can these be baked one day and then fried the next morning for a quick breakfast. I am new to watching for carbs and sugar. Just been told I am borderline diabetic and there is diabetic history in my family so I am attempting to be proactive. Just looking for ways to have foods that satisfy both my needs and my wants since I love donuts. Plus I know a lot of people that are diabetic that could use someone to help with options.
Carolyn says
Pretty sure that would work.
Cristy says
Hey!! So I am beyond excited to try these out for Hanukkah!! I am wondering…. do you think I could use a muffin pan regular, mini or both… so I don’t have a hole in the middle… so I can fill them with jelly?!
Carolyn says
I think so…not sure of the baking time, though.
Annie says
I just made these. They really are wonderful. My husband really liked then too! I added pumpkin spice to the second batch that went into the oven. Both were so good.
I used a glaze for the topping. 1/4 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup Swerve, 1/3 cup Splenda, Mix, 1 tsp vanilla, heavy whipping cream until reaches the right consistency. It looks grainy but the texture is actually smooth.
I will be making these on a regular basis. Thank you for a great recipe!
glory says
Nice
Heidi McDow says
These are SO good! I also kicked them up a notch and added a drizzle of sugar-free caramel and melted sugar-free chocolate chips. Viola.. Samoa donuts:) Love your site, I have found so many recipes on here that are now a staple in our Keto lifestyle. Keep up the tasty good work:)
Melissa says
Hi!
Is the swerve granulated or powdered ? Would it make a difference ? (I never bake :p)
Thanks !
Carolyn says
Granulated in the donuts themselves and powdered when you dip them. Although you could easily use powdered in the donut too.
shannon says
My second try at these was also a flop. I sprayed my pan like crazy and they still stuck and were impossible to get out. The flavor is great but I just threw away another batch and it pains me since I used 4 organic free range eggs. Ugh, love your other recipes though!
Carolyn says
I think it has to be your donut pan. I had a Wilton one that was great at first and then started to stick more and more. I now have a USA Pan, they are fabulously non stick! http://amzn.to/2kN14sQ (affiliate link)
Eileen says
We’ve been on a “fauxnut” kick here for the past week or so. I’ve been using your Vanilla Bean cupcake recipe — just baking them in a donut pan instead of a cupcake tin — and topping them with chocolate glaze and shredded coconut, and the kids have been delighted. But they’re not really “donut” texture. I’m eager to try some of your actual donut recipes to see how you’ve dealt with that.
My concern of late, though, is calories. I know it’s not as important a concern on a low carb diet, but once you’ve made the jump to a low carb lifestyle, it’s a detail that eventually matters. Does your calorie count for these donuts include the frying fat, and if so, how do you calculate it?
Thanks. I love, love, love this site, and may be your biggest work-of-mouth promoter on the planet! 🙂
Carolyn says
It does not include the frying fat. I suppose you’d have to add a bit per serving. It wouldn’t be all that much, though. Once baked, these don’t absorb a ton of fat and they don’t stay in the oil long enough to really take on much. I’d probably guess you’d add 2 tsp per serving? Maybe 1 tbsp?
Eileen says
Hahaha, the joke’s on me — this IS your vanilla bean cupcake recipe, almost exactly the way I make it for donuts (half recipe, 4 eggs, no bean — except I double the vanilla)! I can just figure an added T of oil if I worry about the calories, or, well, google it, I guess! I wonder if there’s some standard formula for such things. Thanks for responding.
Carolyn says
That’s something I’ve never investigated but I bet there is. Although it would be probably be for flour based things and it may be different with coconut flour?
Josh says
Just made these and they’re fantastic! Totally satisfied my coffee and donut craving. I’ll definitely be making these again and playing with some other flavours too. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Shannon says
Sadly these didn’t work for me — I followed the recipe to the T and am familiar with baking with coconut flour and all that. When I added my coconut oil, eggs, milk, etc. into the dry ingredients the coconut oil immediately went hard (despite being JUST melted). I used my immersion blender to break it up as well as sitting the bowl on the preheated oven. I used the same pan as you and the donuts completely stuck (I’ve used the pan to successfully make donuts that didn’t stick at least a half-dozen times). When I took them out they completely disintegrated into piles of crumbs. I was able to remove one *almost* whole and it completely felt apart into crumbs in the oil. I think I’ll try a different donut recipe next time and then try your frying method. On another note, I made your peanut butter/chocolate pudding cake for Thanksgiving and it knocked it out of the park — it’s definitely going to be on repeat for us.
Christine says
Any chance you can use an egg substitute?
Carolyn says
Not with coconut flour, no. It won’t rise at all.