These keto chocolate donuts are made with coconut flour and dipped in a dreamy sugar-free chocolate glaze. Whip up these easy sugar free donuts in 35 minutes!
Everybody needs a good chocolate donut recipe in their lives. A good, easy baked donut that they can make at home whenever the mood strikes. And this sugar free donut recipe is just the thing to satisfy those cravings.
I truly adore this recipe and have ever since I first created it years ago. It’s my go-to for a chocolatey breakfast treat for my family. And it’s an excellent recipe for people just getting used to baking with coconut flour.
Let’s get baking!
Why you must try this recipe
I really think that coconut flour makes the best keto donuts. Almond flour can be pretty great too and I use it in my Keto Cinnamon Donuts. But I am always amazed at the perfect texture of donuts made with coconut flour.
These keto chocolate donuts are fan favorite and have been since I first created them – even among readers who profess to hate coconut flour! It’s a similar recipe to keto chocolate cupcakes, but scaled down a bit and modified for a donut pan.
They come out wonderfully fluffy and light, and so good dipped in a little chocolate glaze. Then you can top with some sprinkles, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut.
And each donut has only 2.6g carbs per serving. How’s that for delicious!
Reader Reviews
“Was skeptic about these donuts because a lot of time there’s an aftertaste with stuff you make on keto but I have to say these are pretty doggone good donuts!” — Linda
“My kids loved these! Seriously, MY kids! This is huge! I used a babycakes mini donut cooker, half glazed half with powdered swerve, and they are GONE! Thank you so much!” — Jill
“These donuts are low-carb perfection! I will be making these again! Thank you! My husband hates coconut, and he said these were the best chocolate donuts he ever had. I did not even tell him about the coconut flour, and he did not notice at all.” — Debra
Ingredients you need
- Coconut flour: This is a coconut flour based recipe. Different brands can vary quite a bit in absorbency so I recommend using either Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour. They both very reliable and my baked goods have turned out very well with these brands.
- Sweetener: I use Swerve in both the donuts and the glaze. For the donuts, you could use another sweetener such as allulose or BochaSweet. But you will need a powdered sweetener for the glaze.
- Cocoa powder: I recommend Dutch process cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Protein powder: A few tablespoons of protein powder give these donuts a lighter, fluffier consistency. You can use either whey or egg white protein powder. You can also skip it, if you feel you must.
- Brewed coffee: Coffee enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor of baked goods, so I recommend it for these keto chocolate donuts. You can replace it with plain water if you prefer.
- Heavy cream: A little heavy cream is needed to make the chocolate glaze. For a dairy free option, you can use coconut cream.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, then stir in the liquid until well combined.
2. Bake the donuts: Divide the batter among the wells of a well-greased donut pan. Bake at 325ºF for 16 to 20 minutes, until the donuts are set and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Prepare the glaze: In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener and cocoa powder. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add enough water until the glaze thins out and is of a “dippable” consistency, without being too watery.
4. Dip the donuts: Dip the top of each donut into the glaze. Sprinkle with any decorations and let set about 30 minutes.
Expert tips
You will need a donut pan for these and I always recommend USA Pan. It’s non-toxic and very nonstick, and extremely good quality. If you don’t have a donut pan and don’t want to purchase one, you can try these as muffins instead.
I know some silicone donut pans are quite popular. Keep in mind that silicone bakes very differently than metal, so you will want to keep your eye on the donuts as they bake.
Keep in mind that there is not much standardization in donut pan sizes. So this recipe makes 6 to 8 donuts, depending on your pan.
The chocolate glaze should be thin enough to dip the donuts right into it, but thick enough that it doesn’t run everywhere afterwards. It will need to set for about 30 minutes after dipping.
Recipe FAQs
This keto chocolate donut recipe makes between 6 and 8 donuts, so the nutritional count will change depending on how many you make. For 6 donuts, each one has 6.2g of carbs and 3.6g of fiber. That comes to 2.6g net carbs per serving.
These coconut flour donuts can easily be made in advance. They freeze well and can last in the freezer for several months. If you’re not freezing them, store the donuts on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to a week.
Coconut flour is a wonderful ingredient for keto baking, but it does take some getting used to. It does not bake similarly to wheat flour or almond flour, and requires quite a few eggs for proper structure and consistency. In my professional opinion, it makes amazing cakes and muffins, but is not great for cookies.
More delicious keto donut recipes
Keto Chocolate Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1/3 cup (40 g) coconut flour
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp unflavored whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 1 1/2 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 3 large (4) eggs
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
- 1 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (6 tbsp) brewed coffee or water, coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (1 tbsp) heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp (0.25 tsp) vanilla extract
- (1.5 tbsp) water or cold coffee as needed
Instructions
Chocolate Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a donut pan very well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, then stir in the liquid until well combined.
- Divide the batter among the wells of the donut pan. If you have a six-well donut pan, you may need to work in batches.
- Bake 16 to 20 minutes, until the donuts are set and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Glaze
- In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener and cocoa powder. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add enough water until the glaze thins out and is of a “dippable” consistency, without being too watery.
- Dip the top of each donut into the glaze. Sprinkle with any decorations and let set about 30 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Carolyn, thank you for another delicious and easy recipe. These donuts are so amazing moist and delicate that it doesn’t need the glaze. Just a squirt of whipped cream and topped with fresh berries and I’m happy. Next time, I will definitely grease the donut pan very well as per your directions to prevent them from sticking.
Sometimes I can’t even believe that there are such delicious recipes like this that’s also low carb.. I love it!
Yay basics! 🙂 I am glad you are taking this on – you do such a great job with your recipes, I know they will be great. I think this is a great idea!
All I can say is Wow!!! Just made these today and they are so perfect. Really curbed my hankering for a donut or even a rich cupcake. Thank you!! These may be a weekly routine!
How long would you cook these as mini donuts?
I baked mine for 10 minutes….so yummy! I got 21 of these little gems.
Oh my!!! These are perfect!! The recipe made 6 for me. I can’t wait to try them as a muffin. 😉 Thanks so much for the recipe!
Shouldn’t the coca be the unsweetened kind?
Generally, cocoa powder IS unsweetened, as least in the US and Canada. It shouldn’t need to be specified.
Yep. We aren’t talkin Quik. Lol
About to make them and it looks like a great recipe. I have been searching for a Keto chocolate donut recipe. This website I have always came to and has amazing recipes. I will tell you how good they turn out,SO EXCITED!!????????
I made these donuts on Friday and just love them. Brought a couple to coffee with a friend and she loved them too. Fun to make in my donut pan and the best part is no guilt eating something delicious.
Hello! Does anyone have any tips for making the chocolate cake donut recipe at high altitude? Vacation begins next week and I would love to make these! Thanks for any advice!
I have heard that you simply make the same changes you would for a conventional high altitude recipe.
Thank you, Carolyn!
These were the best chocolate donuts. I used the silicone mini bunt molds. It made 12. Very happy with the turn out and You difinatelt could say addictive.
too bad I didn’t check my spelling (typing) before posting….
Silicone mini? Mini donut pan?
They are silicone individual pans. They look like mini bundt cakes. My Mom gave them to me. You pop them out after they cool.
I dont have whipping cream on hand,could I subsitute with coffee creamer?
I’m sorry, I can only guarantee results with the right ingredients.
Would I be able to use stevia or splenda in place of the swerve? I would really like to make these but I refuse to pay $10 for a tiny bag of artificial sweetner.
Well, I refuse to pay that money for artificial sweetener too! Good thing that Swerve is made from all natural ingredients. That said, yes you can use stevia in the donuts but the glaze might be pretty runny. You may need less liquid.
Try Amazon, they have big bags for better prices.
Sounds wonderful. Could I use an electric donut maker instead of baking?
Probably but I really can’t say how to do it because I don’t own one.
These are great, really good. I was wondering Carolyn if you have a receipe for vanilla cake donuts with vanilla glaze. Your site is the best!!
Well I will work on that one! 🙂
Yes!! These are wonderful. I so prefer the coconut flour to the almond flour ones.
How about a cinnamon and burnt butter variation 🙂
THANK you for all your recipes. They always come out well and are so yummy. Yours is the first website I check if I’m looking for a recipe idea and it never disappoints.
So glad to hear it, Pam! You know I have a cookbook coming out, right??? 😉
What’s it called and when?
The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen and it comes out next week. T’s available for preorder now! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628602627/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1628602627&linkId=cfd7fd2d1686d2722c68c287b382dd6a
Yum! Sometime in the last two weeks I was actually trolling the web for a low carb chocolate donut recipe, but I didn’t ever find one I wanted to try. And now here is this recipe! Thank you! I just made them. I followed all of your directions for the donought, but I made a different topping for them. I don’t like swerve-based glazes for some odd reason, so instead I melted coconut oil and lilly’s chocolate chips and added a bunch of cocoa, stevia, vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt. I kind of drowned the donuts in this sauce, and yummmmm. It was excellent.
I would red to use almond flour. I have a coconut allergy. What would the amout be and should I decrease the eggs. I love everything I have made from your recipes. Thank you so much!
Chris
Did you get an answer for this?
She did not, as it turns out. Too many comments to keep up with. Best thing to do is to take one of my regular chocolate cake recipes made with almond flour and turn that into donuts. 🙂
Coconut flour absorbs liquid. The more liquid you add, the denser it becomes. You have to be very specific when cooking with coconut flour and follow the recipes exactly.
You cannot substitute a different flour, because they work differently. I would look for a non coconut recipe if you can’t use coconut flour. Hope this helps!
Terribly, I’ve had to give up dairy over the past couple of months. ? I guess I could do coconut oil in place of the butter, any ideas for the heavy cream? I am so happy to see these wonderful doughnut joys!
Full fat coconut milk would work for the glaze. It’s a little thinner so you may need less water.
Ah, that makes sense! Can’t wait!
I buy NutPods creamer for my coffee and have used it in place of heavy cream in several recipes. It’s just a mix of almond and coconut milks and has a very neutral flavor (to me, anyway). It’s about the same consistency as half and half, I’d say.
Would this work as “donut holes” in a mini muffin pan?
Yes. This recipe is based on a chocolate cupcake recipe I have so it makes great muffins. Not sure of the baking time for mini muffins so keep watching them.
What about a loaf pan? Has anyone tried it? I think I will try it in a loaf pan this Sunday. Anything I should know first?
How did this go? I don’t have a donut pan or a cupcake tin.
Your keto chocolate donuts are phenomenal. So moist and scrumptious. Thank you SO much! I sealed them in a plastic container but by golly, they evaporated! I am pretty sure I had help going through them. Lucky thing your recipe is so uncomplicated, it will be a breeze to mix up and bake another batch. Again, thank you for sharing.
So glad you liked them!
We will likely get 8 to 10 so in your nutrition info which are you using? The 8 or 10?
i believe she said 8 servings in her posted recipe. look at the top of the recipe. it says 8 servings.
Thank you. I just read the bottom part!
At the top of each recipe it says the # of servings. I said 8. You might get ten, depending on your pan.
Thanks. Did not see the part at the top. I think I may just do the math for the whole recipe and use my mini donut maker for these. Def making this recipe today!!!
How long would you cook them in a mini electric baby cake donut maker? Does anyone know
How do u store the leftover donuts?
Counter is fine for up to 4 days.
How would almond flour work? My husband hates coconut anything.
I was wondering the same thing, because everything I make with coconut flour is way too dry tasting for me.
Oh, no, these are definitely NOT dry. Use Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour, it’s the best IMO.
You are correct! Bob’s turned out perfect for me with this recipe.
My little t1 is so picky. We used allulose as our sweetener. These are amazing and so airy and moist.
Debbie,
Research the difference in amounts of coconut flour vs others (almond, etc). It takes less but the article about baking w/coconut flour 2013 (this site) helped us. We have had success now. Other sites & comments have acted like it is a straight substitute for almond, etc. but it’s not. Good luck.
Can you use Monk Fruit granulated and powdered instead of the swerve ?
Sure, that would work well.
I didn’t think they taste like coconut at all! Just chocolatey, light and delicious!!
Yes, I don’t like the taste of coconut flour but love coconut. So I switch the recipe with1 cup almond flour and add like 1 /4 cup of coconut flour. It is suppose to make it more fluffy with the C. Flour.
Also I have tried half cup of gluten free flour and 1 cup almond with the 1/4 cup of c. flour and it works.
Hope this helps.
LP
Well 12 lashes with a ….. bunch of shirataki noodles!!
Carolyn, I don’t have a donut pan so have not tried any of your donut recipes. But this one is one I really like the sound of. Would it work as a muffin?
Yes, it would work as muffins, as it’s similar to a chocolate cupcake recipe I have. It would probably only make 6.
It made 10 for me! Delicious!!
Did you use the mini muffin ?..If o, how long did you cook and at what temp? thanks…
I ended up with 24 mini muffins! I cooked them for 14 minutes.
Yippy!!! I was going to ask the exact same question!
According to my boyfriend, this was the BEST dessert I’ve ever made!! I made them using a muffin pan and they turned out perfect! That’s so much for sharing this, I will definitely be trying more of your recipes!
So happy to hear that!