Keto lemon poppyseed donuts that are dairy-free and nut-free! They make a fabulous low carb breakfast or snack. This post is sponsored by Organic Valley.
You can’t please everybody. That little truism has been running through my mind frequently of late. It’s true in all aspects of life but it’s particularly true of food blogs, those of us putting ourselves out there on a daily basis in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will actually be pleased. And it’s perhaps even more true of food blogs devoted to special diets because we are bound to displease someone with nearly every recipe we write. And they will go out of their way to make sure we know it.
Here’s the thing: if I write a recipe with almond flour, someone inevitably asks why I didn’t make it with coconut flour. And if I write a recipe with coconut flour, someone inevitably asks how they can make it with almond flour. If I make a recipe that includes both flours, someone complains that there are too many low carb ingredients to purchase and why can’t I make it simpler. I can’t please everybody and quite frankly, it’s not worth my effort to try. Best to just please myself and if you like the recipes, then they are here for you to enjoy.
Here’s the other thing. This blog has almost 1000 recipes. I like to play and experiment; sometimes I use almond flour, sometimes I use coconut flour, and sometimes I use both. Chances are good that if you don’t like THIS particular recipe, you can find one you like more here on All Day I Dream About Food. So I actually stand a good chance in pleasing you after all.
Why did I make these keto lemon poppyseed donuts with coconut flour? Because I wanted to, and because I find it makes for really great low carb donuts.
Why did I make these keto lemon poppyseed donuts with ghee? Because I wanted to. And because there is so much to love about ghee!
I love butter, of course, and I always will. But I am having a lot of fun playing with Organic Valley ghee and I’ve recently found that I love using it for baking. One of its selling points is that it’s great for high heat cooking, but lately I’ve been adding it to muffins and cakes and, of course, donuts. I first tried it in my low carb Double Chocolate Blender Muffins and I think my kids might have liked them more than the coconut oil version. They seemed extra tender and they had more of a buttery taste, without any lactose.
Yep, that’s right. Ghee contains none of the milk solids present in regular butter. So it’s a great option for those who are lactose intolerant. We are not, but I love to play with my food and I feel like good quality organic ghee gives me yet another way to make healthy baked goods for my family. These low carb donuts are perfect for those who need to be dairy-free!
So why did I make these donuts the way I did, with coconut flour and ghee? Because I wanted to. And because they tasted really great this way. Try them. Try them exactly the way they were written. I was certainly pleased…I hope you will be too!
Lemon Poppyseed Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup ghee melted
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 to 8 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
Glaze
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a donut pan very well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, poppyseed, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, ghee, lemon zest, 6 tablespoon water, and lemon extract until well combined. Add additional water if the batter is very thick.
- 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 about 15 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.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener and enough lemon juice to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the cooled donuts.
Many thanks to Organic Valley for partnering with me to bring you this recipe.
Rosemary Brenner says
I have a couple of your books but I would really like a receipt for FRIED DONUTS. love the crunchy crispy edges. Any suggestions? Could I fry the ones you bake?
Terrie Cop says
Carolyn…May I call you Carolyn! ( I feel like I’ve known you forever!). I have been on this journey for just about two years. I have made and thrown away too many items to mention but nothing if yours. You are my go to for anything low carb. Thank you for all you do. I appreciate your hard work and dedication to this blog. Keep up the awesome job you are doing!
Carolyn says
No, you must call me Keto Baking Queen! Kidding. 🙂 Of course, call me Carolyn! Thank you.
Susan McClain says
Delicious! No lemon extract on hand, so used some almond extract and lemon juice. Thank you for a successful first dessert attempt with my new donut pan. I’ve followed your blog for awhile, I always trust your recipes. 🙂
Rebecca says
Just whipped these up, and they’re incredible! I used butter instead of ghee as I figured going to the store for one thing so I could make donuts during this pandemic, wasn’t the greatest idea. The donuts are still incredible and I can’t wait until my next trip to the store when I WILL pick up ghee and try them with that! Thanks so much for all you do – I LOVE your recipes and so appreciate you sharing them.
Shawn Copeland says
Hi Carolyn,
I love all of your recipes! I’ve been using them for several years because my daughter is type 1 and my husband and I are low carb. We just found out that my daughter can no longer have dairy, eggs or soy. I am trying these donuts as I write this. I’m using chia seed “eggs” and butter flavored coconut oil in place of ghee. The taste is amazing but do you have any suggestions on how to get them to actually bake? They are super soft, basically still dough! Im baking them
Longer. I’ll let you know if it works. Thanks again for your recipes. We have loved every single one of them we have tried.
Carolyn says
Hi Shawn. I wish I had some suggestions. I’ve been experimenting a little with egg-free baking because of the “egg shortage” (which isn’t really a shortage, just the panic buying!). The trouble with almond flour and coconut flour is that without eggs, it lacks structure and is super crumbly. So it’s tricky. You may have better luck with commercial egg replacers like Bob’s Red Mill. They add some carbs, though…
Shawn Copeland says
Ok, thanks. I also wondered if a little xanthum gum would help hold them together? I ended up baking them about 35 minutes. They tasted great but fell apart. I will try again soon because the taste was worth experimenting.
Carolyn says
Another thought that might help bind things like this is dairy free cream cheese. I am specifically thinking of Kite Hill, which works well to replace other cream cheese and has enough binders, it might add some structure. I’d also add additional baking powder, since eggs are part of what help keto treats rise properly.
Shawn Copeland says
Thank you for your help. I may try again tomorrow. I actually bought a few kite hill products last week when we got the news of my daughters food sensitivities. We all loved these donuts. They were just messy! Thank you for all of your delicious low carb recipes.
Tammy Kaylor says
Carolyn,
I made these this weekend and we LOVED them. I also took them to work for my non keto co-workers and they had no idea they weren’t “real donuts”. I am a huge fan now! Thanks so much for all you do.
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear!
Carolyn says
So delighted to hear it!
Michelle says
Does this need to be stored in the refrigerator for Will in airtight container on the counter work? I’m just never sure with these no sugar baked goodies 🙂
I made this in a small loaf pan and baked for around 25 minutes or so and it is just so good! I did change some of the ingredients a little because I didn’t have some things on hand so I just made a quick mug cake to see how it was tasting and the mug cake turned out really great too!
Carolyn says
Airtight on the counter for up to 3 days.
Terri L says
I own all of your cookbooks, and love your recipes. Today is National Donut Day, and since I’m having guests for dinner, I thought I’d look for some donuts for dessert. THESE look wonderful. I’m going to whip them up this evening (hoping silicone donut mold works). YUM. I love your site so much!
Azin says
I don’t have a doughnut pan, do you think a muffin tin or small loaf pan would work the same?
Thanks!
PS I am David’s coworker who he got hooked on your cookbook!
Carolyn says
Glad you like the cookbook! Yes, this works just fine as muffins.
Teresa says
Hi Carolyn… I own all of your cookbooks and have eaten tons of your recipes. Thank you for all you do. I have no idea why people say the things they do. I took a wine class a long time ago and the winemaker told me, “If you do not like it, simply say it isn’t exactly to my taste.” She explained that 1-3 years go into a barrel of wine, 1-3 years of sweat, tears and hard work. Saying you hate it, or that it was gross, is both untrue and heartbreaking… it just wasn’t to your taste. I’ve stuck too that. While all of your recipes are to my taste, perhaps others need to hear this. I bought a donut pan just to try this recipe… they are baking as I write this… and then they will sit on the counter next to your chocolate ganache cheesecake! I’m sure both will be to my taste! Thanks for all you do, I could not do keto without you.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Teresa! I know that the flour things can be an issue because of allergies but sometimes I just have to say “I made it this way and that’s how you have to do it…you may need to find a different recipe if this one doesn’t suit you!”
Donna says
Hi Carolyn. I made your Lemon Poppyseed Donuts exactly as you wrote…and they were DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you for all you do and so many great recipes
Samantha says
I’m excited to try this recipe! I don’t have a donut pan, do you think these would make good muffins?
Carolyn says
Yep,you can use a donut pan. It will probably make more like 6 to 8 muffins.
Samantha says
I made these into muffins today and they were amazing! I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you for the awesome recipe 🙂
Karen says
I appreciate the fact that you go to so much work to develop recipes. And I understand your frustration with people asking if they can modify the recipe in some way. I spent many years as a teacher. BUT there might be a legitimate reason for asking. I do not live in the United State. I live in a small town in Mexico where many ingredients you use are not available. I have never asked to modify a recipe but I might if I could not find the ingredients you use. For example, in the case of the Lemon Poppyseed Donuts, ghee is not available where I live. The only way I could get it would be to order it from the United States, pay the horrendous shipping cost, and hope it would make it out of Customs for delivery to my post office box. Since I know that you specifically used ghee rather than melted butter, I don’t know if there would be a problem if I substituted melted butter. I would assume you would know. I don’t want to make something with an ingredient that you already know won’t work in a particular recipe. If I were to ask you, a simple “yes” or “no” answer would suffice. I’m sorry if that’s a problem for you. I certainly don’t mean it to be. I’m just trying to learn. I can’t be the only person who lives abroad and wants to follow a low-carb diet and has difficulty obtaining the ingredients you use. And I rather suppose that there are other people who simply cannot afford to buy some of the ingredients used since they generally cost more than non-low-carb products. Maybe the person asking only has a little bit of flour left and would like to know if they could mix the remainder of their almond flour with the remainder of their coconut flour. Doing so without asking might ruin the whole recipe and and that could be very costly for some people. I’m just learning to cook low-carb and so I really appreciate all the people who ask if they can substitute, etc. It helps me tremendously. For example, I don’t know enough about how the various flours differ in recipes and I would be throwing a lot of food away experimenting. I always hope to learn from others that have knowledge I don’t. For that reason I turn to your web site. I hope you keep up the good work.
Carolyn says
Karen, I think you misunderstood the intention of the post. Many people who ask me these things, I am happy to help because it’s necessary. But sometimes it’s simply because THEY prefer it another way and wish I’d done it that way. and they make that very clear.
Elizabeth Sperry says
Carolyn,
Sharing your talent and creativity in this food blog is beyond a simple compliment.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 three years ago (LADA) at the age of 44. I can’t tell you how incredibly scared I was of myself, my future, and of food. I found your masterful and inspiring food blog soon after diagnosis and I have never looked back. You single-handedly armed me with the culinary knowledge to move forward in this new way of life. I can’t express in any simple terms how thankful I am to you and the hard work you put forth.
On another point, I too have read comments where people ask for substitutes due to this or that ingredient (or worse, complain about them). I think your knowledge and expertise shine through in all your blog posts and recipes to a point that they look to you for expert advice. Perhaps in this way it is a compliment. Then again, it may just be laziness on their part! I can’t get my palate around recipes made exclusively with coconut flour (it’s a texture thing), yet I have learned that I can cut it with almond flour and I’ve yet to make a total disaster out of it! I’m certainly not going to put that on you!
The point in saying this is that you inspire others to think “outside of the box” – the food world (specifically the inside isles of the grocery store) has conditioned us to have quick, easy premade solutions for meals. I think many have come to expect it. Cooking for ourselves in a thoughtful and healthful way is sadly a lost art among many people.
Hands down, you are awesome and I am better for it. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Oh I don’t mind helping people adapt recipes at all. It’s just that no matter WHAT I do, I always get someone asking me how they can change it 🙂
Karel says
So many people don’t bother reading the actual blog post, where the answers to many of their questions can often be found. (How long before someone asks here, “Can I sub almond flour?”) Another favorite: “I hated this recipe! I didn’t have almonds so I used capers, and I didn’t have baking powder so I used baking soda, and it was awful! One star!” Thank you for soldiering on: multitudes are grateful. I’ve got EKK, Easy Keto Dinners and have pre-ordered your book coming out in July. (Tell your publisher that! The whole purchasing spree came about because of the Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup. Best I’ve ever made.) I always follow your recipes exactly the first time, then tweek them if I’m so inspired. For instance, next time I make Kentucky Butter Cake, I’ll try adding poppy seeds or maybe dried, unsweetened cranberries. Blogging can seem thankless: We’re here to say thank you.
Carolyn says
Capers for almonds would be pretty interesting! I’d love to see that… And wow to the ordering spree. Thank you so so much!
Joni says
Carolyn,
My husband and I began our low carb lifestyle last June and when I found your blog, pins, and website I was thrilled! This lifestyle and way of cooking was completely new to me and I had no clue what to cook/bake or how to do this lifestyle successfully. You have done all of the hard work for me – how can I ever thank you?!? I have made so many of your recipes and EVERY SINGLE ONE has been delicious – you are my “go-to”, guaranteed recipe resource. I’ve never left a comment here before, but I do feel that I’m long overdue to tell you just how much I appreciate all you do and thank you for freely sharing your recipes and your knowledge! I always look forward to the email recipe and invariably end up saving it to try later in the week. I do follow your recipes and recommendations to the letter the first time I make them; my reasoning is that you have already done the research, trial-and-error, and hard work for me so why wouldn’t I take advantage of that?? So…thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing your hard work with me and all of your readers! My husband has lost 30 pounds, lowered his triglyceride levels to a very healthy number, and I have lost 18 stubborn pounds while we’ve both had great results on our cholesterol levels. Honestly, couldn’t have done it without you!
Carolyn says
Thank you so much, Joni!
patricia says
Carolyn, First I want to say that I love your recipes and food blog. I will also say that I have to alter some of your recipes due to the many health issues that I have (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free). But I am able to use the base of your recipe and usually can make it work for me. For instance, I would have to sub out the Ghee for Butter flavored coconut oil in this recipe as the small amount of casein in the ghee still bothers me. The brand Pure Indian Foods Cultured Ghee is certified to only be 2.5ppm casein, but I just have to leave it along altogether. But, for the most part I can substitute for those ingredients that I cannot have. Again, thank you for all the work and time that you put in to provide delicious recipes for us all to enjoy.
Carolyn says
Of course, I am always happy when people adapt for their own needs and preferences.
Karen says
“Because I wanted to.” The End. You GO. =)) I always make your recipes, ‘as is’ because I KNOW whatever it is, will be AWEsome. Agree with others — please don’t change a thing. You Rock. (BTW – making these tonight. Because I WANT TO.) Hahaha.
AMY H. says
i love your recipes. you’re right to just ignore the nay-sayers. thank you for sharing your recipes! ☺❤
Marcelle says
Spring can’t seem to make up it’s mind that it wants to get here, let alone stay (and they are forecasting snow here in NJ AGAIN this weekend!) Since the weather in the northeast so is disgusting today I decided to make it a “Carolyn Ketchum Cooking Day” (try saying that 3 times fast!) I made these donuts and the house smelled WONDERFUL! I cannot believe how incredibly moist they are! While they were cooling on the rack, I whipped up another batch of your amazing Garlic Parmesan Knots. Now I am starting on some Ham and Cheese Scones with ham left over from Easter. Can’t think of a better way to spend a miserable weather day! Thank you for so many amazing recipes!!