Published: Feb 19, 2023 · Modified: Jun 3, 2024 by Carolyn

Vanilla Protein Donuts

Name: Keto Protein Donuts Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt; 2 large eggs; 2 tbsp avocado oil ((or melted butter... not hot)); 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup almond flour; 1/2 cup unflavored whey protein powder ((protein isolate preferred)); 1/2 cup Swerve Granular; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 to 4 tbsp water; 2 ounces cream cheese (well softened); 2 tbsp butter (well softened); 1/4 cup Swerve Confectioners; 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; keto sprinkles (if desired)

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With 12g of protein, these delicious protein donuts make a fabulous keto snack. Tender and sweet, these baked vanilla donuts are easy to make and fun to eat!

Two keto protein donuts on a white plate over a blue patterned napkin.

What do you do when you’re craving donuts but you really know your body needs some protein? You make these keto protein donuts, of course!

I recently published an article on the advantages of a higher protein keto diet, along with a number of low carb high protein recipes. Most of us find it pretty easy to get protein at lunch and dinner. But breakfast and snacks can be harder to figure out.

So I am working on a series of higher protein keto snack recipes. I already published some delicious protein muffins and now I am adding protein donuts to the list. Because who doesn’t want a tender, sweet donut that actually gives you energy and doesn’t cause a sugar crash?

I know I can’t be the only one!

Top down image of low carb protein donuts.

Why you will love them

What’s not to love about keto donuts? They fill a void left by cutting out carbs and sugars. And while you don’t NEED them, they sure are a fun indulgence.

But I believe in making even your keto treats work for you. Because there’s nothing better than feeling like you are indulging and knowing that you’re getting a blast of nutrients at the same time.

And these protein donuts are super easy to make, too. They take 40 minutes, tops, and that includes the baking and the frosting. So you can easily make this sweet breakfast or snack before the rest of your family has even gotten out of bed!

Placing keto sprinkles on a vanilla protein donut.

Ingredients you need

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Greek yogurt: Whole milk Greek yogurt works well in keto baked goods to provide moisture and tenderness. You could also use sour cream.
Almond flour: I used almond flour for these donuts and I have yet to experiment with coconut flour in a protein recipe like this. So at this time, I can’t recommend a nut-free substitute except for sunflower seed flour.
Whey protein: I recommend getting a whey protein isolate, as it contains more protein and has fewer carbs than many whey powders. You can also use egg white protein.
Sweetener: As always, my favorite brand is Swerve Sweetener. You are welcome to use your favorite sweetener but I do want to note that allulose may make the donuts brown very quickly. You need a granular sweetener for the donuts and a powdered sweetener for the frosting.
Cream cheese: I like to use a little cream cheese in my keto frosting recipes to give it more structure without having to use tons of powdered sweetener.
Butter and oil: I specify avocado oil for the donuts, but you can use melted butter. Just make sure that if your eggs and yogurt are cold, you whisk the butter in quickly so it doesn’t clump up. You will need butter for the frosting as well.
Vanilla: While I made vanilla donuts, you are certainly not limited to that. You could have a lot of fun with flavors here, like lemon donuts, caramel donuts, etc. Just switch up the extracts as you see fit!
Keto Sprinkles: You can make your own sugar free sprinkles, or you can purchase pre-made sprinkles online.
Kitchen Staples: Eggs, baking powder, heavy cream, salt.

Step by Step Directions

A collage of 4 images showing how to make Protein Donuts.

1. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the the yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the almond flour, whey protein, sweetener, baking powder, and salt and whisk until smooth. Add just enough water until you have a thick but pourable consistency.

2. Bake the donuts: Divide the batter between 8 greased wells of a donut pan, filling to about three quarters full. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 350ºF, until the tops are just firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan.

3. Prepare the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until very smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener. Beat in the cream until you have a spreadable consistency, then beat in the vanilla extract.

4. Frost and decorate: Spread over the tops of the cooled donuts. Sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles, if desired.

Close up shot of a vanilla protein donut broken open on a white plate, in front of a cooling rack of other donuts.

Expert Tips

Protein options: This recipe uses whey protein isolate, but you do have other options. Egg white protein should work well, and some plant-based protein powders may as well. But they won’t necessarily have as high a protein content. I don’t recommend collagen here, as it will make them gummy. It needs a very different approach for baking.

Donut pans don’t come in standard sizes and some are bigger than others. So you may get 7 donuts or you may get 9 donuts. It’s hard to say! If you don’t have a donut pan, you can bake them as muffins. You should get at least 7 or 8.

If you prefer, you can skip the frosting and make a lighter glaze or dust them in powdered sweetener. I personally feel that they need a little something to jazz them up a bit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are protein donuts made of?

The main ingredients in these vanilla protein muffins are almond flour, whey protein powder, Greek yogurt, eggs, and sweetener. They do not contain any added sugars and have 12g of protein per serving.

How many carbs are in protein donuts?

Many protein donut recipes are quite high in carb because they contain wheat flour and added sugar. But these keto protein muffins have only 4.7g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber, so they have a net carb count of 3.2g.

Can you make protein donuts in advance?

You can easily make the donuts in advance and freeze them unfrosted, then frost them when you plan to serve. You can freeze the frosted donuts as well, but you will want to flash freeze them first. Lay them out on a baking sheet in a single layer until frozen solid. This way, the frosting won’t smear when you place them in an airtight container.

A vanilla protein donut broken open to show the inside on a white plate with a cup of coffee.

More delicious keto donut recipes

Keto Protein Donuts Recipe

With 12g of protein, these delicious protein donuts make a fabulous keto snack. Tender and sweet, these baked vanilla donuts are easy to make and fun to eat!

4.89 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Snack

Keyword: protein donuts

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 248kcal

Equipment

1 donut pan

Ingredients

Donuts

½ cup Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon avocado oil (or melted butter… not hot)
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
½ cup unflavored whey protein powder (protein isolate preferred)
½ cup Swerve Granular
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoon water

Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese well softened
2 tablespoon butter well softened
¼ cup Swerve Confectioners
2 to 3 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
keto sprinkles if desired

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Donuts

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease 8 wells of a donut pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the the yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Add the almond flour, whey protein, sweetener, baking powder, and salt and whisk until smooth. Add just enough water until you have a thick but pourable consistency.
Divide the batter between the wells of the donut pan, filling to about three quarters full. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops are just firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan.

Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until very smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener.
Beat in the cream until you have a spreadable consistency, then beat in the vanilla extract. Spread over the tops of the cooled donuts.
Sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

Storage instructions: Store the frosted donuts on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze the donuts both frosted and unfrosted for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Protein Donuts Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 donut)

Calories 248 Calories from Fat 176

% Daily Value*

Fat 19.5g30%

Carbohydrates 4.7g2%

Fiber 1.5g6%

Protein 11.5g23%

* 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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Comments

4.89 from 18 votes (8 ratings without comment)