My previous donut recipe used coconut oil (recipe available here), and while it has some winning points, it was a little too oily at room temp, and, of course, was very dense. Unfortunately, being dense is a quality of using almond and coconut flours, but it’s a trait I’ve been working to reduce. I’ve made some adjustments, and some optional additional steps to help improve the real donuts quality of this recipe, which I am very happy with.
I really feel like I’ve opened a door to a whole new class of donuts here: these are truly gluten free (and keto friendly if using alternative sugars like this recipe calls for) nut donuts. With no need to add any wheat or corn starches. The donuts in this recipe are made primarily from almond flour, but the recipe should work for any other alternative nut flour that you might wish to substitute.
Real Fried Keto Donuts!
As always, a printable and easy to read recipe is at the bottom of the post. To begin, we will add two large eggs to a large mixing bowl. To these add a half teaspoon of vanilla and rounded half cup of granulated sweetener (I use swerve). Mix on medium with whisk attachment for three to five minutes. After mixing, sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon gelatin powder over the top and let set.
In a medium bowl, combine one cup almond flour, a half cup of coconut flour, one teaspoon xanthan gum, one and a half teaspoons of baking powder, and three quarters teaspoon of salt. Mix until evenly blended and set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine one and a half tablespoons of melted vegetable shortening and five and half tablespoons warmed unsweetened almond milk. Can be heated in a microwave for 30-60 seconds, a double boiler, or a small pot on the stovetop- it doesn’t take much heat blend them. Alternatively, the shortening can be added separately, and to 6.5 tablespoons of warmed unsweetened almond milk add a 1/4 teaspoon of powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of yeast, and let proof before folding into the dough. This will add a yeasty flavor to the recipe, and does give it a little less density (makes the dough slightly spongy), but it will not rise like wheat flour would. The sugar is to feed the yeast, and won’t add significant carbs to the final donuts.
Now pour the milk and shortening mixture into the egg mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon just until smooth. (Just the melted shortening at this step if using yeast)
Next add in the dry ingredients and stir and fold together until dough is evenly mixed. (If using yeast, fold in now once it has produced a significant amount of foam)
Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is okay (overnight to 24 hours is preferred if using yeast).
Preheat oil for frying before removing dough from fridge. I use a Fry-Daddy deep fryer, but a tall pot on the stove top can be used with a candy or hot oil thermometer to keep the temperature set right. The ideal temperature for frying donuts is typically between 350°F and 375°F, and I have found that 350 °F works well with this recipe.
The frying oil makes a big difference. If frying in an oil that is soft or liquid at room temp, then your donuts are likely to be more oily at room temp (and have a different flavor, similar to funnel cake). If you use a very hard oil, like crisco all vegetable shortening, then your donuts will have a hard and crispy exterior. Blending different kinds of oil is okay, and can be the trick to getting just the right consistency. There is a whole school of thought on what oils to fry donuts in, and I haven’t had the time (or finances) to test them all. Safflower, and peanut oils are two frying oils that have very good reviews for making standard donuts that I have not yet tried with these nut-flour donuts. I’ve tried canola, which makes an oily donut that only tastes right when chilled, and shortening, which makes a crispy donut that tastes delicious as soon as it is cool enough to eat.
When the frying oil is nearly to temp, remove dough from fridge and place between two large sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out to between a half inch to three quarters inches thick .
If you don’t own a donut cutter, don’t worry, neither do I. Just cut your donuts with two cookie cutter rings. One ring at about two and a half inches for the outside cut, and a smaller ring around one and a quarter inches for the inside cut. This produces one donut and one donut hole.
Carefully remove your cut dough from the wax paper. I had better luck removing the larger disk from just the large ring cut, and then cutting the inside ring out after having peeling it off the wax paper. The dough is fragile, but will hold together while chilled (the gelatin keeps it durable until it can be fried) . Shape Your donuts as desired. This dough will not puff up much like classic donut dough. Be sure to roll your donut holes in to balls.
Alternatively, separate the dough into six even sized balls, and flatten into disks.
Then cut out the centers with a small ring cookie cutter.
Shape your donuts, and roll donut holes into balls.
Transfer into hot oil, be careful. If using a smaller fryer or stock pot, then only cook one donut and one donut hole at a time to avoid changing the oil temperature too drastically. You can also cook your donuts one at a time, and then one batch of donut holes at the end. The donut holes are also a great tool to test the effects of the oil temp on the dough. Cook times will vary, but I have had the best luck with two to two and half minutes, turning once half way through.
Hold your donuts over the grease for about 10 seconds when removing them, this allows some excess oil to drain back into the fryer. Allow to cool on paper towels to drain any remaining oil. A cooling rack on paper towels can also be used.
Allow to cool until firm before adding toppings or dusting with powdered sweetener. I dusted the donut holes by adding ground cinnamon and sweve confectioners to a brown paper bag and shaking the the bag with all of the donut holes inside.
For toppings check out our recipes for keto chocolate spread (warm this a little and make chocolate covered donuts), and keto maple glaze! There are lots of wonderful recipes out there for keto friendly donut glazes and toppings.
Real Keto Fried Donuts Recipe
Dairy-free and low-carb Deep-Fried Donuts! Real fried donuts that hold together and taste amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Almond Flour
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup (rounded)Erythritol or preferred granular sweetener
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 5 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk, warmed
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Shortening, melted
- 1/8 tsp Unsweetened Gelatin
- Oil for Frying
- Optional: 2 tsp bakers yeast + 1/4 tsp powdered sugar + an additional Tbsp of Almond Milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl Combine eggs, vanilla, and swerve. Mix on medium speed for about five minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until uniform.
- In a small bowl, combine melted shortening and warmed unsweetened almond milk. Optional: Alternatively, keep melted shortening and almond milk separate, use 6.5 Tbsp of milk and add the yeast and confectioners sugar, allow time to produce foam.
- Add gelatin to egg mixture once it is thickened and done mixing.
- Pour melted shortening and milk mixture into egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Optional, if using yeast, add only the shortening here.
- Add in the dry ingredients and stir or fold-in with a wooden spoon until dough is evenly combined. Optional, if using yeast, fold the the yeast and milk into the dough now.
- Cover dough and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Prepare Oil in fryer before removing dough from fridge. Fryer can be a tall pot with about two to three inches of oil, or use a deep fryer such as a fry daddy. Follow manufacturers instructions if using a deep fryer, or use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature in a pot 350-375 °F.
- Remove dough from fridge and place between two sheets of wax paper.
- Roll out dough to about a half inch thick or little thicker.
- Cut donuts out with ring cutters, either a donut cutter, or a ring about 2 1/2 inches and another for the inside ring at about 1 1/4 inches. Each cut should yield one donut and one donut hole.
- Carefully remove dough from wax paper and shape as desired. These will not puff up well like traditional donuts, so be sure to roll your donut holes into balls.
- Carefully transfer one donut ring, and one donut hole into your prepared frying oil. They will bubble immediately, and sink initially before bobbing right back up to the surface.
- Cook in oil for 1 minute and 15 seconds, turn over and cook for another 1 minute and 15 seconds (exact times may vary).
- Carefully remove donut and donut hole from oil, allowing oil to drip off for about 8 to 10 seconds, and set onto paper towels to cool.
- Allow to cool until durable enough to handle, can chill in fridge if desired. These taste best when chilled.
- Coat or Top with your favorite donut flavors and glazes.
Important Notes
- The frying oil used makes a big difference in the donut. Oils that are liquid or soft at room temperature will result in donuts that are more oily at room temp. Oils that are solid at room temp (saturated fats) work best for donuts, but also tend to have lower smoking points. Smoking oils can ruin the flavor of your donuts.
- The dough is fragile, handle very gently, and keep cool while working with it.
- Always use caution working with hot oil. Air pockets in dough can pop and splatter oil. Water reacts violently with hot oil. Don’t leave hot oil unattended, it is a fire risk.
Nutritional Information
| Servings | 6 |
| Serving Size | 1 Donut + 1 Donut Hole |
| Calories | 185 |
| Fat | 13.3 g |
| Protein | 7.6 g |
| Net Carbs | 3.5 g |
If using the alternative recipe with bakers yeast and powdered sugar, the nutrition table below shows the values assuming none of the sugars are consumed by the yeast (the sugars should be consumed if the yeast is active).
| Servings | 6 |
| Serving Size | 1 Donut + 1 Donut Hole |
| Calories | 185 |
| Fat | 13.3 g |
| Protein | 7.6 g |
| Net Carbs | 3.6 g |
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