Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

low-carb chocolate donuts

Low-Carb Chocolate Donuts

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This Low-Carb Chocolate Donuts recipe is my first one here on the blog. My boys and their friends go gaga for this low-carb dessert and once you try it you will too!

Low-Carb Chocolate Donuts Recipe with Coconut Flour

Thankfully, this is another super easy low-carb recipe, with only 7 ingredients total. All you need to whip these up is coconut flour, cacao powder, salt, baking soda, eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup. To make it simply dump the ingredients into a food processor, throw the mixture in the doughnut pans, bake it, and bam! You’ve got gluten-free, grain-free low-carb donuts.

Nut-Free Low-Carb Donuts

My husband said this nut-free Paleo dessert tasted like an Entenmann’s cake style doughnut. My boys simply scarfed them down. They love my low-carb treats and are total suckers for anything with sprinkles. I tested this doughnut recipe with both coconut oil and palm shortening and found that coconut oil was far superior in this recipe. When I tested the donuts with palm shortening it was a challenge to get them out of the pan and their texture was too dry.

Print Recipe
Low-Carb Chocolate Donuts
Serves:8
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse together coconut flour, cacao powder, salt, and baking soda
  2. Pulse in eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup until thoroughly combined
  3. Fill each well of a donut mold half way full of batter
  4. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes
  5. Remove doughnuts from pan and place on a cooling rack
  6. Use a paring knife to cut hole in center of each doughnut
  7. In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening
  8. Drizzle doughnut with chocolate glaze
  9. Cool and serve

Creating and Testing a Low-Carb Nut-Free Donut Recipe

As with all of my recipes, I tested this one several times. Each time I test something, I make a very minor change, so that I can investigate how this single change impacts the recipe overall. For one of my test batches, I played with the amount of batter needed to make each doughnut. From that test, I can tell you a couple of things. First, do not fill up the donut wells in your donut mold all the way. Fill the wells around halfway with batter, and spread the batter evenly in each well. This batter will rise and the wells will be full when you are done baking. You’ll have perfect homemade doughnuts.

How to Make Low-Carb Donuts

I use silicon doughnut molds for this Low-Carb Chocolate Donut recipe and also to make my Paleo Bagel recipe. The metal molds (which are unfortunately non-stick) do not work very well and everything I’ve baked in them is a total mess to remove. These donuts, however, pop right out of the silicone molds.

Low-Carb Donuts for Kids with Sprinkles

You can eat these adorable low-carb donuts with or without the glaze. For the boys, I add India Tree sprinkles which make these an incredibly festive treat. If you use sprinkles (Let’s Do Organic is an even healthier brand, though not as colorful) be sure to let your glaze cool for 10 minutes or so prior to applying sprinkles, otherwise they will melt down into the glaze.

Keto Dessert Recipe with Erythritol

If you’re looking for recipes for a very low-carb diet (VLCD) check out my Keto Diet Recipes page. If you’re in need of a keto dessert, you’ll want to make my Keto Brownies recipe sweetened with erythritol! Although I can’t eat erythritol because it’s made with corn and is a sugar alcohol that I can’t digest, I created my Keto Brownies recipe for my readers and I hope you all enjoy it!

This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published this recipe in February 2015.

Comments

  1. I’m looking to get a donut pan, what kind do you use? I don’t want a nonstick and I was not sure about the silicone?? Thank you Donna

    Reply

    • Donna, thanks for your comment! I link to all of the equipment I use in the highlighted text that’s in the instructions portion of the recipe :-)

      Reply

      • Thank you! I was getting so confused finding only the non-stick pans and reading that the Silicon should not be heated above 300, but yours is food grade. Could not find these in my search. Thank you so much! Donna

        Reply

  2. Elana, you are so kind with every body!! the time you take to answer every comment really touches my heart… I was looking for an email address or other way to contact you, so I´ll leave a message here even when is not related to the recipe (amazing, by the way!!)
    Have you seen this?
    http://www.ageofautism.com/2018/08/new-study-aluminium-in-brain-tissue-in-multiple-sclerosis.html
    I thought of you the moment I saw it…
    thank you, thank you, for sharing with others your expertise!
    sincerely

    Reply

  4. What I love about your recipes is that they are not only delicious, but also simple, fast, easy, and delivers great results. (And you use food processor which I so prefer over mixer!) These donuts weren’t an exception. They were wildly popular among my gf son, and my friends. Thank you for yet another great recipe.

    Reply

  6. Merci beauciup Elana.Je tente cet apres midi chez nous en France.mais est-ce que je peux faire à la farine d’amande? Ma farine de coco ne tient pas a la cuisson et s’effrite.

    Reply

  7. Oh, my goodness! I need to buy one of these donut molds already. You have too many delicious looking recipes for me to try!

    Reply

  8. This looks like a delicious recipe! Can I use Truvia instead of maple syrup and do I need to add anything to the Truvia?
    Thanks so much
    Louise

    Reply

  9. Omg these look delicious! I have a mini donut pan! Can’t wait to try this recipe and make a bunch of mini donuts!!

    Reply

  10. 3rd time making them for visiting nephews, but 1st time tasting myself and Oh goodness, they’re just heavenly!! Thanks Elana!!

    Reply

  11. These donuts are declicious!! Yum!! I used silicon donut molds, which worked just right with this recipe. Thank you for a healthier version of a family favorite!!

    Reply

        • Marie, I haven’t tried that so not sure. I went grain-free in 2001 and haven’t eaten typical gluten-free flours since then. Sorry I can’t be of more help with this :-)

          Reply

  13. I have tried many of your recipes in the past and I have loved them all. My kids however, weren’t 100% sold on the taste of the donut with coconut oil so I tried the recipe again substituting with grapeseed oil and they absolutely love them. I’ll definitely be making a bigger batch next time around.

    Reply

  15. could you substitute the palm shortening with butter and if so how much do you use in place of the 1 Tablespoon of palm shortening

    Reply

  16. Can I leave out the cocoa powder for a plain donut flavor? Or how can I substitute the cocoa powder?

    Reply

    • You may need to reduce the amount of egg if you remove the cocoa powder. That would be a trial and error thing.

      Reply

    • Oh wow! I wonder if you could use a plain or vanilla flavored protein powder instead of the cocoa? (Such as whey or plant based powder).
      Elana I thank you so much for creating and sharing all these wonderful alternative recipes with us. I’m not gluten sensitive, I just love cooking with many other flours.

      Reply

      • Kathy, you’re welcome! I haven’t tried that experiment so not sure. So glad to hear you are enjoying my recipes :-)

        Reply

  18. I made these before and they are delicious! But, they never last till the end of day..!! I am going to be making them for Easter, but need to make them in advance. What is the recommended storage for 2 days? Or should i just make them Sunday morning??!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  19. These donuts went down nicely with fresh organic milk and I absolutely loved the photos which motivated me to try the recipe.

    Reply

  20. I just made these and they are so delicious. I, too, am very late to the doughnut party. My mom used to fry them at cut the holes out with a Coke bottle. These are a guiltless treat! I made them exactly as the recipe instructed, but had to use a Nordic doughnut pan, so I feared they’d stick and I sprayed them with coconut oil. They came out easily. I will have to find the silicone molds now. And more healthy baked doughnut recipes! Can’t wait to try your bagels!

    Reply

  21. I will be making these very soon! My boyfriend and I don’t really care to celebrate V-Day but we do get each other gifts. I want to bake these for him and give some to my sister also. I plan on putting pretty valentines day pink, red and white sprinkles on them- although I know the sprinkles are not healthy ha!

    Reply

  22. I hate the noise and energy waste of using extra kitchen appliances so I tried to mix this by hand instead of using the processor. It did not work well at all. That is not the recipe’s fault of course, but I just wanted to warn people.

    Reply

    • Kaye, thanks for letting us know that your experiment with the method of this recipe did not work out. I know that when you use the ingredients I recommend, and follow the instructions, you will love these!

      Reply

  23. Made these donuts this morning and they were delicious! I had a little trouble getting the coconut oil to mix in because it was so hard, but was able to get it worked in. I may try to warm it a little next time. I let the chocolate cool a bit and then dipped the donuts in and sprinkled India Tree snowflakes on top. https://www.instagram.com/p/BP2lD9hFuS2/

    Reply

    • Janet, thanks for your comment and for sharing the link to your photo of the delicious donuts on Instagram! I’ve already shared your gorgeous photo with all of my readers on my Instagram account!

      Reply

  24. I don’t like chocolate much but my man does. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to whip up a batch for snacks in cake form just to see if I liked the proportions (still playing with coconut flour) and hubby was so impressed. Makes a rich cake and the texture and flavor are wonderful!

    Reply

  26. these are fantastic! I didn’t have donut molds, so I used this recipe as chocolate cake. It’s moist, soft, and held together perfectly. The texture is amazing for a grain-free dessert. I substituted the maple syrup with 1/4 cup water and some powdered stevia, and it still turned out super yummy. I also added vanilla. So great. thank you!

    Reply

  27. These are SO good! I halved the recipe in case they didn’t turn out, but they are delicious and it still made 8 donuts. Thanks!

    Reply

  28. I also have MS and I’m quite confused about coconut oil – if a person with MS should be eating coconut oil or not ? What is your opinion on this subject?

    Reply

  29. I am not a fan of the taste of coconut. For this reason, I haven’t tried coconut flour. How much of a coconut taste do these donuts have?

    Reply

    • Sharon, I don’t think these taste like coconut, but I love the taste of coconut so I may not be the best one to help out with this :-)

      Reply

    • In my experience, coconut flour does not have a strong coconut flavor. And certainly not with chocolate. The coconut oil can carry a more coconut flavor, but I made these with butter and a coconut hater would never have known anything coconut was involved.

      Reply

  30. I have just made my second batch of these in a mini doughnut maker (Gourmet Gadgetry). So easy to whip up the batter and they cook in a few minutes – would love to able to post a pic! Adds some sunshine to a very wet Irish morning!!

    Reply

  32. I tried them!!!! I can’t believe how good they were. I made a little adjustment, I didn’t have the donut mold since I couldn’t wait to get one I used a mini cupcake silicon mold, the tiny things were deliciously gorgeous, thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try more recipes :)

    Reply

  33. Hello! Just made these and they are devine! Would it be possible to share this recipe to my blog – I’ve only just started out but would love to add this amazingly healthy recipe to it! I would link your blog and give you credit of course. :) thank you! Tasha xo

    Reply

    • Tasha, so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you may share the recipe with a link back to my site.

      Reply

  36. Hi Elana
    I just read through the recipe, and I am wondering if I can use my bagel pan? What is the difference? They look the same.

    Reply

    • Gabriele, I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do I hope you’ll let us know how it goes :-)

      Reply

  38. I just made these and they look and smell wonderful. Thanks. Going to enjoy one for breakfast if they last

    Reply

  40. Hi Elana
    I made the donuts for the first time on the weekend and they were wolfed down by the hubby and kids – 2 thumbs up! I added a table spoon of maple syrup to the chocolate topping to add a little more sweetness and used dessicated coconut instead of the sprinkles. I also adjusted the recipe to make a non-chocolate flavoured version and thought you might like to test it out. I’ve kept the majority of the instructions are the same.

    Donut
    1/3 cup coconut flour
    2 tablespoons almond flour
    1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    2 Medjool dates, pitted
    4 large eggs
    1/2 cup coconut oil
    3 tablespoons maple syrup
    1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

    Topping
    2/3 cup agave sugar (use more if you would like a thicker glaze)
    Juice of 1 lemon

    Instructions
    1. In a food processor, pulse together coconut flour, almond flour, salt, dates and baking soda until the date bits are miniscule.
    2. Pulse in eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup until thoroughly combined
    3. Lightly grease the donut pan (I used coconut oil spray).
    4. Fill each well of the donut pan half way full of batter (I use a measuring jug to do this so it’s easy)
    5. Bake at 170°C/160°C Fan forced/350°F for 15 minutes.
    6. Remove doughnuts from pan and place on a cooling rack
    7. Use a knife to cut hole in centre of each doughnut if required
    8. In a flat bottomed bowl (you can use others but I find this is the easiest), whisk the agave sugar and lemon juice until sugar has dissolved. If a little lumpy, strain it through a fine sieve.
    9. Dip top of each donut in the glaze and rest on baking paper. Repeat.
    10. Cool and serve

    Reply

  41. I made the chocolate donuts today. They are pretty yummy, but of course with just 2 of us, we have some left. How best to store them? I put them into a sealed container and hope they’ll be OK. I just used the last of my palm shortening, so used coconut oil and chocolate chips for the glaze. Never will dry but sure is delicious!

    Reply

  42. Hi Elana 1slty I love your recippe but please can you change the palm shortening to coconut oil. Works better, is better for us.. And MOST IMPORTANTLY it’s helping stop the deforestation and killing of the Ourangatans & their natural habitat of there homes in Indonesia :-(
    When being Paleo we must have a concsicnce & do as much as we can to help all beings :-) Anna x

    Reply

  43. Great recipe, thanks! Just wondering, does anyone else taste ‘silicone’ when using the silicone moulds or is that just me?

    Reply

  46. I made these with the ‘dreaded’ metal pan. I had a large pan with 6 sections so I just went for it. I decided to head your advice that they wouldn’t come out easily and buttered and floured the sections first with coconut flour. That seemed to help and they released with a little coaxing. I assume you could do the same with coconut oil if you don’t use butter. Thanks so much! Love your recipes.

    Reply

  47. Elana,

    I saw your response to a comment that you use the large mold (6 donuts per mold), but the recipe says it makes 8.

    I’m assuming I should buy two molds; should I fill the empty donut sections with anything (like water?) when I put them in the oven?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Dorene, thanks for your comment. I use 2 donut molds and I do not fill the empty molds with water –works just fine! Enjoy the donuts :-)

      Reply

  49. Probably a silly question, what is the difference between palm shortening and palm oil? When I try to research the two, I get so many articles lambasting the use of palm anything due to the inhumanity of its collection. Can you shed any light on this? Also, is there differences in processing – I’m thinking of coconut oil, or olive oil, etc and how you can get various flavors depending on the way it was handled. Which one has the most neutral flavor? Thank you so much!

    Reply

  50. I made these tonight and they were amazing! It was our first attempt at making donuts. I followed the recipe exactly. I wasn’t sure if I should melt the coconut oil. I left it solid and measured out 1/2 a cup. They came out perfect. They tasted like a Mounds Bar! Will definitely make these again. Thank you!

    Reply

  51. Can you fill these with jelly. I am thinking about these for Chanukkah. suvganiyat – jelly donuts are traditional.

    Reply

    • Did you try this? I am thinking a muffin tin, fill 1/4 way to add spoon of jelly; top off with batter. Hmmmm. Yumm.

      Reply

  52. Considering these for my two year old’s birthday party this weekend. He doesn’t like chocolate, could you suggest a banana flavor or alternative flavor that might work?

    Reply

  53. These ARE delicious! I just pulled them out of the oven. I accidentally used 1/4 cup coconut oil but they are delicious! I used a mini bagel pan to curb my desire to eat copious amounts of food! I have a batch of plain (non-chocolates) baking now!
    Thanks Elana!

    Reply

  56. These are delicious and will be making them again! Do you know what the calorie count per doughnut is?
    Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

    • I have made these twice already. The first time I made it exactly as specified. The second time, I ommitted 1 egg and substituted 1/2 a banana, and I used honey instead of maple syrup. My 2 year old scarfed down 3 before I even frosted them. Also, for those asking about not having a food processor, I mix it all by hand, and they turn out fine.

      Reply

  58. this may be your first doughnut recipe but please keep it up. not only do these look amazing ( and although i haven’t tried them yet ) i’m sure they taste SUPER AMAZING, too.
    love all your recipes and all the hard work you put into them Elana!

    Reply

  59. Just made these for my husband since he’s a big Dunkin Donuts (yuck!) fan. :) He absolutely loved them! WIll be making these again for him and my three little ones, as these definitely won over their taste buds!

    Reply

  61. I am allergic to eggs at the moment and cannot et them. Is there an egg substitute? How about for cacao? I would love to eat these!

    Reply

  62. Made these for my husband and I to enjoy on “National Doughnut Day” and they were amazing!! We used raw honey instead of maple syrup since that’s all I had on hand and they came out wonderful.
    Thanks for creating such a yummy treat! :)

    Reply

  63. I do not have a food processor either so I appreciate your comment about using a whisk, Jennifer. Elena, could I use my mixer for the recipes you post that call for using a food processor?

    Reply

  64. I use coconut oil in place of palm shortening in every recipe and it works just as well in this one. I also have a metal and a silicone donut pan, and they both work. I spread my batter straight across the wells in the pan, making sure to scrape across the top of the center of each well to make the “hole” visible. I fill the wells full with a slight dip and they even out perfectly in the oven.

    Reply

    • Great tips! Is there a texture difference between metal vs. silicone? And which one do you find is easier for removing the donuts out of the pan?

      Reply

      • Hi Mira, I prefer silicone molds for the donuts as this type of mold makes for a super easy release. If you click the words “donut mold” in line #3 of the instructions you will be taken to the exact donut mold I use :-)

        Reply

    • Do you think Avocado oil would work in place of the palm oil? My partner doesn’t like coconut and I fear there would be too much of a coconut flavor come through…Thanks for your thoughts.

      Reply

  66. I don’t own a donut pan and didn’t want to make it into usual muffins. So, I tried the same recipe in madeleine pan, and it worked great! I made it twice, once using a processor & the other time just using a whisk to mix all the ingredients in a big bowl. Both turned out fine, so I may go with a whisk & bowl next time for simple cleaning.
    Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!

    Reply

  67. Dumb question: do you melt the coconut oil before adding to the food processor? It’s really cold here in VT and my coconut oil is solid. Thank you!

    Reply

  70. Elana, would you mind providing the measurement of coconut flour in grams from now on?
    Coconut flour is finicky and there are so many different brands…
    Thanks!

    Reply

  71. Perfect! Loved them!! Made them in my baby cakes donut maker. Made 12 perfect little donuts. Thank you for the great recipe!

    Reply

  72. Wow. I’m really impressed with the texture of these donuts. They were pretty close to the texture of cake donuts I’ve had in the past. Usually coconut flour creates a weird mouth-feel that ruins the texture of things for me. Well done!

    Reply

  73. Just made these delectable donuts for breakfast this morning! They turned out amazing & I love that they have just the right amount of sweetness. I’ll definitely be making these again.

    Reply

  74. I didn’t know before that donuts can look sooo beautiful. You should get some fresh tree branches from the garden and hang them with the help of a small satin gift ribbon. Cheers to the spring.

    Reply

  75. I made these for what will probably be our last snow day of the year (sob!) and we loved them! Thanks for yet another great recipe!

    Reply

  76. I made these for a snow day treat today and they are delicious. My kids LOVE them! My 10 y/o said they are better than any donut you will get at Winchells. Thank you, Elana!

    Reply

  77. over the last few years i have made probably half a dozen different paleo/primal donut recipes. this one is THE. BEST. the batter is the easiest to work with than any other, and the flavor is extraordinary. my kids are in heaven. and thanks for the advice to fill the wells only half full — for the first time ever my donuts are pretty. so happy i made these!

    Reply

  79. So good! I didn’t want to use any topping, but thought I would lose some sweetness. So I aded a fourth tbsp of maple syrup. Also, I made these in a muffin tin. Filled the cups half full, and the rose to full muffins. =14 full muffins. Mmmm-mmmm!

    Reply

    • Gerri,

      Often the donuts bake right over the part of the pan that creates the hole, hence the need to cut out the center :-)

      Elana

      Reply

  81. Thank you Elana I made them… I didnthave the special mold I bake them in a muffin pan. I not a chocolate lover but I loved them simply delishious… Thank you Thank you, thank you… if you come out with any other flavours please share. Since January I lost 16 pounds following your healthy tips God bless you. Elizabeth Cedeño.

    Reply

    • Elizabeth,

      Thanks for your comment and I’m so glad you like the donuts! Congrats on your health successes! I will be working away on other donut flavors :-)

      Elana

      Reply

  82. These are great! Drenched them in your Chocolate Ganache for a totally decadent dessert – even my non-paleo friends scarfed them down.

    Reply

  86. Just made these….two thumbs up! I used a metal pan with light coating of Palm shortening. One question….how would one store any leftovers? Room temp or fridge?

    Reply

    • Hi Lynnea,

      Because this recipe contains coconut flour I store the donuts in the following manner:

      • allow donuts to cool completely (up to 12 hours)
      • wrap in paper towels
      • store in ziploc bag in fridge

      Enjoy!
      Elana

      Reply

  88. Just made them in a mini electric donut maker with my 11 yr old niece and they came out great! A quick and easy snack! Thank You Elana!

    Reply

    • This is what I came up with:
      ¼ c coconut flour- 120 cal
      ¼ c cacao powder- 80 cal
      4 eggs- 280 cal
      ½ c coconut oil- 960
      3 T Maple syrup- 56

      Total- not counting topping- 1496
      Then divide according to how many donuts you get.

      Elana, is this about right?

      Reply

  90. Just made these for brekkie today and they are delicious. I used a metal pan and a thin layer of coconut oil and they popped right out. Thanks again, Elana, for again giving me some yummy treats to love.

    Reply

  92. I just ran out of coconut oil, but will be getting some tomorrow and these might have to be the first thing I make with it.

    Reply

  93. These look really great! FYI – I have the metal non-stick donut pans & they work perfect when you apply a thin layer of coconut oil to the well before filling with dough. I do it all the time with other paleo donuts and never have a problem so I don’t think it will affect the outcome of the recipe. Thanks, Elana, for always coming up with such great recipes. Your site was the first one I ever used when I changed my eating almost 5 years ago & I am still using it today:)

    Reply

  95. I can’t wait to make these! I’m excited about the no nuts feature! But… Your recipe says it makes 8, and the link for the silicone tray only holds 6… I would like them to turn out perfect, like yours (since you’ve done all the testing for us)! I don’t want the wells to be too big, is the link you provided the same pan you used (same size wells)? Thank you for sharing all of your amazing recipes, they have helped my family of 5 so much!!

    Reply

    • Shaina,

      Yes, that is the correct tray; you can either use 2 silicone donut trays (that’s what I do as it’s super handy to have more than one tray for bagels, etc.) or bake the donuts in 2 separate batches, i.e, first bake the 6 donuts and then the remaining 2. Thanks for your question :-)

      Elana

      Reply

  96. Do you have a donut recipe using almond flour? I’ve tried so many recipes with coconut flour and I really hated the outcome. They were always so “eggy”.

    Reply

    • Our family really likes Honeyville Farms’ Almond Flour Apple Cider Donuts. You can find the recipe from Honeyville Farms main website under Blog, then search on the Honeyville site for donut. I make the recipe less sweet by substituting 1 Tbsp maple syrup with 3 Tbsp water for the ¼ cup maple syrup.

      The donuts are delicious topped with sun butter. And greasing the metal donut pans with palm shortening (per the instructions) facilitates the donuts popping out easily.

      Elana, I’d love to hear what variations you develop. Thanks for so joyously sharing your inventions!

      Blessings,
      Shari

      Reply

    • Hi Jenine, I made them on the weekend and just did a straight substitution for almond flour which worked fabulously! I also swapped the coconut oil for melted grass fed butter. I have no problem with dairy but I’m allergic to coconut! They worked really well! Hope that helps!
      Kathryn

      Reply

      • Hi Kathryn, how do you know that you are allergic to coconut? I’m allergic to it when i put it on my skin, but I eat it frequently in shakes and I cook and bake with it too, but I would like to know what are the signs when you are allergic to it internally. Thank you for your answer. Iveta

        Reply

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