Keto Apple Cider Donuts

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My keto apple cider donuts are packed with apple flavor and only 1.9g net carb each! They are a delicious and simple autumn treat that the whole family will love - whether they are following a keto diet or not.

After I posted this keto apple cake a couple of weeks ago, I realised that I just do not have enough apple recipes on my website. It was time to rectify this - with these very delicious gluten free apple cider donuts!

Wait a second. Did I just hear someone shout: "But Katrin, apples are not keto"?

The answer is, it depends on the amount.

Apples contain a fair amount of carbs. However, keto is a metabolic state, not a food. And as long as you eat higher carb foods such as apples in moderation, they can be part of a keto diet.

I make my sugar free apple sauce every autumn, and we all love these keto apple muffins and my low carb sugar free flapjacks, which also contain apple.

Some people like to replace apples with flavouring. And that's totally fine, if that's your thing. However, I prefer to use real apples to get an apple flavor that tastes, well, real. Also, let's be honest, how often are you going to use a bottle with apple extract? It's just not as versatile as vanilla extract!

This keto donut recipe contains one apple weighing 125 grams, which is spread over 16 mini donuts.

Therefore, each donut comes in at a super low 1.9g net carbs. They are a wonderful addition to my sugar free donuts and these keto donuts!

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Ingredients
Method
Variations
Recipe FAQs
Related Recipes
Recipe

Ingredients

Traditional apple cider donuts are, of course, not really made with apples, but with actual apple cider.

I'm not a fan of apple cider because firstly I think it tastes of apple juice that's gone off, and secondly because it contains tons of sugar. Therefore, I replaced the cider with an apple (as mentioned above), and - apple cider vinegar!

I am super pleased with the flavour of these sugar free donuts. Plus, they have a wonderfully moist yet fluffy texture. Let's take a look at the ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

Almond flour and coconut flour - These low carb gluten free flours always go very well together. I use ground almonds, which is the UK equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. Ideally, measure with scales rather than cups.
Sweetener - I decided to go for a golden erythritol monk fruit sweetener that's a 1:1 sugar replacement. A white granulated sweetener would also work. You could use Swerve, allulose or even xylitol in this recipe. Just be aware that xylitol is highly toxic to dogs.
Baking powder
Spices - I used cinnamon, which is essential for this recipe. I also added nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Don't worry if you don't have all of these. As long as you're using cinnamon, the donuts will taste great.

Wet ingredients:

Apple - Any dessert apple will work here. Just don't use Bramley apples, they're too sour. My apple weighed 125g after I peeled and chopped it. It was about 1 cup of chopped apple.
Apple Cider Vinegar - has lots of health benefits
Butter - should be melted, then cooled
Eggs - make sure they are room temperature
Vanilla extract

Coating:

Sweetener and cinnamon

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Method

It is surprisingly easy to make keto apple cider donuts. Here are the basic steps. For detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

1. PREP THE APPLES. Peel the apple and chop it into small pieces. Cook in a microwave until soft. Or, simmer on the stove with a splash of water until very soft.

2. MAKE THE BATTER. In a food processor or high speed blender, blend the eggs until fluffy, pale in colour and double the size.

whisked eggs and wet ingredients in a blender jug

Add the melted butter, sweetener, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and cooked apple and blend.

Now add all remaining dry ingredients - almond flour, coconut flour, spices and baking powder. Blend until a smooth batter.

Donut batter filled into a silicone donut pan.

3. FILL IN PAN. Grease a silicone donut pan and fill in the batter.

4. BAKE. Bake in the oven until golden. Let the donuts cool completely before removing from the pan.

a bowl with cinnamon sweetener mix and a donut being coated

5. COAT THE DONUTS. Mix together the "cinnamon sugar" mixture. Brush the donuts lightly with melted butter and roll in the mixture until coated all over.

Katrin's Top Tips

Have been baking low carb for many years. Here is what you need to know to make the recipe perfectly:

#1 Get a good rise: Always use fresh baking powder and room temperature ingredients in keto baking recipes. And take your time when beating eggs to get as much air into them as possible.

#2 Silicone pan: I strongly recommend to use a silicone donut pan for this recipe. It's much easier to release the donuts than from a regular pan.

#3 Don't lose the hole: Don't over-fill the pan or your donuts won't have a hole in the middle!

Variations

Make it nut free: Replace the almond flour with a mix of sesame flour and sunflower seed flour.

Make it dairy free: Use coconut oil instead of butter.

stacked donuts, one is bitten into and apples in the background

Recipe FAQs

Can I use apple extract?

You can use 1 teaspoon of natural apple extract in this recipe. However, this would not REPLACE the apple, which you need for moisture as well as flavour. The apple extract would need to be used in addition to the apple.

Can I use raw apple?

I made a version with raw grated apple. Because this adds more moisture to the batter, you'd have to increase the almond flour by 25 grams or ¼ cup. The result is more rustic as you'll have small apple pieces in the low carb donuts.

What if I don't have a donut pan?

No donut pan? Simply use a muffin pan! Depending on the size, increase the oven time accordingly. Test with a skewer to see when they're done. Full sized muffins normally take 25 minutes.

How do I store keto apple cider donuts?

All low carb donuts keep well on the counter for about 5 days, and that includes keto apple cider donuts. I store them in a cookie jar. There's no need to store them in the fridge.

Can I freeze them?

It's possible to freeze them, too! Put them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.