Keto Apple Cider Donuts
Published October 16, 2025 • Updated February 28, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
I can't stop making these keto apple cider donuts: soft, buttery, rolled in cinnamon "sugar," with just 1 net carb each. I use apple extract to nail that cider-shop flavor without the carbs from real apples.
I’ve made a lot of keto donuts over the years, from Krispy Kreme copycats that can fool your local donut shop to cinnamon-coated churro bites I eat straight off the pan. But these apple cider donuts are my new favorite. They’ve got that classic apple orchard vibe: warm, buttery, and coated in cinnamon “sugar.” And unlike most versions that lean dry or crumbly, these are soft, fluffy, and hit that sweet spot between sweetness and spice.
I originally created this recipe for ChocZero and coated the bites in their sugar-free white chocolate, but they turned out so good that I knew I had to share the recipe with you too. The cinnamon “sugar” coating is my favorite version though. Something about butter plus cinnamon plus a warm donut that just works.
What sets this recipe apart
- No apples or apple juice: I recreated that nostalgic cider flavor without apples or juice (which would spike the carbs). Instead, I use apple extract. It’s the secret ingredient that gives these donuts their cozy, cider-like aroma. I’ve tried a few different brands over the years and LorAnn’s is the one that actually tastes like real apples without any weird chemical aftertaste. A teaspoon is all you need.
- Fluffy, puffy and perfect texture: The dough includes a mix of almond flour and unflavored whey protein isolate (I use Isopure Zero Carb), which helps them puff up like traditional cake donuts while keeping them gluten-free and high in protein. Each one has about 1 net carb and 5 grams of protein, so yes, you can totally have seconds.
- No coconut flour: Most low-carb versions rely on coconut flour or dense nut-based batters that end up feeling more like muffins than donuts. These bake up light and tender thanks to the whey protein and a touch of xanthan gum, which mimics the structure you’d get from gluten. Once they’re brushed with melted butter and rolled in a cinnamon-sweetener blend, they hit that balance of crisp outside, soft inside.
Whether you’re missing your annual pumpkin patch donut fix or just need something warm with your morning coffee, these have you covered. They’re sturdy enough to toss in a lunchbox or bring to a friend’s house, too. One reader, Hannah, brought a batch to a brunch potluck and three people asked for the recipe before they finished eating. I make these almost every weekend in the fall, and my kitchen smells like an apple orchard the rest of the day. If you love fall baking, try my apple fritters, pecan pie muffins, or almond flour pancakes with a little cinnamon on top.
Tips before you start
Explore hundreds of keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Keto Apple Cider Donuts Ingredients
1 cup almond flour -
1/2 cup whey protein powder
-
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
-
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
-
2 tablespoons sour cream
-
2 tablespoons hot water
-
1 teaspoon apple extract
Sugar-free Cinnamon Coating Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-
1/4 cup sugar-free sweetener
-
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven and mix dry ingredients
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon and salt.
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup unflavored whey protein powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add wet ingredients
Add in melted butter, sour cream, hot water and apple extract. Mix until combined.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon apple extract
Roll the donut holes
Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll between the palms of your hands to form a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a parchment lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake the donuts
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Let cool completely before rolling in the coating.
Cinnamon 'sugar' mixture
While the donuts are cooling, prepare the coating. In a small bowl, mix together sugar-free sweetener and cinnamon.
- 1/4 cup sugar-free sweetener
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coat the donut bites
When the donuts are cooled, coat each with melted butter either by dipping them in or using a pastry brush. Then roll each in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different protein powder or skip it entirely?
I use Isopure Zero Carb whey isolate and it gives the best puff and texture. I use the same protein in my instant pot donuts too. I've also tested egg white protein, which works but makes them a little softer and denser. If you want to skip protein powder entirely, try coconut flour, but cut the amount to about 1/4 cup since it absorbs way more liquid. The texture will be heavier, closer to a muffin than a donut.
Do I need to use apple extract?
I tried making these without it once, and they just tasted like cinnamon donuts. Good, but missing that fall orchard flavor. The apple extract is what makes the whole recipe work. A little goes a long way. I use about a teaspoon and it's enough to perfume the whole batch.
Can I make these without xanthan gum?
I've made them both ways. Without xanthan gum, they hold together but they're more fragile and tend to crumble when you coat them in butter. The xanthan gum gives that slightly chewy, soft bite that makes them feel like a real donut. If you skip it, just be extra gentle when rolling them in the coating.
Can I bake these in a mini donut pan instead of making donut holes?
I use a mini donut pan all the time. It cuts the bake time to about 8 minutes and gives you that classic ring shape. Grease the pan with butter first, then a light spray of oil. The biggest tip: pop them out while they're still slightly warm. If they cool completely in the pan, they can stick. My chocolate glazed donuts use the same pan if you want another recipe to justify buying one.
What sweetener works best for the cinnamon coating?
I typically use a monk fruit blend for the coating, but I've also tested allulose. Allulose gives the smoothest texture because it doesn't have the cooling effect you sometimes get with erythritol. If you go with erythritol, the coating is slightly crunchier, which some people actually prefer. Any granulated sweetener that measures 1:1 with sugar works here.
Can I make these nut-free?
I haven't tested a nut-free version of this exact recipe myself, but I've had readers swap the almond flour for sunflower seed flour with good results. You'd use the same amount. The flavor changes slightly (sunflower flour has an earthier taste), but the cinnamon coating covers most of that. If you try it, I'd love to hear how yours turn out.
How many net carbs per donut?
I calculated about 1 net carb per donut hole using Isopure whey isolate and a monk fruit sweetener. Your count will vary a little depending on which protein powder and sweetener you use. Each one also has about 5 grams of protein, so I grab 3 or 4 without thinking twice. A full batch gives me around 24 donut holes.
Figured the cinnamon coating would slide right off without a butter dip first. Nope, cooled them completely, rolled them through, and every one stuck. Better than my fried apple cider donuts, and those got a full butter bath.
Out of whey protein and not keen on a special trip. Would plant-based work in the same amount, or does the whey actually matter here?
It'll work but expect a slightly denser texture. Plant-based proteins don't puff the same way. Same amount is fine.
Apple cider donuts were my whole fall thing before I went keto and I mourned them more than I want to admit. The apple extract actually works (I was skeptical), and the cinnamon coating hit in a way I wasn't prepared for. Not quite the orchard version but closer than I thought anything could get.
The mourning phase is real and I think people underestimate it. Apple cider donuts were one I'd basically written off before I started testing this, figured it was just too tied to real cider to recreate. I tested without the extract once, thinking it was optional, and what I got was just cinnamon donuts. Decent but the whole orchard thing was gone. The butter dip before the cinnamon coating is also where a lot of people shortcut, and it's what makes it hit the way you're describing.
Added a tiny pinch of nutmeg to the cinnamon coating because I had it out from something else, and it kind of changed everything. The coating smells more like an actual cider stand now, less just cinnamon sugar. I'm pretty new to keto baking and wasn't sure the dough would come together but it took maybe 3 minutes, which I didn't expect. Making another batch before my pool day snacks run out.
Nutmeg in the coating, stealing that.
Browned the butter first and the dough got this nutty, almost caramel-y depth that worked perfectly with the cinnamon coating. Two extra minutes, totally worth it.
Browned butter didn't occur to me for this dough. That nutty caramel + cinnamon coating is so obvious now. Stealing this.
Ran out of xanthan gum halfway through mixing and just went for it anyway, figured worst case I'd have weird little almond flour blobs. They came out totally fine, slightly softer in the center but in a way I actually liked better. I also stirred a pinch of nutmeg into the cinnamon coating because it felt right for a spring afternoon bake session, and now the original version almost sounds boring to me. The apple extract smell right when you open the oven is genuinely stopping me in my tracks every time. Second batch is already cooling on the counter.
The softer center without xanthan gum tracks. The gum gives you a chewier, more structured bite (more donut-shop), but without it there's this custardy thing in the center I actually prefer some batches. They're more fragile when you roll them in the coating so if yours held together you hit the sweet spot. That apple extract smell still stops me every time. You got this one.
My husband went back to check the ingredients after a few bites, convinced there had to be real apple in there. The extract really does sell it.
Ha, the ingredient check. One teaspoon in the whole batch and it reads like real apple.
I've tried probably four other keto donut recipes and they all taste like sweetened almond flour. The apple extract here is what nobody else thought to use, and it actually lands. These taste like a cider mill stand, not like a keto workaround.
Almost cut the apple extract thinking it would taste fake, like a candle. Good call keeping it.
Good, and the cinnamon is spot-on, but one teaspoon of apple extract wasn't enough for me. Bumped it to 1.5 on my second batch and the cider flavor came through way more.
Been trying to crack keto apple cider donuts for a while now. Three recipes, none got the apple flavor right. They all tasted more like spiced almond flour than anything near a cider stand. This one's different. The apple extract reads as actual apple, not fake candy apple, and the cinnamon coating actually stays on. Four stars only because I'd push the texture toward fluffier, but flavor-wise this is it.
Texture is mostly the protein powder. Isopure Zero Carb whey isolate puffs them more than other brands I've tested. Worth swapping if you used something else.
Brought these to a spring brunch and two people asked what bakery I got them from. When I said I made them and they were keto, I got the look. The apple extract is what does it (I was skeptical, but it's almost uncanny how close it gets to that cider-shop flavor), and rolling them in the cinnamon coating while they're still warm made the whole kitchen smell like a bakery. Double batch next time.
Two bakery guesses at one brunch. That's the moment right there. Double batch.
Went keto in January and thought apple cider donuts were just gone from my life. Made these Saturday and the apple extract actually captures that cider-shop smell I've been missing for months. 0.9 net carbs. I'm emotional about it.
The smell is the hardest part to nail with fall flavors. Took a few batches to get the extract amount right, and that cider-shop test was basically my benchmark.
Apple extract skeptic coming in. I've tried enough keto fruit recipes that taste like chemical candy to be suspicious, so I almost subbed applesauce and just accepted the extra carbs. Made it as written. The extract somehow nails that warm, slightly tangy cider-shop smell when they come out of the oven, and the cinnamon coating gives them this grainy crunch I kept picking at while they cooled. Double batch next weekend, no question.
The grainy crunch is erythritol. Allulose stays smoother if that bothers you, but I like it.
Brought these to a spring cookout and three people asked which cider mill I'd stopped at. The apple extract really does nail that cider-shop flavor, coating and all. Only wish I'd made a double batch.
Cider mill is the highest compliment these can get. Double batch is the only right answer, I've never made a single batch that actually lasted.
Browned the butter instead of just melting it and the dough picked up this nuttiness that layers really well with the apple extract. Worth the extra 3 minutes.
Yeah, those two together do something. The nuttiness rounds out the apple extract in a way that plain melted butter doesn't.