Keto Churro Donut Holes
Published April 26, 2020 • Updated March 3, 2026
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A buttery keto donut hole rolled in cinnamon sugar that tastes like a real churro. I make a batch every week, and at only 0.7g net carbs per bite, I never feel like I'm missing out.
I have a serious donut problem. Not the kind where I eat a dozen from a drive-through (though I did that plenty pre-keto), but the kind where I’m constantly testing new versions in my kitchen. Between these churro donut holes, my keto chocolate glazed donuts, and my classic glazed keto donuts, I’ve got a full rotation going. I even have an apple cider version for fall.
Here’s the thing about this recipe. The coating is everything. I roll each one in melted butter and then into a cinnamon monk fruit mixture while they’re still warm. My biggest tip: roll them twice. That double layer of cinnamon sugar is what makes these taste like something from a churro stand instead of just another low carb baked good. I’ve had people genuinely not believe me when I tell them the carb count. One reader brought a batch to a Super Bowl party and three people asked which bakery he ordered from. When he said they were homemade, two of them thought he was joking.
The base dough comes together in one bowl. Almond flour, protein powder, a little xanthan gum for structure, and sour cream for moisture. I tested this combination four or five times before I got the texture right. Too much protein powder and they crumble apart. Not enough sour cream and they dry out. The ratio here is the one that finally clicked: soft and pillowy inside, with just enough hold to keep that buttery cinnamon coating intact. When you bite into one, the outside has this light crunch from the coating and the center stays tender. That contrast is what keeps me coming back to this recipe over and over.
You can spell it donut or doughnut (donut is the American version, doughnut is the traditional). I go back and forth. Either way, at 0.7g net carbs per bite, I eat three or four with my morning coffee without thinking twice. They hold up at room temperature for hours, which makes them great for packing in a bag when I’m heading out the door. I’ve brought these to family gatherings, kept them on the counter for afternoon snacking, and handed them to my kids after school. They disappear fast no matter where I put them.
The flexibility is part of what I love. You can dip them in a chocolate glaze, roll them in different sweetener blends, or eat them plain with just butter. I always come back to the cinnamon version, though. That warm, toasty churro flavor is what makes this recipe mine.
How to make churro donut holes
- Mix the dough in one bowl: almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, sour cream, and hot water. I like my dough slightly sticky rather than dry. If it crumbles when you try to shape it, add water a teaspoon at a time.
- Roll into small balls about 1/2 to 1 inch across. Wet your hands first or spray them with cooking spray. I learned this the hard way after spending ten minutes scraping dough off my palms.
- Bake at 325 for 6 minutes until they’re golden. Let them cool before you touch them. They’re fragile right out of the oven and will crumble if you rush it.
- Dip in butter, then roll in the churro coating. My secret: roll each one twice while they’re still a little warm. That double coat is what gives them the real cinnamon sugar crust.
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Keto Doughnut Holes Ingredients
1 cup almond flour -
1/4 c unflavored or vanilla protein powder
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1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 cup butter, melted
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2 tablespoons sour cream
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2 tablespoons hot water
Cinnamon Sugar Coating Ingredients
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1/4 cup butter, melted
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1/3 cup monk fruit sweetener
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2 teaspoons cinnamon
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Donut hole batter
Add almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, sour cream and hot water to a small bowl. Mix until combined.
Roll into balls
Roll dough into 1/2 to 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking tray, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake it
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes.
Dip in butter
Once doughnut bites have cooled to the touch, dip each one in the melted butter. Then dip in a mixture of monk fruit and cinnamon.
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.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these in an air fryer?
I haven't dialed in the exact time for my air fryer yet, but readers have told me 325 degrees for 5-6 minutes works well. Air fryers run hotter than ovens, so I'd check at the 4 minute mark your first time. Start with a small test batch to find the sweet spot for your model. If you try it, drop a comment and let me know your timing.
Can I freeze the dough or the baked donut holes?
I've frozen the baked version and they hold up well. Let them cool, then bag them with parchment between layers. When you reheat (300 degrees, about 5 minutes), re-roll in the cinnamon coating because the sugar dulls a bit in the freezer. I haven't frozen the raw dough yet, but I think it would be fine if you thaw it in the fridge overnight before shaping.
What can I substitute for xanthan gum?
One of my readers tested cornstarch as a 1:1 swap and said they turned out fine. I thought that was a great find. Xanthan gum is what gives the dough its stretchy, holdable texture, but if you don't keep it in your pantry, cornstarch at the same measurement is the easiest substitute I've seen actually work here.
Can I use cassava flour instead of almond flour for a nut-free version?
I haven't tested cassava in this specific recipe, so I can't guarantee the texture will match. Cassava absorbs moisture differently than almond flour, so you might need an extra tablespoon of water if the dough feels dry. Start with the same 1 cup measurement and adjust from there. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it.
Why are my donut holes mushy in the middle?
They're supposed to feel soft right out of the oven. I've noticed mine firm up as they sit for about 10-15 minutes. If they're still mushy after cooling, try making them smaller (closer to 1/2 inch) or baking an extra minute. One of my readers bumped the temperature to 370 and baked for 6 minutes with great results, so your oven calibration might be the variable.
Can I deep fry these instead of baking?
Yes, and the texture is even better fried. Crispier shell with a softer center. I cover the frying method in more detail in my glazed donut recipe, but for these I'd fry at 350 degrees until golden on all sides, then roll in the cinnamon coating immediately while they're hot. The coating sticks even better to fried ones.
What can I use instead of protein powder?
I've found coconut flour works as a 1:1 swap. Use the same 1/4 cup. Coconut flour absorbs more moisture than protein powder, so if your dough feels crumbly, add water a teaspoon at a time until it holds together. The texture is slightly different but still good. I keep protein powder in my pantry specifically for keto baking because the structure it provides is hard to beat, but coconut flour is my backup.
Used browned butter instead of regular for the dipping step and something happened because these are on a completely different level now.
I kept putting these off because xanthan gum has wrecked the texture on me in other recipes and I wasn't sure it would work here. Finally made them Sunday. The dough came together in maybe 3 minutes and rolled into balls without cracking or sticking to my hands, which is not always the case with almond flour doughs. Baked at exactly 6 minutes and let them cool before the butter dip, and the cinnamon coating stuck clean without clumping. At 0.7g net carbs each I didn't have to think too hard about portion size. One note from my batch: the coating butter needs to be warm, not just melted and sitting out, or the cinnamon slides right off instead of adhering. Minor fix but worth knowing going in.
Had my doubts about baking these instead of frying them because churros are supposed to have that snap from hot oil (or so I thought). Made them anyway and that cinnamon butter dip at the end does something I wasn't expecting. Every other keto donut hole I've tried is just donut-adjacent. These actually taste like a churro, which I cannot say about most keto versions of anything.
I've tried four other keto donut hole recipes and kept running into the same problem: the coating slides right off. The melted butter dip fixes that completely, and the xanthan gum gives them an actual chew I haven't found anywhere else.
Butter dip is non-negotiable. Tried dry coating first and it was a mess. The xanthan gum is the whole reason they chew instead of crumble.
My 14-year-old gives every 'healthy' thing I make the side-eye before he'll touch it, so I just set a plate of these on the counter Sunday morning without saying a word. He ate six of them standing at the counter, then asked if I was going to make more this week. That cinnamon coating smells exactly like the ones at the fair while they're warm out of the oven, and I think that's what got him. He actually came back after school and finished the cold ones, which tells me everything. I will say, 325 degrees is no joke fast on these, so if your oven runs hot, start checking at the 5-minute mark. Giving it four stars only because I want to try doubling the cinnamon in the coating next batch. My instinct is it can go bolder.
Cold ones after school. That's the vote. Double the cinnamon, the coating takes more than you'd think without going bitter.
I honestly didn't think almond flour was going to pull off anything close to a real churro. I've had keto 'donut' recipes before and they always have that dense, gummy thing going on that just reminds you you're on a diet. These don't. The cinnamon coating crisps up when you dip them in butter and the inside is actually soft. I went in skeptical and came out making a second batch the same afternoon.
Second batch same afternoon. That's the real vote. The protein powder is what keeps it from going gummy, most keto donut recipes skip it.
Swapped the sour cream for full-fat cream cheese because that's what I had, and the dough came out noticeably denser, which I thought was going to ruin them. It didn't. The bite has more structure now, like a proper donut hole instead of a soft baked ball, and the cinnamon sugar grabs onto the outside differently too, way more cling. I also rolled them twice in the coating (once hot, once after they'd cooled for a few minutes) and that second pass is honestly the reason I'm typing this. The crust is freaking unreal. Four stars because I haven't tested the original version with sour cream yet and I want to be fair, but the cream cheese swap is going in my permanent notes either way.
The double roll is a real find. Hot coat grabs, second pass after cooling is what actually seals it. I've only ever done one and now I'm annoyed about it. The cream cheese making it denser tracks too (way less water than sour cream).
Never tried keto baking before and started here, which was a gamble. Dough came together fast, and the cinnamon sugar actually stayed on after the butter dip. Would these work in an air fryer, or does the oven matter for how they set?
Air fryer works. 325 for 5-6 minutes, but check at 4 - they go fast. That first batch is the calibration.
Made these Sunday night because my daughter has been asking for churros since we went to the fair last summer. She took one bite, looked at me, and said 'these taste like the real ones.' From a 10-year-old with zero interest in keto and zero incentive to be nice about it, that was the whole review I needed. The cinnamon sugar coating smelled exactly right when I was rolling them. Making a double batch next weekend.
Zero incentive to be nice is the most accurate description of a 10-year-old. That's the only review that matters. Double batch sounds right.
Churros were what I missed most going keto. Came in skeptical. The cinnamon butter coating nails it. Four stars only because I scorched my first batch. Treated the 6-minute timing like a regular donut recipe.
Almond flour burns way faster than regular dough. Check at 4 minutes. Once they brown they go quick.
Really happy with these but I'll roll them smaller next time (mine came out more like golf balls than donut holes, not totally sure I got the 1/2 to 1 inch sizing right). The cinnamon sugar coating still stuck beautifully and the inside was soft, just a lot of donut hole per bite.
Yeah the coating-to-dough ratio is way better at the smaller size. Golf balls are fine but you lose the cinnamon sugar in every bite. Half inch is the sweet spot.
Made these last weekend and they turned out great. Next morning though, the cinnamon sugar coating had gone sticky. I dipped in melted butter right after cooling and rolled straight through the cinnamon sugar, so I don't think I did anything wrong. Same-day treat only, or is there a trick to keeping the coating from going tacky overnight?
Sugar pulls moisture overnight, that's just what it does. Store them plain and do the butter dip and roll fresh each time. Takes maybe 30 seconds.
My daughter ate four of these standing at the counter while they were still warm from the oven. When I asked what she thought she said they needed more cinnamon, which honestly I didn't expect from a second-grader, but she's not wrong. Going to adjust the ratio next time.
A second grader critiquing the cinnamon ratio. She's not wrong. Try 1.5 teaspoons in the dough next time, it makes a real difference.
Took these to a Super Bowl party and three people asked which bakery I ordered from. When I said I made them and they were low carb, two of them asked if I was serious. That cinnamon coating is what sells it.
The coating is the whole thing honestly. Roll them twice while they're still warm and it sticks way better.
Absolutely love your recipe, easiest donuts ever to make. I was looking up, donut holes, and came across your website. I had some leftover chocolate and peanuts and caramel that I was making snicker brownies and thought donuts would be a great addition with the leftovers so again thank you so much
Chocolate, peanuts, and caramel on churro donut holes. That's basically a snickers bite and I love it.