Keto Jelly Donuts
Published August 14, 2022 • Updated March 1, 2026
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Pillowy soft homemade low carb jelly donuts fried to a crispy golden brown and filled with my zero-carb konjac gum jelly that bursts with every bite.
I created the keto jelly danish first, and the zero-carb konjac gum jelly I developed for it was so good that I had to figure out how to get it inside a fried donut. So I took my classic glazed keto donuts recipe, shaped the dough into rounds, fried them, and piped that same gooey jelly straight into the center. The combination of crispy fried shell and bursting jelly filling is everything I wanted it to be.
The batter is a gluten-free pastry dough built on almond flour, protein powder, and xanthan gum. The protein powder is not optional. I cut it back in a test batch once and the jelly pockets collapsed on the first bite. It forms the matrix that lets these donuts puff up and hold their shape through frying and filling. One of my readers, Tricia, confirmed the same thing after her fourth batch.
I tried baking these. I tried air frying them. Neither worked. The outside stays pale and soft, and you lose that crackly fried crust that makes the texture contrast with the jelly so satisfying. Frying in lard or avocado oil is the only method I recommend. Between the two, lard gives you a noticeably crispier, less greasy shell. Avocado oil works, but lard is what I reach for.
What makes this recipe different from anything else out there is the filling. Most low carb donut recipes either skip the filling entirely or tell you to buy a store-bought jam. I make a zero-carb jelly from scratch using konjac gum powder and powdered sweetener, and you can flavor it however you want: lemon, raspberry, cherry, strawberry. I developed this technique for my danish recipe and it translates perfectly here. You can also go a completely different direction with a cream cheese filling or even keto chocolate pudding.
If you love fried keto pastries, check out my keto churro donut holes next. And one of my readers discovered that rolling these in a cinnamon-monkfruit coating while still warm turns them into something closer to a churro donut. I tried it and she was right.
How to make jelly donuts
- Make the batter by whisking the dry ingredients (almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt), then mixing in the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Shape the dough into 8 balls and flatten into round bun shapes. I chill mine for 15 minutes before frying to keep them from puffing unevenly.
- Fry in lard or avocado oil over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. The technique is similar to making keto apple fritters.
- Fill each donut with sugar free jelly using a piping bag and injector tip, then dust with powdered sweetener.
Key ingredients and swaps
- Almond flour: The gluten-free base for this dough. If you have a nut allergy, sunflower seed flour is your best swap (same measurements, slightly darker color).
- Protein powder: I use unflavored whey. It builds the structure that holds the jelly inside without collapsing. Do not skip this or reduce it.
- Sweetener: Monkfruit blend works well. Can be omitted if you want a more neutral dough, but most people prefer a hint of sweetness.
- Xanthan gum: Holds the dough together and prevents crumbling. Also gives the inside that slightly chewy texture.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent that helps the donuts puff while frying.
- Sour cream: Acts as the acid to activate the baking powder and adds richness. Yogurt or buttermilk work as substitutes.
- Oil for frying: Use lard or avocado oil. I prefer lard for a crispier shell. Baking or air frying does not work for this recipe.
- Sugar free filling: My zero-carb jelly uses powdered sweetener and konjac gum powder mixed into boiling water. Add any flavor extract and food coloring you like. A store-bought option like ChocZero’s strawberry jam preserves works too. Use code KETOFOCUS to save 10% off your order.
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Keto Donut Ingredients
2 cups almond flour -
1/2 c unflavored protein powder
-
2 tablespoons monkfruit blend sweetener
-
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-
2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
-
1/4 cup sour cream
-
1 egg
-
lard or avocado oil, for frying
Sugar Free Jelly Filling Ingredients
-
1/2 cup boiling water
-
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar free sweetener
-
1/2 teaspoon konjac gum powder
-
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
-
1/4 teaspoon flavor extract
-
food coloring
-
filling injector
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
- Almond flour
- Protein powder
- Sweetener (sugar-free)
- Baking powder
- Xanthan gum
- Salt
Add wet ingredients
To the dry ingredients, add melted butter, sour cream and egg. Stir with an electric mixer until smooth and combined.
- Butter (melted)
- Sour cream
- Egg
Mold donut shapes
Roll dough into 8 balls and flatten into a round bun shape.
Fry
Add lard or avocado oil to a small non-stick skillet and heat to medium heat. Add enough lard or oil to cover the donut almost halfway. Add a couple of donuts to the skillet and fry on each side until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side). Can swirl the oil in the pan to help coat the donuts as they cook. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Lard or avocado oil
Make sugar free filling
Mix the konjac gum powder with the powdered sugar free sweetener. Then pour mixture into boiling water. Immediately stir to combine to avoid clumping. Add flavor extract (like lemon juice) and food coloring. Stir to combine. Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Water (boiling hot)
- Powdered sugar free sweetener
- Konjac gum
- Lemon juice
- Flavor extract
- Food coloring
Fill the donuts
Add jelly to a piping bag fitted with a injector tip and pipe jelly into the center of each donut.
Dust
Dust with powdered sugar free sweetener if desired.
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 bake or air fry these instead of frying?
I have tried both and neither works for this recipe. Baked, the outside stays soft and pale with no crunch. Air fried, the exterior dries out before the inside cooks through. The whole point of these keto donuts is the contrast between the crispy fried shell and the gooey jelly center, and you only get that from frying in oil. I know frying feels like more effort, but it takes about 15 minutes total and the result is worth it.
What is the best oil for frying keto donuts?
I use lard or avocado oil, and between the two I prefer lard. It gives a noticeably crispier, less greasy crust. The other thing I have noticed is that lard recovers its temperature faster between batches, while avocado oil takes a minute longer to come back up to heat. Either way, make sure the oil is deep enough to cover the donut almost halfway and hold it at medium heat. I do not recommend coconut oil (the flavor comes through too strongly).
Can I make these donuts without a piping bag or injector tip?
I have filled them a few different ways when I did not have my piping setup handy. The easiest backup is to use a paring knife to slice the donut partway open and spoon the jelly into the middle. A wide straw or skewer can also poke a hole that you can squeeze filling into. The piping bag gives you the cleanest result, but the knife method works fine for a home batch.
Why can't I freeze keto jelly donuts?
I tested freezing these and the texture fell apart. The jelly filling releases moisture as it thaws, and that moisture soaks into the fried crust and turns it soft and soggy. You lose the crispy outside completely. If you want to make them ahead, my workaround is to fry the donuts and freeze them unfilled, then thaw, warm them briefly, and pipe the jelly in fresh before serving.
Can I use a store-bought sugar-free jam instead of making the jelly?
Yes, and I have done it myself when I wanted to skip a step. ChocZero's strawberry jam preserves work well (use code KETOFOCUS for 10% off). The texture is a little different from my homemade konjac gum version (thicker, more like a traditional preserve), but it pipes into the donuts just fine. My homemade jelly has the advantage of being truly zero carb, while most store-bought options add 1-2g per serving.
What flavors of jelly can I make for the filling?
I have made lemon, raspberry, cherry, and strawberry using the same konjac gum base. You just swap the extract and food coloring. Lemon is my favorite because the tartness cuts through the sweetness of the powdered coating. Raspberry is my second pick for a classic jelly donut flavor. I use about half a teaspoon of extract per batch and adjust from there.
Can I use chocolate buttercream or cream cheese as a filling instead of jelly?
I have done both. For cream cheese filling, I mix an egg yolk, 4 oz cream cheese, 3 tablespoons sweetener, half a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a quarter teaspoon vanilla. It pipes in smoothly and tastes like a cream-filled donut. One of my readers, Amanda, used a chocolate buttercream and said it reminded her of cream puffs. You could also try my keto chocolate glazed donuts if you want chocolate on the outside instead.
Used sugar-free raspberry jam instead of the konjac jelly and they were SO good, that sour cream dough is sturdy enough to hold it without getting soggy. The oil temperature is everything though (I use a candy thermometer now), if it's not fully hot they drink up the oil and go heavy.
I've made raspberry with the konjac base but never tried it with store jam - now I'm curious if the looser texture holds differently in that dough. And yeah, once you've had a heavy batch you never skip the thermometer again.
I was too intimidated to make the konjac jelly so I filled mine with Smucker's sugar-free strawberry jam instead, and I honestly wasn't sure it would hold up inside the dough but it did. The dough came together faster than I expected (this was also my first time frying anything, ever, so I was nervous the whole way through). I used a round cookie cutter to shape them more evenly and that made a real difference with the frying because they cooked at the same rate instead of some getting done faster than others. The outside got this crispy golden shell and the jam warmed up inside and went kind of soft and runny in the best way. Next time I want to try the actual konjac filling since I feel more confident with the dough now, but the jam version works if you're just getting started and need something you can grab from the store.
I've tried probably six keto donut recipes at this point and most of them are dense little hockey pucks with a faint sweetness and zero resemblance to an actual donut. This one is different in a way I wasn't prepared for. The protein powder in the dough did something I didn't expect (I almost skipped it thinking it would make things rubbery) and the sour cream keeps everything from going dry. The konjac jelly is the real win here. I've done raspberry chia jam, I've done sugar free Smucker's squeezed in with a piping bag, and nothing holds up the way this does. Mine came out with this thin crisp shell and a pillowy center. I stood at the counter eating two of them before I even thought about plating them.
The protein powder almost got me too the first time. It sounds wrong for a donut but it's what gives them that pull instead of just crumbling apart. Standing at the counter is the only way to eat the first batch.
My grandma made jelly donuts every Easter and I genuinely thought that was over for me on keto. Bit into one of these and had to sit down for a second. Not even being dramatic.
The konjac jelly took me a while to nail for exactly that reason. It had to actually burst, not just sit there. Glad the Easter memory landed.
Brought these to a spring brunch and two people genuinely thought I'd picked them up from a bakery. The konjac filling bursts just like the real thing -- that's what got them. Watch your oil temp though, mine went too dark on the second batch.
Bakery pass is the highest compliment. For the second batch, I drop the heat slightly right after pulling the first ones out. Without food in the oil it just keeps climbing. Lard handles this better than avocado oil too, if you aren't already using it.
I've never fried anything at home before and was genuinely nervous, but the dough came together so smoothly I just went for it. That konjac jelly filling actually bursts when you bite in. Didn't see that coming. Already planning a second batch.
My daughter was picking at the powdered sweetener coating before I even finished filling them. Not a great sign. First bite and she went quiet. The konjac jelly works way better than I expected.
Ha, coating gets picked at first in my house too. Quiet on the first bite is the best kind of feedback.
Didn't have the konjac gum powder so I used ChocZero raspberry jam instead. Was worried it would leak everywhere when I piped it in, but once the donuts cooled a few minutes the jam held pretty well. Almond flour dough fried up way crispier than I expected. Going to track down the konjac gum before I make these again to see if the filling is actually different.
Konjac version is thinner, more liquid. When you bite in it actually runs a little. ChocZero is denser and holds its shape more, which is why it didn't leak on you.
Used 4 teaspoons of xanthan gum by accident instead of 2 and the dough was way easier to flatten without cracking. Might be worth doing on purpose if you've had trouble with the shaping step.
Yeah that tracks. More xanthan, more stretch. Only thing I'd watch is whether the chew changes on the finished donut (could get rubbery at double). But if cracking's the problem, probably a fair trade.
Four keto donut attempts in, this one finally puffs right. Xanthan gum + protein powder does what almond-flour-only versions can't.
Four tries is about average for these. Almond flour alone just collapses, nothing to hold the air in.
Brought these to book club without mentioning they were keto. Someone picked one up, got the jelly burst mid-bite, and immediately looked at me like I had some explaining to do. The almond flour base held at room temperature for a few hours, no sogginess, which caught me off guard. I just said I'd been experimenting.
The jelly burst face is the whole point. And I tested room temp specifically because I needed to know if these worked for potlucks. Three hours out, the crust still had some bite.
Tip for anyone who struggled with the filling step: I switched to a squeeze bottle instead of a piping bag and the konjac jelly distributes way more evenly inside, no blowouts at the seam. Also used avocado oil over lard and the outside stayed crispy a solid 20 minutes after pulling them from the pan.
Squeeze bottle, noted. I've been fighting the piping bag setup since I first developed this and that's a way simpler fix. Still partial to lard for crispiness but 20 minutes on avocado oil is longer than I'd expect.
I've been making keto donuts for a while now and I always end up with a mess when frying on the stovetop (the oil splatter is something else). I have an air fryer on my counter and I'm wondering if these would work in it instead of the lard and skillet method. I know air fryer donuts are a thing but I've never tried it with a dough that has xanthan gum in it, and I'm not sure if the texture holds up the same way without being submerged in oil. Part of me thinks they'd turn out fine and part of me thinks they'd just be dense little hockey pucks. If I go that route, do I need to brush them with avocado oil first or would they still get any kind of crust on the outside? I'm thinking maybe 375 for 8-10 minutes but I have no idea if that's even close for this dough.
Tried it. The outside dries before the inside cooks through, so you get a tough shell and raw center. These need the oil.
My daughter has been skeptical of every keto swap since the cauliflower pizza incident, so I didn't say a word when I put these out. She ate two and then asked where I bought them. When I told her I made them, she picked up the second one and said 'the jelly actually bursts when you bite it.' Coming from her, that was everything. The lard got them golden faster than I expected too, which I wasn't ready for.
Lard runs hotter than avocado oil, so color not timer. And that konjac jelly took me multiple batches to get the burst right. She noticed the part I'm most proud of.
The cinnamon-monkfruit coating changed what I thought this recipe was. Rolled the donuts while still warm, 2 teaspoons cinnamon per quarter cup of powdered Swerve, and it adheres completely and makes every bite taste like a churro. I've made keto donuts enough times to know the protein powder in this dough isn't optional (cut it back in a test batch once and the jelly pockets collapsed on the first bite). Lard gives you a better crust than avocado oil, noticeably crispier and less greasy. I also found that chilling the shaped dough for 15 minutes before frying keeps them from puffing unevenly. Fourth batch since December. Making a double next time.
The churro coating thing never occurred to me. Cinnamon + powdered Swerve while still warm - obvious in hindsight. That pre-fry chill is smart, I'm testing that next batch.