I made my Gluten-Free Keto Apple Cider Donuts so everyone can enjoy them, and they are only 1.9g net carb each. They are also so yummy and perfect for fall!

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When I shared my keto apple cake a few weeks ago, I also realized I need to have more apple recipes on my site. I started with these cider donuts, and I think you are really going to enjoy these gluten free donuts!

Oh wait. I can hear you asking, “But, Christina, apples are not keto?”

That depends on how much you eat.

Yes, apples are one of the higher carb fruits. But remember, keto is a metabolic state, not a food in and of itself. Apples can definitely be a part of a keto diet as long as you are mindful of other higher carb foods.

Some people prefer to omit apples and just add flavoring, and that is totally fine. Personally, I prefer the real apple flavor that you just can’t get from flavoring. Plus, how often do you want to deal with a flavoring bottle? I just think apple flavoring is not as versatile as vanilla extract.

Each batch of these keto donuts uses one baked apple, spread across 16 different mini donuts. We are therefore looking at 1.9g of net carbs per donut. They really are excellent to pair with my sugar free donuts and other keto donuts!

INGREDIENTS: Gluten-Free Keto Apple Cider Donuts

Traditional apple cider donuts aren’t made with apples. They’re made with real apple cider.

I don’t really like apple cider, since I think it’s like drinking apple juice that has gone off and it’s way too sugary. So, I just opted for the apple (as mentioned above) and added apple cider vinegar instead!

I think these sugar free donuts turned out great, and I really like the fit and moist texture. Ingredients are as follows:

For the dry ingredients:

Almond flour and coconut flour – work really great together, and for keto these are the best gluten free flour options. I use ground almonds, which in the US would be called almond flour. Please make sure to weigh, not cup, your ingredients.

Sweetener – I was going to get erythritol monk fruit sweetener, which is a golden color and a 1:1 sugar substitute. A plain white sweetener would also work. In this recipe, substitute Swerve, Allulose, or even xylitol. Just remember, xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs.

Baking powder

Spices – I added cinnamon because it is a must for this recipe. I also added nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and allspice. Don’t worry if you don’t have all these spices. As long as you have cinnamon, the donuts will taste fantastic.

Wet ingredients:

Apple: Please do use a dessert apple for this recipe, just not Bramley because they are too sour. The apple I used was 125g, which is just under 1 cup of chopped apple, once peeled and cored.

Apple cider vinegar added health benefits
Butter should be melted, then cooled
Eggs need to be at room temperature
Vanilla extract

Coating:

Use a mix of sweetener and cinnamon.
check the recipe card for the full ingredient list and exact amounts.

METHOD: Gluten-Free Keto Apple Cider Donuts

It is actually pretty easy to make these gluten free apple cider donuts, even if they are a keto recipe. For the basic instructions, keep reading, but for more detail instructions, check the recipe card.

1. PREP THE APPLES: The apple must be peeled. Then, it must be cored and chopped into small pieces. Cook it in the microwave until soft, or simmer it on the stove in a little bit of water until the pieces are very soft.

2. MAKE THE BATTER: In a high speed blender or food processor, add the eggs and blend them until they are fluffy, pale, and doubled in volume.

Then add the melted butter with a sweetener of your choice, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and the cooked apple. Blend it all up.

Now add the remaining dry ingredients: coconut and almond flour, the spices, and baking powder. Blend it up until it is a smooth batter.

3. FILL IN PANL: Fill the greased baking tray with the mixture and smooth the top with a spatula.

4. BAKE: Wait for a more golden brown. After finishing baking, the donuts should be allowed to cool completely and then moved from the baking tray.

5. COAT THE DONUTS: Preparation of the sugar mixture. Each of the donuts should be coated with melted butter and sugar.

TOP TIPS: Gluten-Free Keto Apple Cider Donuts

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: Use fresh baking powder and bring all ingredients to room temperature before baking. Take your time beating the eggs so you incorporate as much air as possible.

#2 Silicone pan: It is much easier to remove the donuts after baking when you use a silicone donut pan than a regular pan. I highly recommend it!

#3 Don’t lose the hole: Make sure you don’t fill the pan to the top, or your donuts will not stay hole-y!

Variations

Make it Nut-free: Swap the almond flour for a blend of sesame flour and sunflower seed flour.

Make it Dairy-free: Use coconut oil in place of butter.

FAQS: Gluten-Free Keto Apple Cider Donuts

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?

If you don’t have a donut pan on hand, you could always substitute that with a muffin tin! Just be sure to watch the baking time and adjust according to the size of the muffins you make. Just to provide you an average, full size muffins are usually finished baking at around 25 minutes.

How do I store keto apple cider donuts?

Keto apple cider donuts are a type of low carb donut that also has a good shelf life. They are good for around 5 days on the counter. I just kept mine in a cookie jar and you don’t have to bother with putting it in the fridge!

Is it possible to freeze them?

Definitely freeze them as well! Just place them into a ziplock bag and store them for a max of 3 months.