A chocolate donut with a thick, shiny chocolate glaze is hard to beat, and you do not need a fryer to make one. These sugar-free chocolate donuts bake in a standard donut pan and get dipped in a glossy glaze that sets softly in the fridge.
The donuts are almond and coconut flour with cocoa, eggs and Greek yogurt, plus a little whey protein and oat fiber for structure. They are sweetened with allulose, and each of the 8 donuts has about 145 calories and 4g net carbs.
The batter is piped straight into the pan, so the donuts come out round and even. The glaze is just unsweetened chocolate, almond milk, butter and powdered allulose.
Why You’ll Love These Sugar-Free Chocolate Donuts
- Baked, not fried. A donut pan does all the shaping in the oven.
- Double chocolate. Cocoa in the donut and real chocolate in the glaze.
- 4g net carbs per donut. Each of the 8 donuts has about 145 calories and 8g protein.
- Glossy glaze. A simple chocolate glaze sets softly after a short chill.
Ingredient Notes
Flours and cocoa. Half a cup of Bob’s Red Mill almond flour, 2 tablespoons of coconut flour and 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder make the chocolate base of these sugar-free chocolate donuts.
Whey protein and oat fiber. Two tablespoons of unflavored whey protein isolate and a tablespoon of oat fiber give the donuts a springy, bready structure. Mix gently once the whey goes in, since overmixing it can make the donuts tough.
Eggs and Greek yogurt. Two large eggs and ¾ cup of FAGE Total 0% Greek yogurt keep the crumb moist, with a little melted butter and almond milk.
Glaze. Three-quarters of an ounce of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate is melted into hot almond milk and butter. It contains no sugar, so 2 tablespoons of powdered allulose sweeten it.
Allulose. Granulated allulose sweetens the donuts and powdered allulose sweetens the glaze; the powdered kind helps minimize grittiness. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label.
If you want to check the nutrition of staples like almond flour, cocoa powder and eggs yourself, you can look them up on USDA FoodData Central.
How to Make Sugar-Free Chocolate Donuts
You need two standard 6-cavity donut pans with 3¼-inch cavities, a piping bag, a wire rack and a saucepan. Prep takes about 20 minutes, the donuts bake for 15 to 18 minutes, and cooling and chilling take about 40 minutes.
Mix and pipe the batter
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease 8 donut cavities.
Step 2. Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa, whey, oat fiber and baking powder.
Step 3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, 10g of butter, granulated allulose and 30g of almond milk.
Step 4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and rest the batter for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 5. Pipe the batter into the 8 cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
Bake and cool
Step 6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until springy with moist crumbs.
Step 7. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then completely on a rack.
Glaze
Step 8. Heat the remaining almond milk and butter until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
Step 9. Rest for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Whisk in the powdered allulose gradually.
Step 10. Dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze, allowing slight drips.
Step 11. Chill the sugar-free chocolate donuts for 15 to 20 minutes, until the glaze is softly set.
Success Tips for Sugar-Free Chocolate Donuts
Do not overmix. Fold the dry ingredients in just until combined. Overmixing the whey makes the donuts dense.
Do not overbake. Start checking at 15 minutes. The donuts should spring back with moist crumbs inside.
Use powdered allulose in the glaze. It dissolves more smoothly than granulated and helps keep the glaze from feeling gritty.
Let them stand. Rest chilled donuts for 10 minutes before serving so the glaze and crumb soften a little.
More Sugar-Free Donuts
For a mint-chocolate version, try my sugar-free Thin Mint donuts. In the fall, the sugar-free cinnamon sugar pumpkin donuts are a favorite.
For bite-size treats, the sugar-free chocolate-filled donut bites hide a chocolate center, and the sugar-free brown butter brookies are a great chocolate fix too.
Storage
The recipe does not give a storage time. Keep the glazed donuts chilled, and let them stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Donuts FAQ
Do I need a donut pan?
Yes. The recipe uses two standard 6-cavity donut pans with 3¼-inch cavities, and you fill 8 of them.
Why is there whey protein in the batter?
Unflavored whey protein isolate, together with oat fiber, gives the donuts a springy structure. Mix it in gently.
How do I know the donuts are done?
After 15 to 18 minutes they should feel springy, and a toothpick should show moist crumbs.
How many sugar-free chocolate donuts does this make?
The recipe makes 8 sugar-free chocolate donuts.
Is allulose a sugar alcohol?
No, allulose is a rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol.
Soft, chocolatey and shiny with glaze, these sugar-free chocolate donuts turn an ordinary morning into a treat.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8 donut cavities.
- Whisk almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa, whey, oat fiber and baking powder.
- Separately whisk eggs, yogurt, 10g butter, granulated allulose and 30g almond milk.
- Fold dry into wet ingredients. Rest 3–5 minutes.
- Pipe into 8 cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake 15–18 minutes until springy with moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in pans, then completely on a rack.
- Heat remaining almond milk and butter until steaming. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate.
- Rest 2 minutes, then stir smooth. Whisk in powdered allulose gradually.
- Dip donut tops into glaze, allowing slight drips.
- Chill 15–20 minutes until softly set.
Notes
- Avoid overbaking or overmixing whey.
- Powdered allulose helps minimize grittiness.
- Rest chilled donuts 10 minutes before serving.