Puffy and lightly crisp, these keto churro donuts are one incredible low carb dessert… at just 1g net carb a pop!
Gluten Free & Keto Churro Donuts
At just 1g net carb!
If baking overall takes a little practice, gluten free (and particularly keto!) baking is a completely new skill in the kitchen. You need to learn new textures in batters, things that you thought you knew come out horribly wrong… so if you’re struggling a bit, know that you’re definitely not alone!
I’ve been there… so many times.
Which is why, when possible, I like to make your life a little easier. And that’s were these keto churro donuts come in.
A hybrid recipe that proofed to be much easier than its ‘parents’ lol. They’re much more hands off than our proper keto churros as no frying is required (a bunch of saved calories here too!). And they don’t need as much cuddling as the donuts, which can be temperamental and can collapse if not handled properly.
The Method
Top tip: watch the video! Reading the instructions might come off as a little intimidating, but it really is quite simple and totally worth it (it’s surely one of my favorite keto batters to work with-ever).
The recipe for the base is the same as for our keto churros, which many of you have asked if they can be baked rather than fried. The batter is very akin to traditional Mexican churros, with it essentially being a choux pastry (used to make anything from eclairs to gougeres).
But this is just a fancy way of saying that you first boil together water with sugar, butter and salt. Adding in the flour and cooking it until it forms into a ball. And step three, mixing in the eggs off the stove.
After some experimenting it turned out that making a proper choux pastry keto is totally doable, and with excellent results. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t crisp up like the original (still working on seeing if that’s possible to whip up some cream puffs!).
Now, when you mix in the eggs the dough will be very stiff and take a few minutes to incorporate fully. The final dough will also be rather stiff and form into a ball easily, but also very elastic (courtesy of the eggs and xanthan gum). You can also always use a hand mixer here for even faster results.
For the shaping you’ll need a pastry bag (disposable ones are terrific) and a star tip (think Ateco #824).
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour and coconut flour best (Anthony’s is the best imo). Add a touch of psyllium husk and xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
And don’t skip the psyllium husk. It helps retain moisture, create structure (i.e. it’s highly responsible for the killer crumb). And it just so happens to be a killer source of fiber.
Borrowed from molecular cooking, xanthan gum is the binding agent which makes your toothpaste jelly-like (and your cream cheese, well cream cheese-like). And it’s also the most common gluten-replacer in gluten free baking. And there’s absolutely no skipping it here!
In all honesty, no substituting anything here. You really do need the full combo of grain free flours to get the choux just right.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the coconut, we always favor Anthony’s.
The Sweetener
The choux pastry to make churros is always very lightly sweetened (and fairly bland solo), think just a couple tablespoons. But this is really to accommodate for a generous cinnamon sugar dusting. So to sweeten the keto choux pastry itself you can use anything from sugar alcohols (erythritol and xylitol) and allulose.
Now for the cinnamon ‘sugar’ coating, allulose or xylitol are probably your best bet for the most sugar-like result. Having said that, if you’re not too bothered by the cooling aftertaste of erythritol (which gets greatly diminished by the cinnamon), it works great too.
And if just grain free, coconut sugar is your best bet here. And of course, raw sugar works great too.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
(1g net carb!) Gluten Free & Keto Churro Donuts
Puffy and lightly crisp, these keto churro donuts are one incredible low carb dessert... at just 1g net carb a pop!
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
For the keto churro donuts
- 64 g almond flour
- 28 g coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon psyllium husk ground
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 240 ml water
- 57 g grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons allulose erythritol or xylitol*
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 55 g mozzarella for extra crispness, see notes*
To garnish
- grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1/4-1/2 cup allulose or sweetener of choice, to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon we use 2
- chocolate sauce optional
Special equipment
- pastry bag
- star tip such as Ateco #824
Instructions
See recipe video for guidance!
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Whisk together in a medium bowl almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk and xanthan gum. Set aside.
Heat up water, butter, sweetener and salt in medium pot (or Dutch oven) until it just begins to simmer. Lower heat to low and add in flour mixture, mixing constantly to incorporate. Continue to cook and stir until the dough pulls away from the pan and forms into a ball, 1-3 minutes.
Transfer dough back to the bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. The dough should still be warm, but not hot enough to scramble the eggs.
Add in one egg at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. The dough will be very stiff, but keep going until fully mixed in. Mix in vanilla extract. The final dough should still be stiff and form into a ball easily, but will also be very elastic. You can use a hand mixer here for a faster approach if you prefer. NOTE: If you want your churro donuts lightly crisp, feel free to mix in a touch of a neutral cheese (think mozzarella, see notes).
Allow the dough to rest until it comes to room temperature (10-15 minutes) and spoon dough into a piping bag with a star tip (say #824 works great). Pipe out rounds onto the prepared baking tray, we made 12 out of a batch.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden. Baking times will vary a lot here depending on your oven (convection etc), so check in at minute 10. Brush with melted butter right out of the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon 'sugar'.
Store in an airtight container for 3 days, giving them a quick re-warm before serving again.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*As many of you may’ve noticed, the keto grain free flours generally stay on the softer side (i.e. are near-impossible to crisp up!). My suggestion? Just throw in a tiny bit of cheese. Yup, for real! I got this hack from our cheese puffs, which turn out beautifully crisp. You’ll be adding much less though, and with all the toppings you won’t bat an eye lash!
The Sweetener
The choux pastry to make churros is always very lightly sweetened (and fairly bland solo), think just a couple tablespoons. But this is really to accommodate for a generous cinnamon sugar dusting. So to sweeten the keto choux pastry itself you can use anything from sugar alcohols (erythritol and xylitol) and allulose.
Now for the cinnamon ‘sugar’ coating, allulose or xylitol are probably your best bet for the most sugar-like result. Having said that, if you’re not too bothered by the cooling aftertaste of erythritol (which gets greatly diminished by the cinnamon), it works great too.
And if just grain free, coconut sugar is your best bet here. And of course, raw sugar works great too.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
Please note that nutrition facts were estimated per one churro donut, and I found a batch to yield roughly twelve.
They tasted wonderful, but they had a very sponge like texture. I used coconut oil and didn’t substitute anything. Any ideas on what I can do to prevent this? I’m definitely going to be trying these again 🙂 Yum.
Would it be possible for you to give the measurements for the flours in cups rather than grams?
Thanks!
when i have used psyllium powder before it turned my bread purple. is there a way to avoid this?
Recipe looks great!
May I ask that you remove your recommendation for disposable plastic piping bags though…. not a great idea since we’re all supposed to be avoiding single use plastics these days 🙂 A link to a re-usable bag would be a great addition instead. They’re available in cotton (washable) or silicone from Amazon. Thanks Paola!
It says “Top tip: watch the video”. There are no videos on the page.
WOW!, JUST RECIPE IS SO GREAT, LOOKS SO GOOD!!.
My son just ask me to make churros yesterday. He is going to be so excited. Can’t wait to try these
Hope you love Carlie!
Hi Paola,
did you use powdered swerve or granules?
These are pretty good. Would go less on the sugar for the topping! I used a star tip but my donuts didn’t come up with much ridges, they puffed up (i followed the recipe to a tee) and didn’t spread. Would make again
Hi Paola, I have made these and they tasted amazing. Can these be stored in the freezer? Thanks very much.
Do you have to use xylitol in the batter or can I use real sugar?
I’d, also, be interested in if honey or maple syrup could be used in the batter. I love the recipes here but have a hesitation in using chemical sugar replacements. Would rather a sweetener in a purer form just less of it.
Do you have a recipe for the chocolate sauce?
can I use salted grass fed butter?
The thing is that even omitting the salt in the recipe, you could still end up with salty batter. So it’s a bit of a coin toss
is it possible to make these in a normal donut shape i.e. a donut pan? I don’t want to have to buy more baking supplies but these sound amazing! 🙂
Definitely! Search the site (top right corner) for donuts and you’ll get the deets for that xo!
Heath aside, these look amazing. May have to sneak off to the store later to get the ingredients.
I’m allergic to eggs. Can you recommend an alternative or are these just a no go for me?
well I don’t have a scale or whatever to measure these in grams. is it okay if I just convert them to ounces even though they won’t be exactly the right amount? im a little disappointed that these are in grams and not the usual tbsp etc.
Anaya you can just click on US Cups below the ingredients 😉 no need to be disappointed!
When yoy say ground pysllium husk does it come in powdered form or do we take 1 tbsp and grind it?
Ground already xo!
Hi
This looks delicious, a recipe I’d love to try. About the xanthan gum, is it absolutely necessary for this recipe or can you leave it out? I have no idea where I would even begin to try to find it where I live.
Hi Aun! Yes, it’s essential here. But I live in Mexico and they sell it along with the gluten free flours. xo!
I made these on Saturday and they were delicious! We also popped the leftovers in the toaster on Sunday morning and enjoyed them for breakfast
That’s awesome to hear Emma! So happy you enjoyed and thanks so much for reporting back xo!
Can you fry these!?
Hi Jessica! Yup, they can indeed be fried. Check out the original churro recipe mentioned in the post xo! https://www.gnom-gnom.com/gluten-free-keto-churros/
Delicious and easy! They do taste like a cross between a churro and a donut. Will make again, my son loved them too 🙂
That’s awesome Serena so happy you enjoyed! xo!
Hi! These look great. Would like to make this weekend. Is it possible to make them without the pastry bag and star tip (Or homemade pastry bag w/ an end cut off of a plastic ziplock bag)?
Thanks you so much!
Hi Jess! A ziplock bag with the end cut off would work just fine (just make sure to not cut the whole too big). Just keep in mind that the ridges do help the sugar stick somewhat, but not a big deal 😉 xo!
You certainly have a way with dough. Can you come up with a recipe for keto dessert crepes? I’m picturing some stuffed with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Thanks so much.
Crepes are already a work in progress! 😉 In the meantime do check out the tortillas (there’s even a recipe to make them sweet with strawberries and cream…!). Not the same, but a cross between a crepe and a pancake! xo!
How are these Dairy free when there is butter in the batter & topping?
Hi Sharon! Right next to butter it reads coconut oil (their interchangeable here). xo!
Thanks. Sorry I missed that. Sharon
No prob happy to help! xo
I know you said no replacements, but, can I change either the psyllium husk or the xanthan gum (or both) for chia seeds. I already had them at home and would rather use them given that they are a super food.
Also, can monk fruit (golden) be a sugar substitute instead of Swerve or xylitol? I’ve read that xylitol can have laxative effects, so I am trying monk fruit sweetener to see if I like it.
Hi Tatiana! In all honesty I would leave the chia seeds for chia pudding (I get you, I have one every morning!). Here they would just lead to a dense texture. Also keep in mind that psyllium is sort of a ‘superfood’ as well, super high in fiber and good for your digestive system. By monk fruit golden do you mean Lakanto (i.e. the erythritol mix?). That would work fine if you like the taste. Xylitol does have laxative effects when consumed in large quantities. xo!
Another GREAT recipe I can’t wait to try! I don’t have any psyllium husk…can I sub it with something else, or make a run to the store? Thanks for all your help!
Hi Kate! Unfortunately you do need the psyllium husk here (def worth a trip to the store, or order online!) xo!!
Ok thanks! 🙂
Did you say Cream Puffs!! If you can nail that, you will be my keto recipe hero forever!
Love your work.
Lol! Nailing cream puffs and some sort of puff pastry are my dream! 😉 so happy you’re enjoying!
These look really good. Are you able to fry them as well?
Hi Irene! Yeah for sure! Check out the proper churro recipe for guidance https://www.gnom-gnom.com/gluten-free-keto-churros/
Thank you so much. I went for the doughnut recipe 2 days ago and absolutely loved it. I made the 15 min tortillas yesterday and they were super delicious. Could be mistaken for real ones. Haha.
Love your recipes. Super tasty and easy 🙂
That’s awesome Irene so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!! Always GREAT to hear 🙂 xo!