Think of the long haul people – pumpkins will be here through the end of NOVEMBER. That’s three whole months from now!!! Even I don’t want to eat
pumpkin flavored everything for three months!
More importantly, can we just take a moment to appreciate APPLES for crying out loud? When did they become so insignificant to fall themed recipes?? I’m confused as to how this happened, because apple season was a big deal when I was living in Connecticut. We picked apples as kids every year, we ate them fresh, in apple pie, apple fritters, and of course apple cider donuts were sold in every single grocery store for at least a month before we moved on to pumpkins in mid October.
I feel like apples are the red-headed stepchild this year – it’s like they DON’T EVEN EXIST! It’s just not right, and I for one am going to protest this travesty and shout from the rooftops: THINK OF THE POOR APPLES! So many varieties with so many subtle differences – juicy, sweet, tart, and crisp, just waiting to be enjoyed in a multitude of ways.
In my defense of apples, I plan to post at least one apple themed recipe a week for the rest of September – even if I AM the only one on the interwebs posting low carb apple recipes this month. I implore my fellow bloggers to take a break from the pumpkin and join me in embracing apples.
First on the list is these fantastic apple cider donuts. I’m pretty excited to have produced a low carb donut that can be fried instead of baked. Because let’s be honest, baked donuts are really just muffins in disguise – which is fine, but they simply can’t compare to the crispy outside and soft, cakey inside of a real fried donut.
In order for these to hold together in the oil, the xanthan gum and protein powder are important, so I don’t recommend leaving them out. I used this brand of protein powder which has 0 carbs – but you can use any brand, just be sure to add whatever carbs are in your brand to the total and divide by number of donuts.
You can garnish these donuts in a number of ways – I loved them best with butter, cinnamon, and granulated sweetener because they reminded me of the cider donuts we’d buy from the farm stands when I was younger. But you can also try them drizzled with some sugar free caramel sauce – then throw some chopped nuts on there too if you want.
To make them even more festive, you can get a candy apple color by adding a few drops of red food coloring to some store bought sugar free caramel sauce before drizzling it on.
No matter how you eat these, you won’t believe they are low carb – and you definitely won’t be wishing they were pumpkin flavored!
Serving Size: 1 donut
A low carb and gluten free apple cider donut recipe that is as close to the real thing as you can get! Keto, Paleo, LCHF, and Atkins Diet friendly recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute (Splenda, Swerve, etc.)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder see example
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum see example
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sparkling cider (non-alcoholic)
- 1 Tbsp butter, melted
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute (Swerve, Splenda, etc.)
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine all of the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Mix the two together thoroughly and wait 2 minutes. Form the dough into 5 balls of equal size. Press each one into a disc about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Use a spoon to scoop out a one inch piece from the center of each disc – then use your fingers to smooth into an even circle/classic donut shape. Combine the small pieces to form a 6th donut shape with your hands.
- Pour your choice of oil in a heavy bottomed pot to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Heat oil until about 350 degrees (or until a small drop of water sizzles when it hits the oil.) Cook your donuts in batches of 2 each for about 2 minutes per side, or until dark golden brown. Be sure to flip away from you so you don’t splatter yourself with hot oil when turning them. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate until all of the donuts are cooked.
- Combine the cinnamon and sweetener in a small bowl. Brush the donuts with melted butter, and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon mixture until well coated. Best eaten within one day of frying, but these will keep in the fridge for several days.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per donut: 207 calories, 17g fat, 5.5g net carbs, 9g protein
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