I’m having so much fun with these Halloween treats—maybe because we don’t have kids, I rarely get to decorate food like this. These chocolate-glazed keto donuts were the perfect excuse to make some ganache and get a little creative.
These spider-web donuts are surprisingly simple. The batter comes together quickly, and the glaze is just warm cream poured over sugar-free chocolate. If you can handle a toothpick, you can create the spider web design with no trouble.
Low Carb Chocolate Glazed Spider Web Donuts
These chocolate-glazed keto donuts are soft and tender, topped with a glossy milk chocolate ganache. They’re made without refined sugar or gluten, and they’re a cake-style baked donut—no frying required.
Think cakey, tender, and smothered in chocolate—definitely a win for a holiday treat.
What Sweeteners Work Best
For the batter I used allulose because it bakes up like sugar without the cooling aftertaste. That said, you can substitute other granular sweeteners such as erythritol, monk fruit blends, Swerve, or Bocca Sweet—any granular sweetener or combination will work.
Avoid liquid sweeteners in this recipe, as they change the liquid-to-dry ratio and can negatively affect the texture.
Sweetener Tips & FAQ
If you want more detail on sweetener choices, baking tools, or substitutions, check your favorite low-carb baking FAQ resources. There are helpful guides on baking with almond and coconut flours, and on using allulose, monk fruit, and erythritol. For xanthan gum alternatives and other tips, consult those guides before you bake.
Tips for the Donut Batter
- Sift dry ingredients well. Almond flour can clump, and sifting helps achieve a lighter crumb.
- Use room-temperature ingredients, particularly eggs. Cold eggs added to melted butter can seize the batter. If you forget to take eggs out, warm them in a bowl of hot tap water for a minute or two.
- Mix batter only until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing will affect texture.
Tips for the Chocolate Ganache
Ganache is easy: pour warm cream over sugar-free chocolate chips, let it sit a couple of minutes, then stir until glossy. The key is waiting for the ganache to reach the right pouring consistency. If it’s too warm it will run off the donuts; if it cools too much it won’t pour. About 10 minutes at room temperature usually hits the sweet spot.
Place parchment under a cooling rack to catch excess ganache. Save the pooled chocolate—refrigerate it for a topping on low-carb ice cream or as a dip for berries.
TIP: How to Make Black Chocolate
To achieve a deep black color, add gel food dye to the warm cream before pouring it over the chocolate. Gel dyes provide vivid color without affecting texture. Avoid low-quality black dyes that have a noticeable off taste—Americolor gel dyes are a reliable option for color without flavor.
The Simple Spider-Web Decorating Trick
The spider-web design is effortless and forgiving:
- When the ganache reaches pouring consistency, pour it generously over each donut so the surface is fully coated. Use a butter knife to fill any gaps while the ganache is still glossy.
- Melt white chocolate gently—avoid the microwave. A simple method is to put the white chocolate in a pastry bag, place the bag in a cup of hot water for a few minutes until melted, then snip the tip to pipe.
- Pipe a spiral of white chocolate from the outer edge to the center while the ganache is still shiny.
- Drag a toothpick or skewer from the center outward at regular intervals to create the web pattern.
Storage & Serving Suggestions
Left covered at room temperature, these donuts stay fresh for up to two days. Refrigerating extends freshness by another day. Counter-stored donuts remain soft and cake-like, while chilled donuts firm up and the ganache becomes thick and gooey—both are delicious, though I prefer them chilled.
You can freeze unglazed donuts for up to a month in an airtight container; glaze them after thawing for best texture.
Looking For More Fun Low Carb Halloween Treats?
Here are a few other easy, festive low-carb desserts to try this season:
- Mummy Brownies
- Monster Cookies
- Blackout Cheesecake (a mocha-fudge-style cheesecake)
Keto Halloween Donuts With Chocolate Glaze
Keto chocolate-glazed donuts perfect for Halloween. These low-carb treats are quick to make and satisfy a chocolate craving without added sugar.
Ingredients
Chocolate Donut Batter
- 1 1/4 cup fine ground almond flour
- 1/2 cup granular allulose (or preferred granular sweetener)
- 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional but improves texture)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Chocolate Glaze & Spider Web
- 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp sugar-free white chocolate chips, melted
- Black gel food dye (optional)
Instructions
Chocolate Donut Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan well.
- Sift almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk room-temperature eggs with vanilla, melted butter, sour cream, and cocoa until combined.
- Fold wet ingredients into the dry just until combined; do not overmix.
- Transfer batter to a large pastry bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped) and pipe into the donut cavities. Tap the pan gently to release air bubbles.
- Bake 15 minutes at 350°F, then tent loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and bake another 5–7 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Sugar-Free Ganache & Spider Web Spiral
- Place sugar-free chocolate chips in a bowl.
- Warm heavy cream until bubbles form at the rim (do not boil). Stir in food dye if desired.
- Pour warm cream over the chocolate chips and let sit 4–5 minutes, then stir until smooth and shiny.
- Let ganache cool about 5–10 minutes until it reaches a pourable thickness, then pour over the donuts on a cooling rack with parchment beneath to catch drips.
- Melt white chocolate gently (avoid microwaving). Pipe a spiral from the outer edge to the center while ganache is still glossy.
- Drag a toothpick or skewer from the center outward at intervals to form a spider web pattern. Cool before serving.
Notes
- Xanthan gum is optional but improves the final texture.
- Use room-temperature eggs to avoid seizing the batter.
- Grease the donut pan thoroughly and use foil to prevent over-browning.
- If your donut pan is thin or silicone, place it on a baking sheet to prevent bottom over-browning.
- Save any extra ganache scraped from the parchment for ice cream or fruit dip.
- To melt small amounts of chocolate, place it in a pastry bag and set the bag in hot water until melted to avoid seizing that can occur in a microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 362Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 356mgCarbohydrates: 8gNet Carbohydrates: 4gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g
Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a courtesy. Net carbs reflect total carbs minus fiber; sugar alcohols like erythritol are typically excluded from net carb counts.
