Frosted Vanilla Custard Donuts (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Vanilla custard is traditionally made with plenty of egg yolks, which are what make these donuts so rich and delicious. The batter rises up light and airy, so they have a tender crumb. If desired, this recipe would make wonderful cupcakes, but I like using my donut pan and filling each cavity high enough with batter that the hole of the donut disappears as it bakes, creating the perfect little platform for holding the dab of frosting. I just happen to have some decorating icing tips in my kitchen collection, so I had fun making them fancy and appropriate for Valentine’s Day, but that’s not necessary. Anyway you decorate them, these donuts will be both beautiful and delicious!

Frosted Vanilla Custard Donuts

Makes 8 donuts (more or less depending on your donut pan)

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup erythritol sweetener, granulated

2 tablespoons unflavored whey protein powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder (or seeds scraped from a vanilla bean)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup almond or coconut milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Frosting:

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon butter, softened

4 ounces plain mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup powdered erythritol (Confectioners), or to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray each cavity of your donut tin with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the almond flour, erythritol, whey protein powder, baking powder, vanilla powder and salt. Whisk to combine and until no lumps remain.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, cream, almond milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk well to combine. 

4. Fill each donut cavity to almost full. Be sure to fill each cavity until almost to the top because you want the donuts to puff up and fill in the hole as they bake, so there’s a place in the center of the donut to hold the frosting later. (see photo below) Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool 10 minutes in the pan, then flip them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the frosting: Whip together the room temperature cream cheese, butter and mascarpone cheese until fluffy using a handheld or standing electric mixer. Add the powdered erythritol and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is reached. Taste and adjust sweetness to your taste. If desired, put the frosting into a piping bag with a decorator tip and pipe (or spoon) a tablespoon or so of the frosting into the center of each donut. (Note: This recipe for frosting will yield more than you need for eight donuts, which allows for dividing the frosting into batches and coloring each differently, if desired. Save any leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use for another recipe.)

Nutritional Information per donut with 1 tablespoon of frosting (based on eight per recipe): 230 calories, 8.6 g carbohydrate (1.5 g dietary fiber, 0.8 g sugars, 13.5 g sugar alcohols), 21.7 g total fat (9.2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 114 mg cholesterol, 139 mg sodium, 102 mg calcium, 130 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 431 mg Vit A, 6.1 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 7.1 grams.

Recipe and photos by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2018

All rights reserved.  Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission. 

Low Carb Chocolate Mint Snaps (Spritz Cookie)

I hate to do this to the industrious Girl Scouts peddling their wares right now but, if you like their Thin Mint Cookies, then you’ll love my amazing gluten free, low carb, sugar free version just as much! I mean, really...chocolate and peppermint, what’s not to love? The addition of a small amount of arrowroot starch is the secret ingredient that gives these cookies their crispy crunch. (Right out of the oven, they’ll be soft, but will crisp up upon cooling.) To make these beautifully shaped cookies, I used a cookie press (spritz cookie press), but that’s completely optional. If you don’t have one, just roll the dough into balls and then flatten with your hand. That works just as well. Refreshing and bursting with cool mint flavor, these cookies are one of my new favorites!

Low Carb Chocolate Mint Snaps (Spritz Cookies)

Makes about 32 cookies

1-1/2 cups almond flour

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup butter, softened (4 oz or 1 stick)

1/2 cup granulated erythritol sweetener

3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (I used SweetLeaf brand)

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste

About 1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, enough for 5 chips per cookie (I used Lily’s brand)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with silicone pan liners or parchment paper. (Note: If you plan to use a cookie press and don’t have silicone liners, omit the parchment paper and leave the cookie sheets ungreased for easier dough release from the press.) Set pans aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot starch, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to combine and remove any lumps. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl and using a handheld or standing electric mixer, beat the softened butter until fluffy. Add the erythritol and stevia and beat until creamed together and well combined. Add egg and peppermint extract and beat again until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat until well incorporated.

4. Fill your cookie press and, with the desired disks, press cookies onto the cookie sheets. If you don’t have a cookie press, roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with your hand until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick. Top each cookie with 5 sugar free chocolate chips in any pattern you desire.

5. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information per cookie: 69 calories, 4.5 g carbohydrate (1.4 g dietary fiber, 0.2 g sugars, 3.4 g sugar alcohols), 6.3 g total fat (2.1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 49 mg sodium, 18.4 mg calcium, 41 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 97 mg Vit A, 1.7 g protein. Net carbs per cookie: 3.2 grams

Recipe and photos by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2018

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.