Keto Beaver Tails (Fried Dough)

Keto Beaver Tails..yup..I just went there.

If you are a fellow Canadian, you KNOW how good this simple fried fair food is. It's literally just a piece of fried dough with fun toppings (personally my favourite has always been cinnamon sugar).

I know elephant ears are also popular and are VERY similar to beaver tails but I do believe there is a difference..and to be completely honest, I think Beaver Tails are better.

Now I'm not being biased just because they are Canadian (okay maybe a little) but Beaver tails are just a thicker dough with a softer centre where-as elephant ears tend to be thinner and crispier.

Personally I live for the soft doughy pieces..so that was my aim with this Keto Beaver Tail (Fried Dough) recipe.

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links, If you choose to purchase a product through one of these links, I may receive a small commission. This does NOT affect your purchase in any way.

Ingredients In Keto Beaver Tails 

• Almond Flour
• Xanthan Gum
• Powdered Monkfruit/Erythritol Sweetener 
• Coconut Oil (for frying)
• Mozzarella (See my tips on choosing your mozzarella and how it can affect your recipe)
• Truvia

Tools I Used To Make Keto Beaver Tails

• Low Carb Substitution Guide – This is totally optional but if you like my recipes, I now have a $5 guide available with all of the substitutions I use to create every recipe on my site. You can use this to convert old traditional recipes and create new keto recipes! You can purchase it here and/or read more if you are interested. I appreciate your support so much guys!
• Nutritional Food Scale – AKA my best friend. This little buddy has been with me for over 4 years and never fails. Perfect measurements and only needs the batteries replaced maybe once a year!
• Candy Thermometer – SUPER helpful when frying! The temperature can really make or break your donuts so I highly recommend investing in one.
• Parchment Paper 
• Slotted Ladle – To pick up your donuts out of the hot oil
• Wok – To fry your donuts in

Tips For Making The Best Keto Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

• If you can't get your dough to come together and find the mozzarella is separating, microwave the dough for 10-15s, knead it well with your hand, add another tablespoon of almond flour if it's still not coming together. Repeat this process until it does come together. (Do not microwave for more than 10-15s at a time or you may end up cooking your dough. 
• When choosing your mozzarella for this recipe, pay attention to the moisture content. A higher moisture content means you'll need more almond flour, a lower moisture content means you'll need to add less almond flour to get your dough to form correctly. This isn't a big deal, it just means starting with less almond flour and adding a tablespoon or two more, as needed to get your dough to come together. 
• DO NOT use pre-shredded or the traditional fresh mozzarella you can buy. Only use block mozzarella for this recipe or it will not work.
• The mozzarella I used for this recipe had a higher moisture content than others I typically use so 1 cup of almond flour is on the higher side already. Be sure to start with 3oz or 85g (~3/4 cup) and work your way up. 
• When frying your dough, it's best to use a thermometer to make sure the oil is between 340-370*F, this range results in the best texture and fully cooked dough after cooking for about 1min 30s per side. 
• I made 4 large pieces of dough for this recipe but you can definitely make the pieces smaller as we found these a bit too much.
• If you don’t have xanthan gum it’s TOTALLY okay, you can still make these! I just add it because I feel it improves the texture of the dough just slightly.

Can I make this fried dough with coconut flour instead of almond flour?

The best answer I can give is..you can try!

I always make this dough with almond flour but I'm sure it would work with coconut flour to a degree.

The taste may not be as close to traditional beaver tails but they'd probably still be tasty!

If you are going to try to substitute coconut flour for almond flour, I'd start with 1/4 cup (28g) coconut flour in place of the almond flour and add another tablespoon if needed.

How To Store Low Carb Beaver Tails (Fried Dough)

• Store this fried keto dough in an airtight container between layers of parchment or wax paper on the counter for up to 2 days.
• OR freeze in a container or ziplock bag and re-heat for 20s in the microwave when you're craving something sweet!

Other Similar Keto Cinnamon “Sugar” Recipes:

• Baked Keto Churro Donuts
• Fried Keto Donuts Recipe
• Keto Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
• Keto Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodle Muffins
• The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls (2021)
• Keto Cinnamon Coffee Cake
• Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Fat Bombs

Keto Beaver Tails (Fried Dough)

Serves: 6 Small Beaver Tails

Ingredients:

Dough

• 1 cup, 112g almond flour (see tips about starting with 3/4 cup and why)
• 2 1/2 tbsp powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener, 30g
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional, gives a chewier texture to the donuts)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (optional, just helps with texture)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella, 5oz or 140g (see my tips on mozzarella!)
• 1 egg, whisked well
• ~2-3 cups of oil for frying

Cinnamon “Sugar” Topping

• 5-6 tbsp truvia sweetener (or another granular sweetener), 50-60g
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, 12g

Directions:

1. Add your oil to a Wok or another deep frying pan and turn your burner on to medium heat to begin heating your oil. 
2. In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.
3. In another larger microwavable bowl, add the shredded mozzarella and microwave in 30s increments, stirring in between until melted (mine usually takes ~1min total).
4. Using a spoon, mix the melted mozzarella with your whisked egg. You can also add your dry ingredients at this time.
5. Mix everything until a dough starts to form. Do your best to knead it together with the spoon. Once it's not overly sticky, knead it well with your hands to help the mozzarella blend in with the other ingredients. (If you are having issues with this part, please see the tips section of this post!)
6. You'll want to knead the dough until it no longer sticks all over your hands and it can form a nice ball shape.
7. Place the dough ball between two sheets of greased parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Slice into pieces and roughly shape into ovals (remember they don't need to be perfect!)
8. Take the temperature of your oil and make sure it's in the range of 340-370*F. (I found right around 350*F was the sweet spot!) If you don't have a thermometer, take a little piece of dough and use it to test the oil. It should start to bubble and sizzle almost immediately and should be golden brown on one side after ~1 min.
9. Next start dropping the dough one piece at a time! 
10. Fry the dough for about 1-2min per side or until a golden brown colour, flip and repeat for the other side (this dough is quite forgiving so if you are worried it will be under-cooked, fry it for 30s longer).
11. Place the finished dough on paper towel to take off some of the excess oil, then mix together your cinnamon and sweetener in a bowl and immediately place the piece of dough into the bowl and turn to coat it in the mixture. Set the coated dough on a plate to cool. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
12. Serve warm and enjoy your Keto Beaver Tails! Feel free to add whipped cream, low carb ice cream, strawberries, melted chocolate or whichever other toppings you'd like! 

Nutrition for 1/6th of recipe (1 beaver tail): 239 cals | 20.5g fat | 1.8g NET carbs | 11g protein | 2g fiber

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Keto Beaver Tails (Fried Dough)

Crispy, yet soft and sugary keto friendly fried dough. This is the perfect "fair food" you can make easily at home.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time2 mins

Total Time22 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword: keto beaver tails, keto elephant ears, keto fried dough

Servings: 6 pieces

Calories: 239kcal

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup almond flour 112g (see tips about starting with 3/4 cup and why)
• 2 1/2 tbsp powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener 30g
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum optional, gives a chewier texture to the donuts
• 1/4 tsp baking soda optional, just helps with texture
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg optional
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella 5oz or 140g (see my tips on mozzarella!)
• 1 egg whisked well
• ~2-3 cups of oil for frying

Cinnamon "Sugar" Topping

• 5-6 tbsp truvia sweetener or another granular sweetener, 50-60g
• 1 tbsp cinnamon 12g

Instructions

• Add your oil to a Wok or another deep frying pan and turn your burner on to medium heat to begin heating your oil.
• In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.
• In another larger microwavable bowl, add the shredded mozzarella and microwave in 30s increments, stirring in between until melted (mine usually takes ~1min total).
• Using a spoon, mix the melted mozzarella with your whisked egg. You can also add your dry ingredients at this time.
• Mix everything until a dough starts to form. Do your best to knead it together with the spoon. Once it's not overly sticky, knead it well with your hands to help the mozzarella blend in with the other ingredients. (If you are having issues with this part, please see the tips section of this post!)
• You'll want to knead the dough until it no longer sticks all over your hands and it can form a nice ball shape.
• Place the dough ball between two sheets of greased parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Slice into pieces and roughly shape into ovals (remember they don't need to be perfect!)
• Take the temperature of your oil and make sure it's in the range of 340-370*F. (I found right around 350*F was the sweet spot!) If you don't have a thermometer, take a little piece of dough and use it to test the oil. It should start to bubble and sizzle almost immediately and should be golden brown on one side after ~1 min.
• Next start dropping the dough one piece at a time!
• Fry the dough for about 1-2min per side or until a golden brown colour, flip and repeat for the other side (this dough is quite forgiving so if you are worried it will be under-cooked, fry it for 30s longer).
• Place the finished dough on paper towel to take off some of the excess oil, then mix together your cinnamon and sweetener in a bowl and immediately place the piece of dough into the bowl and turn to coat it in the mixture. Set the coated dough on a plate to cool. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Serve warm and enjoy your Keto Beaver Tails! Feel free to add whipped cream, low carb ice cream, strawberries, melted chocolate or whichever other toppings you'd like!

Video

Notes

Ingredients In Keto Beaver Tails 

• Almond Flour
• Xanthan Gum
• Powdered Monkfruit/Erythritol Sweetener 
• Coconut Oil (for frying)
• Mozzarella (See my tips on choosing your mozzarella and how it can affect your recipe)
• Truvia

 

Tips For Making The Best Keto Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

• If you can't get your dough to come together and find the mozzarella is separating, microwave the dough for 10-15s, knead it well with your hand, add another tablespoon of almond flour if it's still not coming together. Repeat this process until it does come together. (Do not microwave for more than 10-15s at a time or you may end up cooking your dough. 
• When choosing your mozzarella for this recipe, pay attention to the moisture content. A higher moisture content means you'll need more almond flour, a lower moisture content means you'll need to add less almond flour to get your dough to form correctly. This isn't a big deal, it just means starting with less almond flour and adding a tablespoon or two more, as needed to get your dough to come together. 
• DO NOT use pre-shredded or the traditional fresh mozzarella you can buy. Only use block mozzarella for this recipe or it will not work.
• The mozzarella I used for this recipe had a higher moisture content than others I typically use so 1 cup of almond flour is on the higher side already. Be sure to start with 3oz or 85g (~3/4 cup) and work your way up. 
• When frying your dough, it's best to use a thermometer to make sure the oil is between 340-370*F, this range results in the best texture and fully cooked dough after cooking for about 1min 30s per side. 
• I made 4 large pieces of dough for this recipe but you can definitely make the pieces smaller as we found these a bit too much.
• If you don’t have xanthan gum it’s TOTALLY okay, you can still make these! I just add it because I feel it improves the texture of the dough just slightly.

 

How To Store Low Carb Beaver Tails (Fried Dough)

• Store this fried keto dough in an airtight container between layers of parchment or wax paper on the counter for up to 2 days.
• OR freeze in a container or ziplock bag and re-heat for 20s in the microwave when you're craving something sweet!

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece (1/6th) | Fiber: 2g | Calories: 239kcal | Fat: 20.5g | Protein: 11g | Carbohydrates: 1.8g

Other Similar Recipes You May Like:

Keto Fried Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Keto Fried Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (Gluten Free)

Keto Baked Churro Donuts

Keto Cinnamon Rolls

Keto Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodle Muffins