Cinnamon Apple Baked Donuts

Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts

Ever get a hankering for donuts, but prefer to stay clear of the deep fried food group? You can absolutely have your donut fix without all that oil. In fact, these Cinnamon Apple Baked Donuts need no oil at all.

What you’ll get is tender soft, melt-in-your-mouth mini donuts that are reminiscent of cake donuts, loaded with the goodness of apples and cinnamon. There’s nothing artificial about these little homemade fall treats. 

Tools for Perfect Mini Baked Donuts

These silicone mini donut pans are my key tool for baking mini baked donuts that turn out perfectly every time. They’re highly heat resistant, naturally non-stick, and super easy to clean. Two pans will make 24 mini donuts at a time. Otherwise, you can also use whatever donut pan you already have – I offered notes in the recipe below for those of you with regular sized donut pans.

These cinnamon apple baked donuts are best eaten fresh, if you want the slightly warm and fresh baked texture underneath that crisp cinnamon-sugar coating. If your family is anything like mine, it won’t be a problem — three batches of these mini donuts lasted 1.5 days in our house. Same with our caramel apple baked donuts.

That being said, seriously nobody will be mad about it if you whip out some leftover donuts the next morning.

Prep-Ahead Tips

Whether you’re baking with kids, or you just like having your ingredients streamlined ahead of time, here are our pro tips for easy prepping:

• Make the cinnamon sugar topping ahead of time; just combine the two ingredients in a bowl, cover, and keep at room temp until ready to use. Feel free to keep a little container of cinnamon sugar at-the-ready for all the fall treats, like this irresistible Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts Snack Mix.
• Wash, dry, and peel your apple ahead of time and submerge entire apple in a bowl of water to prevent it from oxidizing/browning. When ready, pat dry the peeled apple and grate (older kids can help with this.)
• The dry flour mixture can be whisked together well ahead of time; cover and keep at room temp until ready to use. If baking with kids, it helps to have the ingredients already measured out for them to mix.
• Though wet egg mixture shouldn’t be mixed together too early, you can still have all ingredients measured out on the counter; it’ll make baking with kids (or even just yourself) that much smoother.

Try this Fan-Favorite Apple Pie with Butter Crust:

Cinnamon Apple Baked Donuts

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These Cinnamon Apple Baked Donuts not only look cute for fall, but they're bursting with all the season's goodness. Apple Baked Donuts are full of cinnamon apple flavor and a tenderness that melts in your mouth.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 7 mins

Total Time: 22 mins

Servings: 35

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 TB regular butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 small OR 1 large apples; peeled, grated, and squeezed dry

For Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

• 4 TB regular butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon, depending on how much cinnamon flavor you like

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F and set rack on middle or lower middle position. Grease mini donut pans and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, 2 TB melted butter, vanilla extract, and grated apple (I use the largest holes of box grater; then squeeze out as much juice as you can. Save juice for drinking - yum.)
• Use rubber spatula to fold wet ingredients with dry ingredients, gently folding just until combined; do not over-mix or it won't be as tender. Spoon or pipe batter into greased mini donut pans until batter is level with the top of pan. Use damp fingers to gently smooth out the tops.
• Bake about 7 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool in pan slightly, just until they are able to be easily removed. Set donuts on wire rack while you make the cinnamon-sugar coating.
• Whisk together the sugar with desired amount of cinnamon in a small bowl (this can be done days ahead of time.) Melt butter in another small bowl. When ready to eat, dip donuts in melted butter and roll generously in cinnamon sugar. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

I love using Honeycrisp Apples for recipes, as it imparts a big and bright apple flavor without turning to mush. If you can use Honeycrisps, I highly recommend it. Otherwise, Granny Smith works well too.

Do not dip donuts in butter/roll in cinnamon sugar until ready to serve, as the fresh coating helps provide a slightly crisp outer texture when eaten right away (though leftovers are still yummy.)

Batter is deliberately not too sweet, since cinnamon sugar coating provides a lot of the sweetness. If you want a sweeter batter, add a bit more sugar into dry ingredients.

If using regular-sized donut pans, bake time will still be roughly the same (7-8 min) as you will only fill each mold partway up, rather than all the way to the top.

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Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 2.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 7.2mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7.6g

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Salt

Method: baking

Cinnamon-Sugar Everything, please:

This Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts Mix is always (always) gone by the end of the night. Make it for your next gathering, or fill mason jars for gifts.

You can buy cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips, OR you can easily whip up your own jaw-dropping version right at home. (Hint: they’re undeniably better when homemade.)

Nothing beats warm, pillowy soft cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven. These homemade cinnamon rolls will ruin all other store-bought versions for you, guaranteed.