Spiced Apple Cider Baked Donuts

There’s a local donut shop where I live, Bill’s Donuts, that’s pretty much a legend.  It’s a tiny shop that people flock to, creating long lines every weekend. I’ve lived here for over 6 years and have only been there once.  It happens to be right across from our church and my parents, brothers, and their families were in town and asked if we could go after church.  My kids were ecstatic.

Don’t get me wrong.  Those donuts were good.  But guess what?  My kids were equally ecstatic about these homemade baked donuts.  And because overly sweet treats like traditional donuts give me a stomach ache, I thought these were better.  These came about because I bought some apple cider to make my favorite Apple Pancakes. We don’t drink much besides water (and coffee!) around here, so I knew I needed to come up with something else to make with the apple cider.  I bought a donut pan last year, but haven’t used it much, so I figured Apple Cider Donuts would be the perfect fall baking treat.

If you don’t have a donut pan, you can make these into donut “holes” using a mini muffin pan.  Since I only have one donut pan with space for 6 donuts, I made a combination of both.  The traditional donut shape is fun, but the “holes” are equally delicious.  I made these with much less sugar than traditional donuts, but they still have a great flavor.  They are spiced perfectly in delicious fall fashion and concentrated apple cider gives a subtle apple flavor.  I simmered my apple cider for 15-20 minutes to reduce it and concentrate the flavor.  It’s definitely worth the extra step! I also used oat flour instead of whole wheat flour.  It worked perfectly! They have a light crumb and a slightly nutty flavor from the oats.  If you don’t have oat flour,

Spiced Apple Cider Baked Donuts

These baked donuts are dairy-free, gluten-free, and lower in sugar than a traditional donuts.  They are a perfect healthy fall treat!

• Author: Healthy Happy Mama
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
• Total Time: 38-40 minutes
• Yield: 6 donuts and 24 donut holes 1x
• Category: donuts
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Donuts

1 1/2 cups apple cider (reduced to 1/2 cup–directions in recipe)

2 cinnamon sticks (optional)

2 cups oat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)+1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 large egg (room temperature)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease your pans and set aside. (You may use all donut pans, all mini-muffin pans, or a combination of both.)

In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider and cinnamon sticks, if using to a slow boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until it is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15-20 minutes.  Place the cider in the fridge to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and coconut sugar. Set aside.

Measure your almond milk and add the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.  Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl.  Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract and whisk again.  Add the milk and apple cider and whisk until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Gently pour the batter into the pans.  Fill the donut pan about 3/4 of the way full and the mini-muffin pans about 1/2 way full.  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 8-10 minutes.  Allow the donuts to cool before removing from the pans.

For the topping, mix the coconut sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and have your melted coconut oil in a separate bowl. Dip the top of the donuts into the melted coconut oil and then dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture.  For the donut holes, dip the whole hole into the oil and then cover it with the cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 donut
• Calories: 292
• Sugar: 22.1g
• Sodium: 49.3mg
• Fat: 9.6g
• Carbohydrates: 42.3g
• Protein: 0.9g

you can easily make it by blending rolled oats in your blender.  If you use certified gluten-free oats, these are a gluten-free treat!

If you’re craving donuts this fall, this is a perfect way to satisfy the craving in a healthy way.