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
- Total Time: 38-40 minutes
- Yield: 6 donuts and 24 donut holes 1x
Description
These baked donuts are dairy-free, gluten-free, and lower in sugar than a traditional donuts. They are a perfect healthy fall treat!
Ingredients
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!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: donuts
- Cuisine: American
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.
These look sooo good!! Trying to make them paleo, can I sub the oat flour for almond or any other?
I haven’t tried it, but if I do I’ll report back!
These look awesome! Traditional donuts give me an upset stomach as well but these look right up my alley. I especially love the cinnamon sugar coating made with coconut sugar 🙂
I tried to buy a donut pan last weekend because I always see fantastic recipes like these I’m desperate to try, but I couldn’t find one 🙁 I wonder if this recipe would work in regular sized muffin tins!? Anyways- they sound like a perfect bite of fall <3
I think they’d work in a full sized muffin tin, too. They would be more like a muffin than a donut, but the flavor would still be great.
As for the donut pan, I’ve seen them at Khols, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Target. If all else fails: AMAZON!!
Thanks so much! I use 1/4 cup of applesauce per egg in your muffin recipes and they always turn out great! I’m happy to know that same substitution may work here as well. These look too amazing not to try. I’ll report back!
I ask this question with so many of your recipes, I apologize in advance! I’ve never made homemade donuts before — do you think this recipe would work using an egg substitute? We are working around an egg allergy. Thanks 🙂
Don’t apologize! I did a quick google search of “vegan donuts” and saw that most recipes either called for “1 egg replacement” or apple sauce. I think apple sauce would work here. Obviously the texture will change a little, but 1/4 cup should do it. Let me know how it goes!