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Baked Apple Cider Donuts

5 baked apple cider donuts arranged on small white plate with mugs of apple cider and fresh apples off to the side
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★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are fluffy and tender, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping. The perfect balance of sweet and spiced! Gluten-Free & Oil-Free.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Apple Cider Donuts:

  • 2 cups (470 ml) spiced apple cider (or regular apple cider)
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups (150 g) quick cooking oats, blended to make oat flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (130 g) unsalted nut butter*
  • 1/4 cup (38 g) coconut sugar

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping (Optional):

  • 1/2 cup (110 g) raw cane sugar* (or regular cane sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2–3 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Instructions

  1. Reduce the Cider: add the spiced cider to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cider will dramatically reduce in volume – you should have just over 1/2 cup afterwards. After the cider has reduced, set aside to let cool. This step can be done up to 3 days prior to making the donuts.
  2. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and spray or grease your donut molds. I recommend using silicone donut molds, and keeping them on a baking tray for easy transport in and out of the oven. Mix the ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar together in a separate container to make “buttermilk”; let both sit for at least 5 minutes.
  3. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the oat flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Form a well in the center of the bowl, then set aside.
  4. Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the reduced spiced cider, flax eggs, vegan “buttermilk”, almond butter, and coconut sugar together until uniform.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix until a thick batter forms.
  5. Bake: use a spoon to divide the batter between the donut molds, then place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes. Remove the donuts from the oven and let sit in the tray for 3 minutes, then use a butter knife to wiggle each donut out of its mold and transfer to a cooling rack, to cool completely.
  6. Top with Sugar: Quickly blitz the raw cane sugar and cinnamon together in a blender, until the sugar has broken down some, then transfer to a bowl with a flat bottom (if you are using finely granulated sugar, just mix in a bowl). Quickly “dunk” the top of each donut into the non-dairy milk, then transfer it to the bowl with the cinnamon sugar and swirl it around some. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
  7. Storage: these donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored at room temperature, in a container with a loose fitting lid, for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • The nut butter you use in this recipe will be present in the final flavor, so choose one that you love! I used almond butter for this recipe, but I think peanut butter or cashew butter would also work great. If you have a nut allergy, I would recommend trying these with sunflower butter
  • Substitutions: I have not tested this recipe with any other flour substitutions. Coconut sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or cane sugar.
  • Cane sugar vs. Coconut Sugar: I recommend using cane sugar for the cinnamon sugar topping, as it has a nice crunchy bite. Coconut sugar is made from softer and finer crystals; it will be momentarily crunchy on the donut, but quickly dissolve and melt into the donut.

Keywords: healthy apple donuts, baked apple cider donuts, baked vegan donuts, healthy apple cider donuts, gluten free apple cider donuts

Find it online: https://frommybowl.com/baked-apple-cider-donuts/