Soft, moist, and aromatic baked apple donuts, perfect for both kids and adults! They’re delicious plain straight out of the oven or topped with an easy, kid-friendly frosting. Enjoy!
My newest addition to my baking cupboard is a silicone donut pan! I’ve always wanted to try making donuts at home, without frying and with less sugar. Healthier for the kids, and for us too.
For my first attempt, I experimented with apple and cinnamon to add natural sweetness and those cozy fall-and-winter aromas. After a couple of tries, I ended up with these delicious, soft baked apple cinnamon donuts.
The texture isn’t like traditional deep-fried donuts with a crispy exterior; instead, they’re soft and cake-like. But we'll all agree that baked donuts are still a delicious treat, and they’re less messy and much easier for home bakers.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Don't require any special baking skills.
- No frying and less mess.
- No processed sugar. Naturally sweetened from fruits and maple syrup (optional).
- Delicious plain or with an easy glaze.
🥘 Ingredients
To make these baked apple cinnamon donuts, we are going to use egg, milk, butter, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple sauce, ground cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Flour: I'm using half all-purpose and half whole-wheat flour for more goodness and fiber.
- Apple sauce: You could use homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce.
- Maple syrup: I use two tablespoons of maple syrup to add some sweetness to the baked donuts. You could substitute them with honey (NOT for babies under 12 months).
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. It's really easy to prepare the batter and you won't need any special baking tools. In a bowl, I add all the wet ingredients, milk, egg, applesauce, melted butter and maple syrup. I whisk everything together until combined.
02. Then, I add both flours, the baking soda, baking powder and ground cinnamon. I whisk everything together until the flour is incorporated.
03. The batter should be a bit thinner than cake butter. The consistency is very close to pancake batter. Try not to overmix it, just enough until it's all combined.
04. I'm using a silicon donut case that doesn't require any greasing. If you are using a donut pan, then you could spray it with some avocado oil or brush with melted butter so it's easier for the donuts to come out.
I fill each donut case almost to the top, leaving about a quarter of an inch for the donuts to rise. You can use a piping bag, a spoon, or one of your measuring cups, whatever feels easiest. I like using my quarter measuring cup.
HealthyBitesForKids Product Picks
This donut case is so easy to use and clean. The donuts come out easy by just turning the case upside down on a wire rack and have a perfect round shape. Highly recommended!
Buy On Amazon05. I make sure my oven is well preheated, and then place the donut pan on the middle rack. It takes about 15 minutes for the donuts to be ready. If you lightly touch the top, it should be firm and spring back. If not, leave it for a couple more minutes and check again. You could also check with a toothpick, it should be soft when pricking but come out clean.
06. I let them cool down for a 3–4 minutes and then place a wire rack on top of the case. I flip and the donuts come out nicely and have the perfect round shape.
07. If you like to add some glaze or frosting, then leave them to cool down completely. Otherwise, you can enjoy them whilst still warm.
08. I like to make an easy lightly sweet frosting by mixing cream cheese, applesauce, maple syrup and yogurt. If you try it and you like it, let me know in the comments below.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Babies under 12 months: For babies and young toddlers, I recommend serving the baked apple cinnamon donuts plain without any glaze or frosting.
Toddlers & Older kids: For older kids, you could make a cream cheese frosting or melt some chocolate and dip the donuts to coat the top ring.
🧰 Storage
If you have any leftover baked apple cinnamon donuts, you can store them in an airtight container and consume them within 1–2 days.
❓ FAQ
Yes, let them cool completely, then freeze them. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If you like them warm, you can heat them in a nonstick pan for a couple of minutes on each side.
If you tried my baked apple cinnamon donuts or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a big bowl, add the egg, milk, applesauce, melted butter and maple syrup. Mix to combine.
- Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Mix until the flour is incorporated.
- Fill in ¾ of each donut case with the batter.
- Bake the donuts for 15 minutes in a preheated oven to 350℉ / 180℃.
Video
Notes
- You could replace the maple syrup with honey (NOT for babies under 12 months).
- Store in an airtight container for 1-2 days. If added the frosting, then store in the fridge.
- For the frosting, I mix half a cup of cream cheese (at room temperature), 3 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce, 3 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of softened butter.
Nutrition
🥣 More to try
If you liked my baked apple cinnamon donuts, you should try some of these recipes too:
Julia Droulia
My kids love these baked apple donuts and devour them within a day! If you tried my recipe and love it as much as we do, leave me a comment and a rating here.