Baked Apple Pie Donuts
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My autumn candles are lit, my sweaters are ready for wear, and I am cooking/baking up a storm of recipes filled with fresh ingredients of the season. Last autumn, I was obsessed with creating the perfect apple cider donut. I became frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to accentuate the apple flavor. While the recipe I settled on was very tasty, I still was bothered by it.
This season, I decided to up my game. I realized I wasn’t just searching for that apple flavor, but instead all of the taste of the apple pie, except in a donut. Well…this recipe has 3 types of apples in the recipe. It is apple packed and I think I enjoy this recipe more than my apple cider donut recipe.
Maple is another autumn flavor, and I LOVE some maple glaze. Maple bars are one of my most favorite donut flavors. So I knew I had to make a maple glaze for the donuts. You can totally do a cinnamon-sugar mixture instead, but in my opinion, the maple flavoring combined with the apple is perfect.
Another plus, this recipe is easily a vegetarian recipe. Instead of traditional buttermilk, I have made it with plant-based milk products, typically almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Also, I typically don’t keep buttermilk on hand. So I just make my own. It is a 1 cup of milk to 1 tbsp of acid ratio. The same goes if you are substituting the milk of plant-based milk. I also vary on the acid I add. If I am making a baked good with lemon or citrus flavoring, I do lemon juice. If I am doing a buttermilk biscuit, I do distilled white vinegar. With this recipe, I did apple cider vinegar.
Apple Pie Donuts
Equipment
- donut pan
Ingredients
Apple Pie Donuts
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup apple cider
- 1 cup apple sauce unsweetened
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp apple pie spice
- 2 cups dehydrated apple bits broken into bite sized pieces
Maple Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp maple extract
- 3-5 tbsp tap water
Instructions
Apple Pie Donuts
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until the milk thickens to a consistency resembling buttermilk. Also, melt butter in the microwave and let stand to cool.
- In one bowl, combine the wet ingredients: apple sauce, apple cider, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk/vinegar mix, and melted butter (once cooled). Mix with a hand whisk until combined.
- In a seperate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold into each other until combined.
- Pour in the dehydrated apple bits and fold into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag, or a gallon sized ziplock bag. Cut the corner off of one end and pipe the batter into a greased donut pan.
- Bake donuts at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until the tops spring back when slightly pressed down Let cool completely before icing.
Maple Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, maple extract and pure maple syrup. Begin whisking together and add a tablespoon at a time water until it is a thick glaze consistency.
- Dip the tops of the donuts into the maple glaze and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Some apple donuts suggest fresh apples, but I prefer the dehydrated apple bits. They pack more of a punch. Also, be sure to use to the dehydrated apples, not freeze-dried apples. They don’t perform the same when baked. If you use fresh apples, the batter will be runnier due to the water in the apples.
Investing in a donut baking sheet is a must if you think you will be making donuts often. While baked donuts are dense and cakey compared to fried donuts, they are healthier, and in my opinion, tastier. Also, baking donuts is a whole lot less messy than frying them.
Do you have a favorite apple pie recipe? Is it a traditional pie, or another baked good? Hope y’all are having an amazing week. Stay safe, and hug your loved ones.
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