Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
These Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts are loaded with apple and cinnamon flavor, not work. Baked in the oven, they give you all that tasty flavor that is perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Is there ever a bad time for apple cinnamon? If Apple Jacks have taught us anything, it’s that the answer is “no”. These cake donuts are the perfect example of that. They’re loaded with apple and cinnamon flavors and then rolled in a brown sugar cinnamon coating!
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
They’re donuts. The really says it all, doesn’t it? These are so tasty, so easy, and so much fun to eat. What’s not to love?
Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
- Apples and cinnamon are the classic sweet combo that we all love.
- These are super easy to make.
- They’re soft and tender.
- They make a delicious breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack item.
🛒Ingredients
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For the Donuts
- Egg
- Olive oil
- Brown sugar
- Applesauce
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- All-Purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Half and half
For the Donut Coating
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
***See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
This is an incredibly simple recipe to make. It only takes a few minutes and a few steps.
Step 1: Combine Wet Ingredients Except for Egg and Half and Half
Mix the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a deep bowl. Then, add the apple sauce and olive oil and mix thoroughly.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Mix the sifted flour with the baking powder and add them to a bowl with sugar, unsalted butter, and spices.
Step 3: Complete the Dough
Add the egg and half and half to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Then, combine all ingredients and mix until you get a big, thick dough.
Step 4: Bake
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag. This makes it easier to fill the donut pan.
Transfer the dough to silicone donut molds.
Then, bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Until donuts are golden brown. Do not over bake.
Step 5: Top with Cinnamon Sugar
Let the donuts cool and then dip the tops of them into a shallow bowl with melted butter. Then roll the tops of the donuts in a shallow bowl with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Shake off excess sugar if you like. Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Pumpkin – Replace the applesauce with pumpkin for a pumpkin spice version.
- Vanilla Glaze – Use a simple vanilla glaze in place of the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Frosting – Frost the donuts with a cinnamon buttercream frosting.
For more donut fun, check out these donut hole kabobs!
🥄 Equipment
You’ll only need a few simple pieces of kitchen equipment to make this delicious recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Shallow bowls
- Donut molds
- Pastry bag for adding dough to the molds (optional but easier)
🥫 Storage
Store these donuts for 2 to 3 days covered at room temperature or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
💭 Tips
This is an incredibly straightforward recipe, but there are a few tips to be aware of to make them the best they can be.
- A pastry bag is your best friend if you want to get the dough into the donut holes without a huge mess. Place the dough in a pastry bag and then squeeze it into the molds.
- To cool the donuts down faster, place them in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature for the best texture.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The earliest donuts were Germanic and had no hole in the center. The hole was added by Hanson Gregory, a sailor, who claimed to have invented putting a hole in the center to evenly cook the donuts with less grease. He claimed to have invented them while on board a lime-trading ship when we was 16.
A cake donut is made of a more cake-like batter that uses baking powder or baking soda as a leavener. Conversely, yeast donuts use yeast as the leavener.
They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy apple cinnamon? Then try these delicious recipes:
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Double Crumble Apple Crisp
- Apple Cinnamon Cake
- Caramel Apple Rose Tart Puff Pastry
- Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake
🧾Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
PIN IT!!
Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- mixing bowls
- Shallow bowls
- Donut molds
- Pastry bag for adding dough to the molds (optional but easier)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup half & half
- For rolling donuts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a deep bowl. Then, add the apple sauce and olive oil and mix thoroughly.
- Mix the sifted flour with the baking powder and add them to a bowl with sugar, unsalted butter, and spices.
- Add the egg and half and half to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Then, combine all ingredients and mix until you get a big, thick dough.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag. This makes it easier to fill the donut pan.
- Transfer the dough to silicone donut molds.
- Then, bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Until donuts are golden brown. Do not over bake.
- Let the donuts cool and then dip the tops of them into a shallow bowl with melted butter. Then roll the tops of the donuts in a shallow bowl with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Shake off excess sugar if you like. Enjoy!
