These Baked Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts with Apple Cider Glaze are full of warm spices and apple flavor; they’re moist and sweetly scented of fall.
It’s the weirdest thing ever.
I don’t eat doughnuts (or donuts) all year long until autumn rolls around.
January through August, they don’t cross my mind even once; they’re a non-issue as far as temptation goes. Then September hits and all I can think about is how badly I want an apple fritter, bear claw, Boston cream, or my all-time favorite, a French cruller.
I know there’s no rhyme or reason to it; it’s just one of my quirks.
So instead of fighting the urge, I usually just go with it and have some fun in the process.
I’m going to make the case for homemade vs. bakery-bought doughnuts here for a couple reasons. First, these doughnuts whip up fast, and if you go with the cinnamon sugar coating option instead of glaze (or skip a coating or glaze altogether – they really don’t need it!), you don’t even need to wait for them to cool.
Also, as far as doughnuts go, this homemade version is a bit healthier. These are baked, so that right there is a plus, but I also give a few ingredient substitution ideas in parentheses below for healthier options.
Of course making your own doughnuts is cheaper than buying them from a bakery.
And maybe the best thing of all, these doughnuts make your home smell like fall as they bake.
Sold yet? ;)
P.S. These are best served with crisp apple cider (either ice-cold in a glass or spiced and steaming-hot in a mug) for maximum fall effect.
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed (or coconut palm sugar)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh 100% apple cider
- 1 small (preferably organic) apple, washed, cored, and grated (not peeled)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (145 g) all-purpose flour (or 1 cup/128 g whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (dried)
- ½ cup (58 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh 100% apple cider
- Butter, to grease the doughnut pans
- Preheat the oven to 350F; generously grease 2 doughnut pans with butter. (Or cook the doughnuts in 2 batches if you only have 1 pan.)
- Whisk together the brown sugar, egg, oil, apple cider, grated apple, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger all at once and use a wooden spoon to stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pans (you should get about 10 doughnuts). Bake until a wooden pick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs, about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through baking.
- Let the doughnuts cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then run a paring knife along the outside of each doughnut; invert the tray onto a wire rack and the doughnuts should come right out. Let the doughnuts finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Once the doughnuts are cool, mix the glaze ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Dip the top of each doughnut in the glaze and let it set before serving.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
October 8, 2014 at 3:11 amPerfect fall baked good. These sound lovely!
Rosa says
October 8, 2014 at 5:10 amBeautiful and tempting!
Cheers,
Rosa
Erica says
October 8, 2014 at 6:46 amI’m not a doughnut (or donut…I think dunkin donuts screwed up the spelling of doughnut forever ;))fan, but these sound just perfect. I want to bake a batch up to eat while I give out candy!!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
October 9, 2014 at 9:25 amI’m with you – definitely doughnuts are for fall! Pinned!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
October 9, 2014 at 6:25 pmFall is definitely the time for doughnuts, love that apple cider glaze!