Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes

Indulge in fluffy gluten-free baked apple cider donut holes rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar. This easy homemade recipe is full of warm spices, perfect for a healthier fall treat!

SPONSORED BY SUNBUTTER

---

Summer is my favorite season for the weather, the vibes, the vacations, the ice cream. But I must admit, fall really does win when it comes to baking. Aside from everything pumpkin spice (which I do deeply love) we get flavors like apple, cinnamon, pecan, chai, and maple too, which are all so dreamy to bake with. So instead of opening up a can of pumpkin to kick off the fall baking season, I decided to open a bottle of apple cider and whip up some gluten-free apple cider donuts but in sweet, bite-sized, cinnamon-sugar-coated donut hole form.

Introduction To Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes

If you go apple picking and stop by that cute little country store at the end, you’ll likely find classic apple cider donuts and maybe even some donut holes for purchase too. We are taking that sweet fall favorite and giving it a healthier homemade twist so you can eat many of them all autumn long. Why you’ll love this recipe?

• Baked not fried! But still delicious little poppable bundles of deliciousness with a crusty exterior and soft fluffy inside.
• Gluten-free and vegan friendly recipe
• Less sugar than store-bought, sweetened with just coconut sugar
• FULL of apple cider flavor and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice
• Just 10 ingredients and one bowl to make them
• That finger-licking cinnamon sugar coating…mmm!

How To Make Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donut Holes

This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, with just one mixing bowl required. Since they are donut holes and not full donuts, they only take about 10 minutes to bake. So you’ll be biting into a warm apple cider donut hole in no time!

Ingredients You Will Need

• Apple cider. Of course. Authentic local cider is obviously ideal and will yield the strongest apple cider flavor, but apple juice even will work in a pinch. And I want to mention at least once just in case, this is NOT apple cider VINEGAR.
• SunButter. No stick of butter or oil even required for this healthier spin, SunButter takes the place of both and yields a beautifully moist fluffy donut texture! I used the Creamy variety which is slightly sweetened too for extra flavor.
• Flax eggs. Or real eggs work too if you aren’t vegan. Tip: make your flax eggs with apple cider in place of the usual water for more flavor!
• Coconut sugar. The perfect deep caramel-y flavor for this cozy fall bake, but brown sugar would work too.
• Vanilla extract. For extra sweetness.
• Almond flour. The buttery coarse texture makes for such a delicious fluffy donut crumb.
• Gluten-free flour. To balance with almond flour and provide the binding we need without gluten. If you aren’t gluten-free, all purpose flour will work too.
• Baking powder and salt. Essential ingredients in any fluffy baking.
• Apple pie spice. Or you can make your own with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice like this recipe demonstrates.

Step By Step Instructions For Making The Donut Holes

Step 1: Reduce the apple cider. The most time consuming step, but it’s essential for achieving that intense apple flavor after baking. You want to reduce the apple cider by about 2/3, so start with 1 1/2 cups and boil it down to 1/2 cup for using in the batter. This will take 15-20 minutes, but it’s hand off time you just need to keep an eye on it while it simmers.

Step 2: Prepare the baking pan. You can invest in an actual donut hole pan, or just use a mini muffin pan. Either way, make sure you grease it well with nonstick spray so the apple cider donut holes pop out easily.

Step 3: Mix the batter. Combine the wet ingredients, add the dry, and mix until well combined. I like to use a hand mixer for this, but you can even whisk by hand.

Step 4: Bake the donut holes. You want to preheat the oven to 425°F, which I know sounds very hot for baking. But this is the key to creating that crusty exterior without having to fry the donut holes. Baking hot and fast will make the middle rise and fluff up quickly while the outside sets into a delicious golden crust. After the first 5 minutes, reduce the heat to the normal 350°F so the donuts don’t burn.

Step 5: Coat in cinnamon sugar. After baking, they donut holes do need to cool at least briefly (10-15 minutes). But they are delicious warm, so don’t wait too long! Then comes the delicious step of brushing with melted butter or coconut oil and tossing in sweet cinnamon sugar. Alternatively, you could maple glaze them too.

Nutritional Information

These baked apple cider donut holes come in at just about 70 calories per hole with less than 3 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugar. Wayyyyy less aggressive than a store-bought apple cider donut, and with less refined ingredients too. So grab a couple at a time and share them with your little ones too for a healthier fall snack or dessert.

Recipe FAQs

More Donut Recipes You’ll Love

• Baked Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts
• Glazed Golden Milk Donuts
• Mini Powdered Donuts (without sugar!)
• Grain-Free Coconut Flour Donuts

Print