Apple Pie Donuts
intro
Soft, spiced baked donuts loaded with tender cinnamon apple chunks, coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar, capturing classic apple pie coziness in handheld form.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pan and cook apples
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), then lightly grease a 12-cavity standard donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Toss the diced apple with 1 teaspoon of the divided ground cinnamon in a small skillet, cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes until apples are slightly tender but not mushy, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes while you prep the batter.
Whisk dry batter ingredients
In a large glass mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 100g of the divided granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the divided ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fine sea salt until fully combined, with no visible clumps of spice remaining.
Mix wet and fold batter
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the room-temperature egg, whole milk, 57g of the melted cooled unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredient bowl, fold gently with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain, then fold in the cooled cinnamon-cooked apple chunks. Do not overmix, as this will create tough donuts.
Fill donut pan evenly
Transfer the finished batter to a disposable piping bag (or a resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch corner snipped off) and pipe batter into each prepared donut cavity, filling each exactly 2/3 full (approximately 3 tablespoons of batter per cavity) to prevent overflow as the donuts rise during baking.
Bake donuts until set
Place the filled donut pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven, bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, until donut tops spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out with 1 to 2 moist crumbs (no wet batter). Remove the pan from the oven, let donuts rest in the pan for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack for 5 additional minutes of cooling.
Coat in cinnamon sugar
While donuts are still slightly warm, stir together the remaining 100g granulated sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a shallow wide dish. Brush each donut all over with the remaining 57g melted unsalted butter, then dip both flat sides and the rounded top into the cinnamon sugar mixture, pressing lightly to ensure an even, thick coating sticks. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
2.Use firm, crisp baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji for this recipe; softer, mealy apple varieties will turn mushy when cooked and baked, losing their pleasant texture.
3.If you do not own a donut pan, you can bake this batter in a standard 12-cup muffin tin for 14 to 16 minutes, then roll the warm muffin tops in cinnamon sugar for an easy apple pie donut muffin variation.
OMG these apple pie donuts are a total game changer! I made them for my kid’s after-school snack earlier this week and they begged for seconds before even finishing the first one. The cinnamon sugar coating paired with the soft apple-studded inside tastes exactly like fall in a bite. 10/10 will be making these for our neighborhood block party next month!
I meal prepped these on Sunday for quick breakfasts all week and they held up perfectly! I warmed them up for 10 seconds in the microwave each morning and they tasted just as fresh as the day I made them. SO good, even my picky husband ate three in one sitting.
Brought these to my office potluck last Friday and every single one was gone within 10 minutes. Three coworkers asked for the recipe before I even left the break room! The only tweak I made was adding a tiny drizzle of caramel on top, chef’s kiss.
Wait these were way easier than I thought they’d be! I’m a total beginner baker and I pulled them off without burning anything, which is a miracle for me. The cook time was exactly as listed too, no guesswork.
I’ve been making apple donuts for 40 years and this recipe is hands down one of the best I’ve tried! The balance of cinnamon and nutmeg is perfect, not too overpowering. My grandkids go crazy for these when they visit on weekends.
Made these for my partner’s birthday breakfast and they were a hit! Only thing is mine stuck a little to the donut pan, any tips for next time?
Game. Changer. I never thought donuts could be this easy to make at home! The apple pie filling swirled in makes them so moist, no dry crumbly donut texture here. Already sent the recipe to my whole group chat.
Tried these last minute for a fall tailgate and they were a smash! I tossed them in extra cinnamon sugar because I’m a cinnamon fiend, and people kept coming back for more. Will absolutely be adding these to my regular tailgate rotation.
Wait I messed up the first batch because I forgot to add the egg, oops? But even the slightly wonky ones tasted amazing! Don’t be like me and double check your ingredients before mixing, y’all. These are too good to mess up even a little.
These are SO good! I made a quick vanilla glaze to drizzle on top instead of just cinnamon sugar and it tasted exactly like the fancy donuts I pay $5 for at the local bakery. Saved me so much money, I’ll be making these every weekend from now on.
Super easy, super tasty. I made these with my 8 year old and they had a blast helping coat them in cinnamon sugar. Great recipe for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the family, no fancy skills or equipment needed.
I was skeptical because homemade donuts always sound like a ton of work, but 35 minutes total? That’s faster than running to the donut shop! Mine came out fluffy and perfectly spiced, 10/10.
Made these for my book club meeting and everyone raved! One friend is gluten free so I swapped in GF all purpose flour and you literally couldn’t tell the difference. Such a versatile recipe.
Decent recipe, but I felt like it needed a little more apple flavor for my taste. Next time I’ll add an extra half cup of diced apples and maybe a dash of apple pie spice to kick it up a notch. Still good, just not quite as appley as I hoped.
My kids loved it! They’ve been asking for “the apple donuts” every single morning since I made them last weekend. I love that they’re not overly sweet, so I don’t feel bad giving them to them before school.
Made these for my roommate’s house party and they were gone before the pizza even arrived. The cinnamon sugar crust is chef’s kiss, and the little bits of cooked apple inside make them feel way fancier than they are. 10/10 easy crowd pleaser.
I made these last night and they were incredible! Quick question—can I make this same batter as regular muffins for my kid’s class snack next week? I don’t have enough donut pans to make a big batch!