Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts (Baked)

Enjoy the flavors of Fall with these tender, light & fluffy Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts! These donuts are oven-baked, not fried, for a healthier option that's also dairy free and refined sugar free. They're made with fresh apple cider, applesauce, cinnamon and nutmeg for the most warming, cozy flavor.

Servings donuts

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Assembly Time 5

Total Time 35

Equipment

large pan
kitchen scale (optional)
2 large bowls
whisk
spatula
2 donut pans
spoon or piping bag
shallow bowl
butter knife
wire rack

Ingredients

For the Dry Ingredients:

1.5 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour (186g)*
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp kosher salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

For the Wet Ingredients:

1.5 cups fresh apple cider
1 large egg at room temp
⅔ cup coconut sugar or cane sugar (110g)
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce at room temp
¼ cup avocado oil or melted & cooled refined coconut oil (55ml)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating (optional):

½ cup monkfruit sweetener or cane sugar (100g)**
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP: First, add apple cider to a large pan and turn it to medium heat. Once bubbling, allow it to reduce for about 5-8 minutes, until there is ¾ cup of cider left. Transfer it to a measuring cup to make sure you have exactly ¾ cup - if you're slightly short, add a bit more fresh apple cider. Allow it to cool down. To expedite this, I like to pop it in the fridge. It's okay if it's slightly warm, but it shouldn't be hot.
1.5 cups fresh apple cider
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350F and grease two donut pans (12 cavities total) with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Set aside.
1.5 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp kosher salt, 1.5 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda
In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, coconut sugar, applesauce, avocado oil and vanilla. Then, while whisking, slowly pour in the reduced (and cooled) apple cider.
1 large egg, ⅔ cup coconut sugar, ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup avocado oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to combine. Continue stirring until the batter is mostly smooth, but it's okay if there are a few small clumps remaining.
Use a spoon or a piping bag (or ziplock bag with the corner cut off) to fill the donut cavities with batter. They should be about ¾ of the way full.
Transfer donut pans to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
While the donuts are baking, add the monkfruit (or cane sugar) and cinnamon to a shallow bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
½ cup monkfruit sweetener, 1 tsp cinnamon
Once donuts are done baking, allow them to cool in the pan for about 3 minutes, before gently using a butter knife to pop them out and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Immediately dunk each side of the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture. If you do it while the donuts are still warm, you don't need any melted butter to help them stick.
They will be very light, fluffy and fragile if you eat them fresh, but will dry out slightly and be more sturdy as they cool down. I like them most after about an hour of cooling! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. You may notice that the cinnamon sugar coating soaks into the donuts a bit.

Video

Notes

GENERAL NOTE: I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for the most accurate results. They're very affordable on Amazon and save you from having to wash all the measuring cups! If you don't have a scale, be sure to measure your flour via the spoon and level method (NOT packed).

DONUT PAN: You will need two donut pans (a total of 12 donut cavities) for this recipe. I recommend using a metal donut pan instead of silicone. The donut cavities should be about 3.25-3.5" in diameter. Here are two brands that I have and like: Norpro (slightly bigger) and Wilton (slightly smaller).

*NOTE: My two favorite brands of gluten free 1-to-1 flour are Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour, both of which contain xanthan gum – a crucial ingredient to replicate gluten-filled baked goods. If you’re not gluten free, you can substitute an equal amount of normal AP flour.

**NOTE: To keep these lower in sugar, I like to use Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener for the cinnamon sugar coating. If you go this route, you'll notice that it has a bit of an "icy" mouthfeel. If you'd prefer a more traditional apple cider donut, use normal cane sugar instead!

NUTRITION INFO: The nutrition info listed below is an estimate per donut, and assumes that you're using a zero-calorie sweetener, such as monkfruit, for coating the donuts.

Calories: 143kcal

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: Apple Cider, Baked Goods, Cinnamon, Dairy Free, Donuts, Fall Recipe, Gluten Free, Healthy Dessert, Refined Sugar Free, Vegetarian

Nutrition