Baked Apple Donuts Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, donuts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: donuts

Calories: 299kcal

Author: Becky Hardin - Easy Dessert Recipes

Fall is my favorite season, and with that comes crisp air, scary movies, hayrides and of course, baked apple donuts. Imagine the smell of fresh apple cinnamon donuts filling your home and setting that autumn mood.

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Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Donut Tin
Hand Mixer
Piping Tip Set

Ingredients

For the Donuts

2½ cups all-purpose flour 350 grams
2 teaspoons baking powder 8 grams
½ teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup unsalted butter 60 grams (½ stick), partially melted (about 30 seconds in the microwave)
¼ cup vegetable oil 50 grams
1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
2 large eggs 100 grams
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 9 grams
¾ cup buttermilk 170 grams, full fat (SEE NOTE)
1 cup finely chopped apple 113 grams, from about 1 apple (SEE NOTE)

For the Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar 240 grams
¾ cup unsalted butter 175 grams (1½ sticks), partially melted (about 30 seconds in the microwave)
2 tablespoons brown sugar 27 grams
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the Donuts

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. (For 18 donuts, I used donut pans that make 3-inch sized donuts.)
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a large bowl, beat together butter, vegetable oil and sugar on high until well mixed (about 1 minute).
On high speed, beat the eggs and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients until well mixed, about 1 minute.
2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
On low, beat half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
Add in all the buttermilk and beat (on low setting) until combined.
Add in the remaining flour mixture and beat on low just until fully combined. It’s okay if the batter is still slightly lumpy. Do not overmix or the donuts won’t bake up fluffy.
Gently fold in the apples until mixed well.
1 cup finely chopped apple
Place the donut batter into a large piping bag and pipe the batter into the donut tin wells. Fill each well up only ¾ of the way full so they have room to grow without overflowing.
Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a donut comes out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before removing from the tin to cool completely. Let cool completely before frosting. Repeat until all batter has been used.

For the Frosting

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the powdered sugar, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2 cups powdered sugar, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pipe or spoon the icing over the cooled donuts.

Notes

Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute ¾ cup of regular milk and stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and stir once more before using it as a substitute for buttermilk.
Apples: Choose an apple that doesn’t get too mushy during the baking process. I suggest using Granny Smith, but you could also use Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Gala.
Feel free to use apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg!
In the frosting, use light brown sugar for a more mild taste or dark brown sugar for a bolder taste.
To make these donuts gluten-free, use a gluten-free 1:1 flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
Easily double this recipe to feed a crowd!

Storage: Store baked apple donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition