These are The Best Baked Apple Cider Donut ever! Packed with spiced apple cider and fall spices, this healthy donut recipe is the perfect dessert or breakfast this season. they are healthy, gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, and can be made Keto as well.
This Healthy Apple Cider Donut recipe has been in high demand from you guys. So here we are. I finally did it!
They are so soft, moist, both dense and fluffy, and kind of gooey. These donuts will melt in your mouth!
This Baked Apple Cider Donut recipe is the best fall recipe for the sweater weather.
A few other healthy apple recipes you need to try this fall are these Healthy Apple Bread with Crumble Toppings, Apple Pie French Toast Casserole, and these Apple Cider Chicken Skillet
what makes this Apple Cider Donut Recipe healthy
These Apple Cider Donuts are delicious and yet so healthy. They are
- Gluten-free
- Paleo
- Keto-compliant
- Refined-sugar free
- Dairy-free
- Oil-free
Ingredient for Baked Apple Cider Donuts
These moist and fluffy baked treats are made with gluten-free and paleo-approved ingredients that you might already have in your pantry.
Apple Cider Donuts
- Egg
- Spiced Apple Cider
- Maple syrup – For keto, use keto-friendly sweetener
- Almond butter
- Almond flour
- Tapioca flour
- Coconut flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
CINNAMON SUGAR COATING
- Cane sugar or coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
What’s the best kind of Apple Cider to use?
You can either make your own or use store-bought apple cider for this baked donut recipe. My favorite is the “no sugar added” spiced apple cider from Trader Joe’s.
In order for the apple cider flavor to come through in this healthy donut recipe, we need to make a concentrated apple cider.
This is made by boiling down the cider on the stovetop to a thick and flavorful concentrate. More on this further down.
How to Make baked Apple Cider Donuts
These healthy baked donuts are made in a few easy steps.
Start with reducing the apple cider. In a small saucepan, add the spiced apple cider. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to roughly half a cup.
Then, remove from the heat and let it cool down for 20 – 30 minutes before adding it to the apple cider donut batter.
Now, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a silicone donut pan. (If using a regular donut pan, grease it generously).
In a mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider, egg, almond butter, and maple syrup.
Then add almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Gently fold to combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Lastly, spoon or pipe the mixture into the greased donut pan. Fill the pan all the way to the top.
Bake for 19 – 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the middle)
CINNAMON SUGAR COATING
In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar.
Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, but still warm, gently dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar mix and coat all sides.
If necessary, dip or brush some coconut oil on the warm donut so the sugar coating will stick better.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Healthy Apple Cider Donuts
1. Silicone Donut pan
Almond flour donuts tend to stick to a regular donut pan, no matter how much grease I use, I always miss a spot here and there. Therefore, the best donut baking method is to use a silicone donut pan.
It is super easy to remove the donuts once they are done baking, and you can just throw the silicone donut pan in the dishwasher.
2. Coconut oil for coating
In order to have the cinnamon sugar coating sticking better, brush the donuts in some melted coconut oil.
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3. Paleo Cinnamon Sugar Coating
I used cane sugar and cinnamon for the coating here, mainly for the photo effect. To make it paleo-friendly, replace the cane sugar with the same amount of coconut sugar.
How to Store Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Once the Apple Cider Donuts have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Or you can freeze them for up to a month!
Additional Storage Tips:
It is best if you store the donuts without the cinnamon-sugar coating. Because the coating will melt into the donuts and they won’t have that crunchy dusty effect anymore, but they will still be really yummy and sweet.
To serve after refrigerating:
Warm the apple cider donuts in the microwave for 10 – 15 seconds. Coat with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
If you have already coated them, you can warm them in the microwave or just enjoy it cold.
Finally, without further ado, make these paleo, gluten-free, and keto-friendly baked apple cider donuts that will melt in your mouth.
OOO ALSO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
You May Also like These Fall Recipes:
1. Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
2. Healthy Pumpkin Bread (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
3. Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Apple Cider Donuts – Baked
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup spiced apple cider 1 ½ cup reduced
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup almond butter *
- 1 cup packed almond flour **
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 heaping tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cardamom
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup cane sugar coconut sugar for paleo
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the Apple Cider
- In a small saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups of spiced apple cider. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to about a 1/2 cup.
- Set aside to cool (about 20 minutes or you can make this the night before)
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the silicone donut pan. (If using a regular donut pan, grease it generously).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the reduced apple cider, egg, almond butter, and maple syrup.
- Add almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom to the wet mixture. With a spatula, gently combine all ingredients.
- Spoon or pipe the donut mixture into the donut pan. Fill the pan all the way to the top.
- Bake for 19 – 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the middle)
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar mix and coat all sides. (If necessary, brush some melted coconut oil on the donuts so the coating will stick better.)
- Enjoy!
Notes
- *You can use any smooth nut or seed butter.
- ** Make sure you pack the flour otherwise the donuts could come out mushy.
- See Storage suggestions under "how to store apple cider donuts" in this post.
- Make sure your oven is up to the correct temperature so the time listed here can work properly. I always use an oven thermometer.
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Nutrition
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This does not result in any extra cost for you, but it does mean that I make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I meant to make these over the holidays but never got around to it. These are so delicious and remind me of the donuts from the top of Pikes Peak.
These donuts are SO delish! They’re denser than normal donuts, which makes them more filling and fills you up longer. It’s the perfect fall weekend breakfast! Made them for my in-laws last year and they absolutely loved them, too! Had no idea they were made with better ingredients. 😊
I wanted to love these but…
It did not get cooked, and were gooey, did not work! HORRIBLE!
There were SO GOOD!!! I’ve missed donuts since going gluten, dairy and sugar free! They were easier to make than I thought when I looked at the recipe! They’re even better the next day when the ingredients meld together! Thanks for sharing such a fabulous recipe!
Hi Nadine,
Aw yay!! That makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! And yup, I actually love it even more the next day as well!
Shuang
I wanted to love these for sure, but it was a miss.
The flavors are just awkward. I cut the nutmeg in half and thought it was still too over powering. I’m not sure what’s missing, but I was not impressed with these. If you’ve had a hot apple cider donut fresh from a farmer’s market, these are going to disappoint you. I know we’re all looking for the healthier version of those, but this isn’t it.
I can use a different type of flour besides the tapioca? I don’t have any….
Hi Sarah,
If you have arrowroot flour in hand that could work as well. Or corn starch may work although I haven’t tested it myself.
Shuang
Can you sub a flax egg ?
Hi Meaghan,
I haven’t tested with flax eggs myself but they should work!
Shuang
I doubled the recipe and had to make more the next day! These came out sooo delicious my friends couldn’t get enough!
HIGHLY recommend this recipe. These donuts were so good. Not dry at all and such simple, minimal ingredients. They had a slight moistness to them which made them my absolute favorite donut recipe so far- tasting like donuts you find at bakeries. Well done Shuangy!
Great donuts, but the consensus from my “taste testers”, was the nutmeg was a little overpowering. I’m making these donuts for the second time, and am using a little less nutmeg, and a little more cinnamon.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Shuang
Used peanut butter and felt is clashed with other flavors, would almond butter be more mild? The textured was amazing though.
Hi Prim,
Yes, almond butter goes with the flavor better. I hope you enjoyed it though! 🙂
Shuang
Hey! I used peanut butter and felt like that flavor was coming through more than I would’ve liked and clashed with the cider and other flavors. Would almond butter be more mild you think? The texture was amazing so I definitely want to make again.
Hi Laura,
Yes, I used almond butter in this recipe, it goes with the flavor better! You can also use cashew butter which will be the mildest of the 3.
Shuang
Do you cover the apple cider while it’s simmering ?
Hi Rebecca,
No, you don’t have to!
Shuang