Soft Baked Apple Cider Donuts made healthier with whole wheat flour, applesauce and Greek yogurt for the perfect fall treat that comes together in just 20 minutes! Loaded with warm spices and coated with cinnamon and sugar!
Table of Contents
These Healthy Baked Apple Cider Donuts are everything you love about a classic apple orchard treat, but made a little lighter! Soft, fluffy and warmly spiced, they’re made with whole wheat pastry flour, Greek yogurt, applesauce and pure maple syrup. Instead of frying, these cake-like donuts are baked until perfectly tender, then coated in cinnamon sugar for the ultimate fall treat!
Why You’ll Love These
- Healthier – these donuts are baked instead of fried, made with wholesome whole wheat pastry flour, Greek yogurt, and naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup.
- Soft and fluffy – thanks to the Greek yogurt and applesauce, every bite stays moist and tender without needing lots of butter or oil.
- Easy to make – the batter easily comes together in one bowl in just minutes and bakes in only about 10 minutes.
- Freezer-friendly – make a batch of these delicious donuts ahead of time so you always have a fall breakfast ready to enjoy.
What Makes These Apple Cider Donuts Healthier?
These baked apple cider donuts have all the cozy fall flavor of traditional cider donuts with a few simple, better-for-you swaps. They’re baked instead of fried, made with whole wheat pastry flour and almond flour, and use Greek yogurt and applesauce to keep them soft and moist. They’re also naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, with just a light cinnamon sugar coating for that classic apple cider donut finish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- whole wheat pastry flour – whole wheat pastry flour gives these donuts a light, tender texture while adding more fiber than traditional all-purpose flour. You can also use regular whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend.
- almond flour – nutrient dense almond flour keeps the donuts incredibly moist without the use of butter or oil while adding a subtle richness and nutty flavor.
- baking powder + baking soda – acts as a leavening agent to help these donuts rise and create their soft, fluffy texture.
- apple cider – the star of this recipe and make sure to not use apple cider vinegar or apple juice! You can find fresh apple cider at your local apple orchard, farmer’s market and most grocery stores carry it.
- applesauce – I used unsweetened applesauce which takes the place of oil in this recipe while adding even more apple flavor.
- Greek yogurt – adds moisture, protein, and richness while keeping the donuts light. You could also use mashed banana or pumpkin puree in place of the yogurt.
- eggs – you’ll need 2 large eggs to add moisture and help bind these donuts together.
- maple syrup – naturally sweetens these donuts and tastes amazing with all these cozy fall flavors.
- vanilla extract – adds boost of flavor and rounds out all the warm spices.
- warm spices – combination of apple pie spice, warm cinnamon and salt. You could also add a pinch of nutmeg or even ground cloves.
- cinnamon sugar coating – you’ll need melted coconut oil (or you could use melted butter) along with a mixture of organic cane sugar and cinnamon.
Baking Tools Needed
- Donut pans – I use these Wilton donut baking pans which come in a set of 2 and are on sale right now for $14.50!
- Pastry bag – this is not a necessity, but definitely makes piping the batter into the donut wells so much easier and highly recommend them.
- Mixing bowls – you’ll need two mixing bowls to separately mix the dry ingredients from the wet ingredients before combining everything to make the donut batter.
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat two 6-count donut pans with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple cider, Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the donuts dense.
- Fill the donut pans. Spoon the batter into a large zip-top bag or piping bag and snip off one corner. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling each about ¾ full. This recipe makes 12 donuts.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
- Cool the donuts. Let the warm donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cinnamon sugar coating. Once the warm apple cider donuts have cooled, melt the coconut oil (or butter). In a shallow bowl, stir together the cane sugar and cinnamon.
- Coat the donuts. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each donut with the melted coconut oil, then gently coat both sides in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Apple Cider Donuts
- Don’t overmix the batter – overmixing the batter develops gluten, which can make the donuts dense instead of soft and tender. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined, lumps are okay!
- Use fresh apple cider – fresh refrigerated apple cider has a much richer flavor than shelf-stable apple juice and makes a noticeable difference.
- Pipe the batter – using a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped makes filling the donut pans quick, easy, and much less messy.
- Grease the donut pan well – even nonstick donut pans benefit from a generous coating of cooking spray.
- Wait until they’re cool before coating – if the donuts are too warm, the sugar coating can melt instead of sticking evenly.
- Best enjoyed fresh – these donuts are at their fluffiest and I personally think they taste the best the day they are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
These apple cider donuts are baked instead of fried and made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, Greek yogurt and applesauce. They’re also naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, making them a lighter option than traditional fried apple cider donuts.
Yes! All-purpose flour works well and creates a slightly lighter texture.
Yes. Replace it with an equal amount of whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour if needed.
No! There’s no need to reduce the apple cider for this recipe. Simply measure ½ cup of apple cider and add it directly to the batter. Using fresh apple cider gives the donuts plenty of warm apple flavor without the extra step of reducing it on the stove.
Yes, but I highly recommend using apple cider for the best flavor. Apple cider has a richer, more robust apple flavor than apple juice and gives these baked donuts that classic fall taste.
Absolutely! Use dairy-free Greek yogurt and coconut oil instead of butter.
Yes! Freeze the baked, uncoated donuts for up to 3 months. Thaw, then coat with the cinnamon sugar just before serving.
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More Apple Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
- Healthy Apple Crisp
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
More Cozy Fall Recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Donuts
- The BEST Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Bars
- Banana Bread Glazed Donuts
Hope you all enjoy these Homemade Apple Cider Donuts! If you love these as much as we do, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled (or you could use butter)
- 1/3 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat two 6-count donut pans with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple cider, Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the donuts dense.
- Fill the donut pans. Spoon the batter into a large zip-top bag or piping bag and snip off one corner. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling each about ¾ full. This recipe makes 12 donuts.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
- Cool the donuts. Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cinnamon sugar coating. Once the donuts have cooled, melt the coconut oil (or butter). In a shallow bowl, stir together the cane sugar and cinnamon.
- Coat the donuts. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each donut with the melted coconut oil, then gently coat both sides in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Kelly,
I would love to try these, I was wondering if I can use regular pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour? I am on a high protein and high fibre plan with Weight Watchers and trying to keep my sodium and sugars low as I am in menopause so I follow a diabetic diet to keep things in check. I have tried your Flourless chocolate chip brownies and they have become a weekly staple for me with lots of protein and fibre! I absolutely love them!
Regular pastry flour should work great!
so delicius
Is it ok to use 1/2 cup reduced apple cider? What if any adjustments would need to be made to the recipe?
As long as the reduction equals 1/2 cup that should work fine! 🙂
I’d really love to make these but need a nut-free version. Do you think it would work to omit the almond flour and just add 1/2 a cup more wholewheat or a different flour? Thanks!
I would use a 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour! I tested this and they turned out great 🙂