My freshly picked apples from a local orchard are screaming to be made into these light and fluffy apple cider spiked donuts. Nothing says fall more than the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the oven. These donuts (they’re really a light and healthy muffin shaped to look like a donut but don’t tell anyone) are filled with triple apple flavor from fresh apples, apple butter and apple cider. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves round out the yumminess.
Apple Cider Baked Donuts
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (mixed together) for preparing the pans
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 1 cup shredded apples
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 12 donut-shaped molds with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the mixture of cinnamon and sugar, shake out excess. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, apples, yogurt and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir, just until moistened. Divide batter among pans. Bake for 10 minutes or until tops spring back when touched (don’t over bake). Turn the donuts out onto a rack to cool. Serve as is or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Makes 12 “donuts”.
Note: If you don’t have donut-shaped molds, use regular muffin pans but you may need to bake an additional 5 minutes.
judymatusky.com
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 