There’s something about the combination of fresh apples and warm cinnamon that instantly feels like fall. These Apple Cinnamon Donuts bring that cozy flavor into a soft, tender baked donut that’s easy enough for a weekend breakfast and delicious enough to serve as a dessert.
Unlike traditional fried donuts, this version is baked in the oven, then finished with a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating. The result is golden on the outside, fluffy in the middle, and packed with little bites of apple.
They’re especially good served warm with coffee, hot apple cider, or a cold glass of milk. Baked apple-cinnamon donut recipes commonly pair apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and a tender cake-style batter before finishing the donuts with cinnamon sugar.
Table of Contents
What Are Apple Cinnamon Donuts?
Apple Cinnamon Donuts are soft, cake-style donuts made with fresh apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and a lightly sweetened batter. Instead of deep-frying, the donuts are baked in a donut pan until lightly golden.
The apples add natural sweetness and moisture, while cinnamon gives every bite that familiar apple-pie flavor. A final coating of cinnamon sugar adds a delicate crunch that makes these donuts seriously hard to resist.
They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon snacking, holiday gatherings, or an easy homemade dessert.
Why You’ll Love Apple Cinnamon Donuts – Easy and Delicious
- Soft & Tender Inside: The baked donut has a light, cake-like texture with tender pieces of apple throughout. Every bite tastes homemade and comforting.
- Big Apple-Cinnamon Flavor: Fresh apple and fragrant cinnamon create that classic flavor combination everyone loves. It’s basically apple pie in donut form.
- Easy Weekend Baking: You don’t need yeast, a deep fryer, or complicated techniques. Just mix, fill, bake, and coat.
- Perfect for Breakfast or Dessert: Serve them with coffee in the morning or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy after-dinner treat.
- A Family-Friendly Favorite: The familiar flavors make these donuts a hit with both kids and adults. They’re also easy to customize with your favorite apple variety.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These Apple Cinnamon Donuts are made with everyday baking staples, fresh apples, and a good dose of warm cinnamon, finished with a touch of sweetness. What you get is a soft, tender donut that tastes like fall in every bite.
A few tips for the best batch: go with fresh apples, butter that’s properly softened, real cinnamon (not the imitation stuff), and a good-quality vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour — Creates the structure while keeping the donuts soft and tender.
- Granulated sugar — Adds sweetness and helps give the donuts a lightly golden exterior.
- Baking powder — Gives the donuts their rise and helps create a fluffy texture.
- Baking soda — Works with the other ingredients to provide additional lift.
- Ground cinnamon — Brings the signature warm, cozy spice flavor.
- Salt — Balances the sweetness and makes the apple and cinnamon flavors stand out.
- Fresh apples — Choose a crisp apple that holds its shape and provides little pockets of juicy fruit.
- Large egg — Helps bind the batter while adding richness and structure.
- Milk — Adds moisture and creates a softer crumb.
- Unsalted butter — Gives the donuts a richer flavor and tender texture.
- Vanilla extract — Adds a subtle sweetness that complements both the apple and cinnamon.
- Brown sugar — Adds a deeper, slightly caramel-like flavor to the apple mixture.
- Cinnamon sugar — Creates the delicious sweet, lightly crunchy coating on the finished donuts.
- Cooking spray or melted butter — Helps prevent the donuts from sticking to the pan.
Step-By-Step Direction
Step 1: Prepare the Apples
Peel and finely dice the apples. Smaller pieces work especially well because they distribute evenly throughout the donut instead of sinking to the bottom.
For the best flavor, choose a crisp apple such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, or Granny Smith. A combination of sweet and slightly tart apples is also delicious.
Step 2: Soften the Apples
Add the diced apples to a skillet with a little butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook gently until the apples become slightly tender and fragrant.
You don’t want them completely soft or mushy. Keeping a little texture gives the finished donuts delicious little apple pieces in every bite.
Step 3: Make the Donut Batter
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in one bowl.
In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
Don’t overmix the batter. A few small streaks of flour are fine before folding in the cooled apples. Overmixing can make baked donuts dense rather than soft.
Step 4: Fill the Donut Pan
Lightly grease your donut pan, then spoon or pipe the batter into each cavity.
Fill each section only about two-thirds full so the batter has enough room to rise without spilling over the center hole. A piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off makes this step much cleaner.
Step 5: Bake Until Golden
Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake until the donuts are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
Let them cool in the pan briefly before transferring them to a wire rack. Baked apple donuts are generally cooked in a moderate oven until golden and tender; exact baking time can vary depending on the pan and oven.
Step 6: Add the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
While the donuts are still slightly warm, brush them lightly with melted butter and gently toss them in cinnamon sugar.
The warmth helps the coating cling to the surface, creating that irresistible sweet, spiced finish.
Step 7: Serve Warm
Transfer the finished donuts to a serving plate and serve while they’re warm or allow them to cool completely.
For an extra-special presentation, arrange them on a rustic platter with sliced apples and cinnamon sticks. The golden donuts look beautiful on a breakfast or brunch table.
Serving Suggestions
These donuts are delicious on their own, but a few simple additions can turn them into an extra-special treat.
- With coffee: Serve warm alongside freshly brewed coffee for an easy weekend breakfast.
- With apple cider: Warm apple cider makes the perfect fall-inspired pairing.
- With vanilla ice cream: Serve a warm donut with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
- With maple drizzle: A drizzle of maple syrup adds another layer of cozy sweetness.
- With powdered sugar: A small dusting gives them a simple bakery-style finish.
- For brunch: Arrange them on a large platter with fresh apple slices and cinnamon sticks.
Tips for the Best Results
- Choose the right apples: Crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith work beautifully. Avoid apples that become excessively watery when cooked.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Stir just until the ingredients come together. Too much mixing can develop the gluten and leave you with heavier donuts.
- Don’t overfill the pan: Keep the batter below the top of each donut cavity. This helps the donuts rise neatly while preserving their classic shape.
- Coat while slightly warm: A warm donut gives melted butter and cinnamon sugar something to cling to. This creates a more even and flavorful coating.
- Let them cool before storing: Allow the donuts to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. This helps prevent excess condensation from making them soggy.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator
Store completely cooled donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days. Place parchment paper between layers if you’re stacking them.
For the best texture, allow refrigerated donuts to sit at room temperature briefly before reheating.
Freezer
Apple Cinnamon Donuts freeze well. Arrange completely cooled donuts in a single layer and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag.
For best quality, enjoy them within a couple of months.
Reheating
For a soft, fresh-from-the-oven texture, warm individual donuts briefly in the microwave.
You can also reheat them in a low oven for a few minutes. If the cinnamon-sugar coating has softened during storage, add a light fresh coating after reheating.
Final tip: These Apple Cinnamon Donuts are at their absolute best when served slightly warm, with the cinnamon aroma still coming through and the apple pieces tender inside. They make an easy homemade treat that feels much more special than the effort required.
Apple Cinnamon Donuts – Easy and Delicious
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Apple Filling
- 1½ cups fresh apples peeled and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the apples: Peel and finely dice the apples into small pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the donuts.
- Cook the apple mixture: Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for about 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix, as this can make the donuts dense.
- Add the apples: Gently fold the cooled apple mixture into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Fill the donut pan: Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut cavities, filling each about two-thirds full. Avoid filling them all the way to the top.
- Bake: Bake for approximately 13–16 minutes, or until the donuts are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
- Prepare the coating: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Coat the donuts: While the donuts are still slightly warm, lightly brush each donut with melted butter, then gently toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Serve: Serve the Apple Cinnamon Donuts warm or at room temperature with coffee, tea, apple cider, or your favorite breakfast beverage.
Notes
- Apple Choice: Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples all work well. For a sweeter donut, use a naturally sweet apple; for more contrast, use Granny Smith.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can result in dense donuts.
- Apple Size: Dice the apples quite small so they cook quickly and distribute evenly throughout the donut batter.
- Donut Pan: Don’t overfill the cavities. Keeping them around two-thirds full allows the donuts to rise without losing their classic shape.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: Apply the coating while the donuts are slightly warm so the melted butter and cinnamon sugar adhere properly.
- Storage: Store cooled donuts in an airtight container. Refrigerate for several days or freeze for longer storage.
- Reheating: Warm individual donuts briefly in the microwave or place them in a low oven until warmed through. For the best texture, refresh the cinnamon-sugar coating after reheating.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 245 kcal
- Total Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Total Sugars: 19 g
- Added Sugars: 15 g
- Protein: 4 g
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