One-Bowl Cinnamon-Sugar Baked Apple Donuts
I recently tried a delicious, but fussy apple cider donut loaf. Though I enjoyed every bite, it made me realize how much I love this recipe — even more.
Besides dirtying too many bowls for my taste, the donut loaf is soaked in an apple cider reduction, which lends a lovely sweet apple flavor. But truth be told, I prefer the flavor of warm spices.
These are not fussy donuts. You whip them up with basic pantry ingredients in two bowls using only a whisk. Baking doesn’t get more simple than that. And the donut is not just dusted with cinnamon-sugar, but made with a batter spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In fact, these donuts are a tasty treat even without the cinnamon-sugar coating; perfect for toddlers!
The only catch — if you can call it that — is that you need a donut pan. If you don’t have one or are not into spending money on one, you can turn this batter into muffins. You’ll have to extend the baking time: I’m guessing here, but you’re likely looking at a 20-25 minute bake time. Start checking the muffins at 20 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Skip the bowls. Skip the reduction. Skip the fuss. However you make these, just do it.
NOTE:
To keep these a bit lighter, I use a thin coating of apple sauce to help the cinnamon-sugar stick to the donuts. It’s not a perfect substitute for butter — cinnamon-sugar may glob up here or there — but it works! In fact, it even adds a little fresh apple flavor. If you’re looking for something more traditional and want to go all out, use butter instead. Directions for both are included.
One-Bowl Cinnamon-Sugar Baked Apple Donuts
Makes about 1 dozen
For the donuts:
Cooking spray, for greasing pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon pre-ground nutmeg)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup peeled, grated apple
For the cinnamon-sugar coating:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Apple sauce, for coating (you can substitute 6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a non-stick donut pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a small, separate bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until well combined. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is also well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine well.
Add apple, along with any juice that’s accumulated, to the batter and using a silicone spatula, mix until thoroughly incorporated. Spoon batter into prepped donut pan, filling each well about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for at least 2 minutes before inverting the donuts onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the donuts cool, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a wide shallow bowl. Once they have finished cooling, use a pastry brush to cover the donuts with a thin layer of apple sauce or melted butter. Dip the donut in cinnamon sugar until completely covered. Allow to “dry” on wire rack before serving.
