The perfect fall treat, these healthier baked apple cider donuts are made with whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, Greek yogurt, and coconut oil.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of fall I immediately think of apple picking. It’s something Isaac and I enjoy doing every year around September. There are a couple of orchards relatively close to Richmond, but the one we usually go to is called Carter Mountain. It’s just outside of Charlottesville and they have the best apple cider donuts. They’re particularly delicious when you get them fresh when they’re still warm!
This year, I’m not sure if we’ll make it to Carter Mountain for apple picking so I decided to try my hand at making homemade baked donuts. And of course, in true EBF fashion, I worked to make them a bit healthier using real food ingredients like whole wheat pastry flour, apple sauce, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and Greek yogurt. A major upgrade from the traditional recipe that uses melted butter and brown sugar.
Ingredients in Healthy Apple Cider Donuts
unfiltered apple cider – no, I don’t mean ACV, I mean apple cider! I prefer getting mine from a local orchard but a lot of local grocery stores carry it as well!
unsweetened apple sauce – any kind works great and you can use cinnamon unsweetened apple sauce for more cinnamon flavor
whole-wheat pastry flour – more fiber, protein, and other nutrients than traditional white flour
coconut sugar – the less-processed upgrade for granulated sugar or brown sugar
Greek yogurt – adds protein and moisture to these donuts!
coconut oil – the perfect sub for butter
How to Make Baked Apple Cider Donuts
First things first, to make baked donuts you’re going to need a donut pan. Luckily, they’re really inexpensive! You can get a set of 2 non-stick, six cavity Wilton donut pans on Amazon for less than $15. Here’s the set I have.
It can also be handy to have a large icing piping tip for adding the donut batter into the pan, but it’s not 100% necessary. You can always spoon the batter into the pan and then shake it to make sure the batter is even.
Once you have your materials, you’re ready to get started and to be honest, making baked donuts is really similar to making muffins.
Mix your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (the apple cider, apple sauce, sugar, yogurt, oil, and egg) until combined. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir until everything is mixed together.
Prep your donut pans by spraying each cavity with cooking spray. Spoon the batter or use a piping bag to squeeze the batter evenly into the 12 cavities. Bake in a preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until a toothpick insertedinto to the center comes out clean. Invert the donuts on a wire rack to cool.
To finish, brush each donut with coconut oil on both sides and dip into a cinnamon sugar topping to coat. They’re best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. I like to reheat them in the toaster oven so they get nice and crispy!
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If you try this recipe for baked apple cider donuts, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turned out! Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
The perfect fall treat, these baked apple cider donuts are made a healthier with whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, Greek yogurt and coconut oil.
Ingredients
½ cup apple cider (not vinegar)
⅓ cupunsweetened applesauce
1 ¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 egg
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
½ Tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir until combined.
In another medium bowl, whisk together apple cider, apple sauce, sugar, yogurt, oil and egg until combined.
Add wet mixture to flour mixture, and stir until just combined.
Spray two (6-cavity) donut pans with cooking spray. Spoon or pipe batter evenly into the 12 cavities.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until donuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan for 2 minutes. Invert donuts onto a wire rack.
While donuts are baking, mix together sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
Brush each donut with coconut oil on both sides and dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Repeat until all donuts are coated. Best enjoyed immediately but can be stored in an air-tight container for 2-3 days and reheated in the microwave or toaster oven.
Notes
I haven’t tested it yet, but I would assume you can use non-dairy yogurt and a flaxseed egg to make vegan apple cider donuts. Let me know if you decide to try it!
They may not look perfect but they are perfectly delicious! I used gluten free 1.1 flour and they turned out great!
Thanks Brittany for another great recipe. My family thinks I’m a rock star in the kitchen.
Ahh love it!! I’m so glad these donuts were a hit with the fam, Linda. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I made these donuts using pumpkin spice apple cider and they came out amazing. The only problem I have is storing them they tend to get very moist or wet and the sugar coating on the outside absorbs into the donut I can’t seem to keep them stored dry unless I leave them on the counter uncovered. Any suggestions?
I absolutely loved these! I did swap coconut sugar for maple syrup and I simmered the apple cider to make it more flavorful, but these were incredible!!!
So glad you loved these donuts, Tiffany. I’m glad they turned out with coconut sugar instead of maple syrup. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it. 🙂
Made this recipe a few times and used pumpkin spice apple cider. Love these donuts. Although my donuts tend to get moist once I store them. Any tricks on how to keep them ‘cakey’ where the sugar coating doesn’t eventually melt into the donuts?
Hey Tracy – So glad you’re loving these donuts! How are you storing them – in the fridge or at room temp and what type of container are you storing them in?
Hi sorry I didn’t see your reply to my first inquiry so please disregard my second one today. I am storing the donuts in a Tupperware container which has an air vent in the lid.
These were delicious, light and flavoursome, although I couldn’t taste the cider much. I think the cider made them very airy though.
I used vegetable oil instead of coconut oil and fat free Greek yogurt instead of plain Greek yogurt.
It made 9 doughnuts instead of twelve, but they were quite large.
Hey Julie – I haven’t, but others have tried using a gluten-free all-purpose flour and said the donuts turned out just fine! Let me know if you end up trying them.
Wow these are so good! And so easy to make. So light and fluffy, incredibly moist and the cinnamon sugar is the perfect finish. So worth buying donut pans because this recipe will become a family tradition now every Fall. Thank you!
These turned out wonderfully. I have a silicon doughnut make six at a time and it made 12. I did need to bake them 16 minutes rather then 8. For those who like to know if subs work–it did for me and I used fage nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup homemade unsweetened applesauce that I increased to 1/2 cup and I skipped the oil altogether. I used swerve sugar replacement. I did use Pensey regular sugar and cinnamon mix on top and light Brummel and brown Yogurt spread melted. We loved them and will make them again. Nice Fall treat. And they look like your picture as they came out
So glad these donuts turned out for you! Thanks so much for coming back to share the subs you made and for leaving a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
These are so good! I used regular whole wheat flour and made them vegan with a flax egg and homemade soy yogurt. I baked them for 10 minutes, and they turned out light and fluffy and delicious!
Yay!! So glad these donuts turned out for you, Jess. Thanks for sharing the subs you made and for leaving a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Yay! So glad you loved these donuts, Katherine. Thanks so much for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a honeycomb pull apart pan. The cake turned out better than I expected especially because I substituted sugar with monk fruit sugar and used only half of the amount called for. The family loved it. Thank you
Oh yay!! So glad this turned out for you, Sana! Thanks for sharing the subs you made and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it.
Yay! So glad these donuts turned out for you, Hannah! Thanks for sharing what sub you made on the flour. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! You’ve done it again! Made a family staple, turned it healthy but also made sure it tastes delicious. Not easy to do! Those are the types of recipes we loooove. Thank you
Ahh yay, I’m so pumped these donuts were a hit with your family! Thanks for making these and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it, Jessica. 🙂
These are amazing and so easy to make! I made several batches – all with dairy free yogurt and some with a gluten free all purpose flour and all batches turned out wonderfully!
From upstairs I heard the “WOW!!!” and knew these donuts were a mega-hit. With GF 1:1 baking mix! Husb had three donuts today & I had fun making donuts for the first time. Thanks so much for such a scrumptious, easy treat! Donuts are FUN!
We absolutely loved these! They taste awesome and the non-healthy eaters in my house did not suspect they were health-ified. I halved the recipe because I only have one donut pan. I also used a sugar/stevia baking blend to further reduce sugar. I brushed the donuts with melted butter instead of coconut oil prior to the cinnamon sugar coating. I will definitely be making them again!
Hey… I want it to ask what do you recommend to replace all the coconut ingredients with, because I am allergic to coconut and I love fall recipes and apples and pumpkins but I can’t use products from coconut. Thank you!! 😊
Leave a Comment
Could you make these in mini electric donuts maker?
Hi Charisse! I would assume so, but I haven’t tried it! Let me know if you try it!
They may not look perfect but they are perfectly delicious! I used gluten free 1.1 flour and they turned out great!
Thanks Brittany for another great recipe. My family thinks I’m a rock star in the kitchen.
★★★★★
Ahh love it!! I’m so glad these donuts were a hit with the fam, Linda. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I made these donuts using pumpkin spice apple cider and they came out amazing. The only problem I have is storing them they tend to get very moist or wet and the sugar coating on the outside absorbs into the donut I can’t seem to keep them stored dry unless I leave them on the counter uncovered. Any suggestions?
★★★★★
I absolutely loved these! I did swap coconut sugar for maple syrup and I simmered the apple cider to make it more flavorful, but these were incredible!!!
★★★★★
So glad you loved these donuts, Tiffany. I’m glad they turned out with coconut sugar instead of maple syrup. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it. 🙂
Made this recipe a few times and used pumpkin spice apple cider. Love these donuts. Although my donuts tend to get moist once I store them. Any tricks on how to keep them ‘cakey’ where the sugar coating doesn’t eventually melt into the donuts?
★★★★★
Hey Tracy – So glad you’re loving these donuts! How are you storing them – in the fridge or at room temp and what type of container are you storing them in?
Hi sorry I didn’t see your reply to my first inquiry so please disregard my second one today. I am storing the donuts in a Tupperware container which has an air vent in the lid.
★★★★★
No worries, Tracy!! Glad you’re loving the donuts. 🙂
These were delicious, light and flavoursome, although I couldn’t taste the cider much. I think the cider made them very airy though.
I used vegetable oil instead of coconut oil and fat free Greek yogurt instead of plain Greek yogurt.
It made 9 doughnuts instead of twelve, but they were quite large.
Did you try it with a gluten free flour ???
★★★
Hey Julie – I haven’t, but others have tried using a gluten-free all-purpose flour and said the donuts turned out just fine! Let me know if you end up trying them.
Absolutely delicious and the vegan modifications worked great!
★★★★★
Yay! That makes me happy to hear, Claire. Thanks for trying these donuts. I appreciate it. 🙂
Wow these are so good! And so easy to make. So light and fluffy, incredibly moist and the cinnamon sugar is the perfect finish. So worth buying donut pans because this recipe will become a family tradition now every Fall. Thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed these donuts, Danielle! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
These turned out wonderfully. I have a silicon doughnut make six at a time and it made 12. I did need to bake them 16 minutes rather then 8. For those who like to know if subs work–it did for me and I used fage nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup homemade unsweetened applesauce that I increased to 1/2 cup and I skipped the oil altogether. I used swerve sugar replacement. I did use Pensey regular sugar and cinnamon mix on top and light Brummel and brown Yogurt spread melted. We loved them and will make them again. Nice Fall treat. And they look like your picture as they came out
★★★★★
So glad these donuts turned out for you! Thanks so much for coming back to share the subs you made and for leaving a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Do you think these could be made with coconut milk yogurt? We’re dairy free and I do not keep greek yogurt on hand. <3
Yes, that should work just fine! 🙂 Let me know how these turn out for you if you end up making them!
Not super “apple-ly”….any tips to make taste come through more?
Otherwise delicious!
★★★★
Did you change anything about the recipe? They’re definitely supposed to be more apple cider tasting versus just apple.
These are so good! I used regular whole wheat flour and made them vegan with a flax egg and homemade soy yogurt. I baked them for 10 minutes, and they turned out light and fluffy and delicious!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad these donuts turned out for you, Jess. Thanks for sharing the subs you made and for leaving a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Hello – i really want to try and make these but I am lactose intolerant and was curious what you would sub out the Greek yogurt for?
Thanks!
Hey Heather – you can use a dairy-free yogurt.
I made these over the weekend!! They are absolutely amazing!! Such a treat!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you loved these donuts, Katherine. Thanks so much for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a honeycomb pull apart pan. The cake turned out better than I expected especially because I substituted sugar with monk fruit sugar and used only half of the amount called for. The family loved it. Thank you
★★★★★
Oh yay!! So glad this turned out for you, Sana! Thanks for sharing the subs you made and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it.
These are AMAZING! I used all purpose flour and they came out delicious! So easy too! Highly recommend
★★★★★
Yay! So glad these donuts turned out for you, Hannah! Thanks for sharing what sub you made on the flour. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! You’ve done it again! Made a family staple, turned it healthy but also made sure it tastes delicious. Not easy to do! Those are the types of recipes we loooove. Thank you
★★★★★
Ahh yay, I’m so pumped these donuts were a hit with your family! Thanks for making these and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it, Jessica. 🙂
These are amazing and so easy to make! I made several batches – all with dairy free yogurt and some with a gluten free all purpose flour and all batches turned out wonderfully!
Can you Make these with Regular yogurt vs greek ? The Greek yogurt gives bagels and all that butter taste .
Hey Jenifer – You can definitely use another type of yogurt if you prefer.
Would it work to use gluten free flour instead of whole wheat?
Thanks!
Hey Erin – these should be fine if you subbed in gluten-free 1:1 flour. Let me know how they turn out if you try them!
From upstairs I heard the “WOW!!!” and knew these donuts were a mega-hit. With GF 1:1 baking mix! Husb had three donuts today & I had fun making donuts for the first time. Thanks so much for such a scrumptious, easy treat! Donuts are FUN!
★★★★★
Ahh I love hearing that!! So glad these donuts were a hit. As always, I appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Jennifer. <3
We absolutely loved these! They taste awesome and the non-healthy eaters in my house did not suspect they were health-ified. I halved the recipe because I only have one donut pan. I also used a sugar/stevia baking blend to further reduce sugar. I brushed the donuts with melted butter instead of coconut oil prior to the cinnamon sugar coating. I will definitely be making them again!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad these donuts were a hit! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Christy. I so appreciate it. <3
Made with flax egg and cashew yogurt – turned out perfect! Had to bake the full 8 minutes. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad this recipe turned out for you, Angela! Thanks for sharing the subs you made. 🙂
Hey… I want it to ask what do you recommend to replace all the coconut ingredients with, because I am allergic to coconut and I love fall recipes and apples and pumpkins but I can’t use products from coconut. Thank you!! 😊
For this recipe I would swap the coconut oil for butter!