Warm, cakey, homemade apple cider donuts are simply unbeatable. This gluten-free, oven-baked recipe is incredibly fluffy. Best of all, there's no deep frying or oil required—making it the perfect treat for Fall!
The fluffiest baked apple cider donuts
Fall is my favorite season! I love the crisp air, apple pie, pumpkin cookies, and cozy soups. But let's be honest—nothing says fall quite like apple cider donuts! That's why I'm so excited to share this easy, highly delicious gluten-free baked apple cider donuts recipe with you.
These homemade apple cider donuts are cakey, fluffy, soft, and airy. And the best part? They're baked, not fried! No oil is needed, making them a healthier alternative to traditional deep-fried donuts.
Spiced with apple cider, cinnamon sugar, and apple spice, these donuts are cozy, comforting, and the ultimate fall treat. You'll be in and out of the kitchen in under 30 minutes, and any level baker can make them!
These donuts take me back to apple-picking trips, where we'd always grab a dozen apple cider donuts on the way out. I'm obsessed with this recipe and love enjoying a donut or two on the couch with a warm cup of apple cider. They're perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert.
Why you'll love this gluten-free recipe:
- No Oil: These fluffy donuts are baked in the oven!
- Cakey and fluffy: These apple cider donuts are light, airy, and packed with flavor.
- You'd never know they're gluten-free: They taste just like the classic version!
- No special tools are needed: No mixer, rolling pin, or donut cutter is required.
- Quick and easy: Ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Simple ingredients: Made with everyday baking staples.
- Beginner-friendly: Perfect for any level of baker to whip up.
- Try this incredible apple pie muffins next!
Ingredients you will need
These apple cider donuts use basic ingredients like gluten-free flour, apple cider, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Trust me, they're the BEST! Here's what you'll need:
- Apple Cider Juice: Adds deep apple flavor and makes the donuts cakey.
- Flour: I used gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. You can also use regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both are needed for fluffy, airy donuts.
- Spices: Cinnamon and apple pie spice give these donuts their cozy flavor. You can make your own apple pie spice if needed.
- Butter: For moist, cakey donuts with a soft, buttery texture.
- Egg: Helps hold everything together.
- Sugar: A mix of dark brown sugar and white sugar for sweetness and texture.
- Vanilla Extract: For extra flavor!
How to make gluten-free apple cider donuts in the oven
These homemade baked gluten-free apple cider donuts take under 30 minutes to make! They come together in six simple steps, but let's walk through the process together. Here are step-by-step directions with pictures for visual reference:
Step One: Simmer the apple cider for 10–15 minutes until it reduces by half. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Don't skip this step—it really boosts the flavor!
Step Two: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan.
Step Three: Whisk the egg, melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Hold off on adding the apple cider just yet!
Step Four: Gradually add the flour and apple cider in two batches, alternating between them. Scrape the sides to ensure everything is well combined and smooth.
Step Five: Transfer the batter into a ziplock or piping bag. Cut the tip and fill the donut tins ¾ full.
Step Six: Finally, bake for 10 minutes until golden and puffed. Immediately toss the donuts in cinnamon sugar after removing them from the oven.
Pro Tip: If the sugar doesn't stick, brush the donuts with a little melted butter before tossing in the cinnamon sugar.
Serve your gluten-free apple cider donuts warm for the best, cakiest, and airiest texture. Enjoy!
Expert baking tips:
- Simmer the apple cider juice: Reducing the cider concentrates the flavor, making your donuts extra apple-y. Don't skip this step!
- Pipe the batter: Use a piping bag to fill the donut pan for perfect, airy donuts with a nice shape.
- Don't overbake: These donuts bake quickly—only 10 minutes! Keep an eye on them to avoid drying them out.
- Coat in cinnamon sugar while hot: Toss the donuts in cinnamon sugar right out of the oven for full, even coverage.
- Make your own apple pie spice: Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice for a homemade apple pie spice.
- Use the right flour: Stick to regular or gluten-free 1-to-1 flour. Avoid alternatives like almond or coconut flour, which don't work the same way.
- Enjoy warm: These donuts are best when warm—fluffy, cakey, and perfectly moist!
Easy ingredient substitutions:
I love this recipe as is, but if you're short on an ingredient, here are some great substitutes. I recommend making only one or two swaps to keep the original recipe intact!
- Butter: Substitute with melted dairy-free or vegan butter, or melted coconut oil.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Use coconut sugar or light brown sugar in place of dark brown sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: If you’re not gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour works well. Avoid almond, oat, or coconut flour.
- Apple Pie Spice: Make your own using cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—I've included the recipe in the notes on the recipe card below.
How to make donuts without a donut pan:
You can still make these gluten-free apple cider donuts using a muffin tin! Here’s how:
- Grease a muffin tin well.
- Pipe the donut batter into each cavity, filling them about ½ to ⅔ full.
- Bake for 10 minutes until puffed and golden.
- Follow the instructions in the recipe card below for coating the donuts in cinnamon sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make apple pie spice?
Mix 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of ground allspice, and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger. Stir and store in an airtight container for future use!
Why is my cinnamon sugar not sticking?
Coat the donuts while they're still hot, or brush them with a bit of melted butter if they've cooled.
What's the texture?
Once baked, these donuts are super fluffy, soft, and airy. These apple cider donuts have a moist crumb and cake-like texture since they are baked and not deep-fried! Honestly, each bite melts in your mouth.
Can I use regular all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can use regular all-purpose flour if you don't need them to be gluten-free.
What's the best substitute for dark brown sugar?
You can use coconut sugar instead of dark brown sugar in this recipe. You can also use light brown sugar.
Can I make these apple cider donuts dairy-free?
Easily make these gluten-free apple cider donuts dairy-free, too. Simply substitute the melted butter with melted vegan butter or melted coconut oil.
How long do apple cider donuts last?
Apple cider donuts last about 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container and up to 5 days in the fridge. If left uncovered, they will become stale more quickly.
How to store and freeze leftover donuts:
Storing: Donuts are best served warm immediately after baked. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 2 - 3 days or in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.
Freezing: You can also freeze apple cider donuts for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe bag. Simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and warm them up to your liking in the microwave.
If you love this recipe, try these next!
- Healthy Apple Crumble Muffins
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Healthy Apple Crumble
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Gluten-Free Banana Cake
- Air Fryer Apples
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donuts:
- 1 ½ cups apple cider juice
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 - 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, *notes below on how to make your own
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon apple pie spice, *notes below on how to make your own
Instructions
- Simmer the apple cider for 10 - 15 minutes until it reduces to about half (¾ cup). Let it cool for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step because it makes the flavor of these donuts so much better!
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 6-cavity donut pans well and set them to the side.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Don’t add the apple cider.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Make sure there are no clumps.
- Add the flour to wet ingredients in 2 different increments switching off with the reduced apple cider (total of ¾ cup). Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and make sure all flour is combined, there shouldn’t be any flour lumps.
- Put all the batter in a large ziploc bag or piping bag. Cut the end & fill your donut tins about ¾ way.
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden and the donuts have puffed up.
- Remove from the oven and toss/dust with cinnamon sugar immediately. I like to put the cinnamon sugar on a sheet tray, pull the donuts out of the oven with oven mitts and just dump them into the sugar and shake it around that way. If the sugar doesn’t stick or you want to wait until they cool, you can brush a light wash of butter on the donuts first before tossing in the cinnamon sugar.
- Serve warm for the best, cakiest, and airiest texture. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. In full disclosure, I may receive a small compensation for purchasing a product I recommend. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!
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Kristine says
Yum! I can’t find gf donuts at any MA farms. This was such a treat. Thank you 🙂
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi! SO happy to hear that 🙂 I love these.
Brittany B. says
I used America’s Test Kitchen gf flour blend plus 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and my batter was rather runny. Different gluten free flours behave so differently so I would recommend that others stick to the blend recommended in the recipe and don’t go rogue like I did!
I baked 6 donuts with the initial batter and they came out ok. They stuck to my silicone pan, but the texture was nice. Perhaps it has been too long since I had a real donut, but I found them super sweet (even without the cinnamon sugar coating). The flavor was tasty though! They remind me more of a spice cake than an apple cider donut. The flavor of the apple pie spice was prominent. I took the second half of the batter, added a little oat and coconut flour to thicken the batter and baked them in a mini muffin tin for 10 minutes. Those came out a little better and felt like little donut holes. Still sweet but more balanced in the spice/flavor profile. All in all, a tasty fall treat! I think I am going to try eating it with a little cream cheese on top.
Mac says
The flavor was good for these, delicious actually. I’m going to reduce the sugar next time I make them, it was super intense.
Jessica says
Outstanding! I didn't have gluten free flour or enough sugar so I used kodiak buttermilk mix and date sugar instead, and they still turned out great. Simmering the apple cider is KEY. Great recipe and easy, too - a winner!
Julia says
Absolutely AMAZING - so moist, soft, and chock-full of yumminess! Simmering the cider is definitely worth it, the apple flavor really comes through, mores than any other cider donut I have eaten before. I am SO impressed by this recipe and will 100% be making them again (likely very soon)!
Julia says
Oops, meant to write soft, not sock!