Easy dairy-free baked apple doughnuts (donuts) is a simple recipe for a lower-fat alternative to traditional deep-fried donuts, coated in sweet cinnamon sugar, made without butter or milk.
Ever get a craving for something delicious and cakey? Baked doughnuts (donuts) are perfect.
And compared to traditional doughnuts, they're almost guilt-free.
Making baked apple doughnuts is as simple as making cupcakes. Make the batter, pour, and bake. Oh, and then the cinnamon sugar. Voila!
Plus, they have fewer calories and a lower percentage of fat content than traditional doughnuts of the same size because they're not deep-fried.
And they're made with oil, no butter and no margarine.
They are amazing with a cup of coffee or tea or a cold glass of milk and are a wonderful treat at the end of a long, busy day.
Plus, they're perfect for anyone avoiding dairy, since they have no butter or milk in the ingredients.
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FAQs for Easy Dairy-Free Baked Apple Doughnuts
Do I need fresh apples or applesauce for apple doughnuts?
This recipe uses grated apples, but you can use a combination of unsweetened applesauce and finely grated fresh apples if you wish.
How do I get the cinnamon sugar to stick to baked doughnuts?
Lightly brush the warm baked doughnuts with a small amount of vegetable oil, then immediately dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture. The light coating acts as glue so the topping adheres evenly.
Can I make these apple doughnuts ahead of time?
Yes. They're best when eaten fresh on the day they are made, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat them in the microwave for about 10 seconds before eating to restore that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Can I freeze baked apple doughnuts?
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 2 months! It is best to freeze the doughnuts before coating them in cinnamon sugar. Let them cool completely, store them in a freezer-safe container or bag, and then thaw at room temperature before brushing with oil and tossing in fresh cinnamon sugar.
Can I use a muffin tin if I don't have a doughnut pan?
Yes. If you don't own a doughnut pan, you can pour the batter into a greased mini muffin tin to create delicious baked apple doughnut holes or standard muffins. Just keep an eye on the baking time, as smaller portions will bake a bit faster.
What is the best way to fill a doughnut pan without making a mess?
Transfer the batter into a large zip-top bag, snip off one of the bottom corners, and pipe the batter evenly into each cup of the doughnut pan. Or you can use a pastry bag.
What do the eggs do?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter "creams" better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼, and from margarine or butter to oil, the ratio is typically 1 to ¾.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Why does this recipe have salt in the ingredients?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between the baking soda and the baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.
A little about apples
Apples originated in Central Asia, where they grew wild thousands of years ago. They spread along the Silk Road trade route and have been cultivated in thousands of varieties all over the world, although there are only several dozen that can typically be found in grocery stores.
Some of the more popular types of apples include Granny Smith, Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Jonathan. Different types of apples have different flavors, textures, and colors. Apples are made up of skin, pulp, and approximately 25% air.
Apples are eaten fresh as well as being used in a variety of ways, such as in cooking, baking, salads, smoothies, and to make cider.
A lot of recipes for apple baked goods call for Granny Smith apples in the ingredients. Granny Smith are green tart apples that are firm and hold their shape and won't get mushy when baked. Pink Lady apples are similar in that they are also firm, but they have a balanced tart-sweet flavor. Honeycrisp, on the other hand, is a very sweet apple that is a softer type, similar to Gala apples, but the Gala have a milder sweetness.
Apples are fat-free and relatively low in calories. They have impressive health benefits and are rich in nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and help support heart health and digestion. They are also believed to possibly help lower blood sugar.
Contrary to popular belief, apples are not native to North America, but rather it was the early colonists from Europe who brought trees and seeds. Apples thereafter became an important food, and cider became a common drink, so settlers established apple orchards.
Who hasn't heard the legend of Johnny Appleseed? Well, he was a real person, and his name was really John Chapman. John distributed apple seeds across the Midwest U.S. so that apples could be grown for making cider. And this is how he earned the nickname Johnny Appleseed.
Sometimes, TV shows and movies will mention cyanide made from apple seeds used as a poison. While it is true that seeds from apples contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide, an adult would typically need to crush and eat a very large amount of apple seeds for this to be a problem. So, if you swallowed a few, you probably don't have to worry. Still, it is highly recommended not to let young children or pets have apple seeds.
If you love baked doughnuts
Love baked goods with apples?
And if you want to try something unique
Easy Dairy-Free Baked Apple Doughnuts Recipe
Easy and delicious baked dairy-free apple doughnuts, without milk or butter.
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 ½ cups Granny Smith* apples (approximately 1 ½ medium apples)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon if you really like cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup water
Sugar coating
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Peel and grate the apples and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Add the vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs, and water to the mixing bowl and combine everything thouroughly.
- Fill the wells of greased donut pans with the batter to approximately ¾ full and place in an oven that has been preheated to 400°F.
- Bake for around 7 minutes or until the donut is firm and dry to the touch (i.e., no longer wet).
- Remove and let cool a little, and then remove the donuts from the pan. Set aside and let it finish cooling.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the coating and place in a bowl that is wide enough to accommodate a donut.
- Lightly brush vegetable oil over each donut, one at a time, and then place in the bowl with the cinnamon sugar and toss until completely covered. Set aside and do the same with the rest.
Notes
*Or other favorite firm apple of your choice.
**It may be easier to remove the donuts from the pan when they are still a bit warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 5g
