Loaded with fresh fall flavors and the perfect, moist texture, these homemade Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are easy to make and quick to bake. A tender and moist donut with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating ready in just about 30-minutes! A couple of mixing bowls, a whisk, and a donut pan are all you need to turn basic ingredients into an extra special treat.
Make-At-Home Donuts (just like the cider mill)
I am a total sucker for donuts – and cinnamon sugar donuts are my go-to flavor. As summer turns to fall and the temperature begins to cool, there is something so comforting about the warm flavors of cinnamon and sweet apples.
Soft and tender on the inside with a serious sugary cinnamon crunch on the outside, these baked applesauce donuts are not only delicious and family-friendly but they are made with simple ingredients that you can easily find at home–no drive to Dunkin’ or trip to the cider mill necessary!
The texture of these baked cinnamon-sugar donuts is similar to a slightly dense, very moist muffin. They are bursting with flavor from seasonal spices and the applesauce, which not only adds to their soft, cakey texture but also speeds up the quick baking process. And because there is no yeast in the batter, you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise. No kneading, no rolling, no messy frying.
In just about 30 minutes, you will have baked the best cinnamon-sugar donuts that are loaded with fall flavors and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. With their light insides and crumbly cinnamon-sugar coating, they’re like an old-fashioned favorite but without the fuss!
Baked Donuts – A healthier donut
I like to pretend that these applesauce donuts are healthier than their fried counterparts. But the truth is, donuts and healthy do not belong in the same sentence!
However, they are filled with 1 ¼ cups of applesauce (you can use the unsweetened variety) and they are baked not fried. So I guess you may be able to consider them a bit less unhealthy than the store-bought kind. What I can call these donuts, truth-be-told, is deliciously AMAZING!
Why We Love Our Baked Donuts
- Homemade treat that tastes just like your favorite bakery item
- Easy to make and quick to bake
- No electric mixer needed
- Moist and cakey texture
- Coated in sweet cinnamon sugar
- Baked, not fried
- Similar to a cider mill donut
- Warming and delicious fall flavors
Ingredients / Shopping List
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated white sugar
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Baking soda: The leavening agent for these donuts.
- Allspice: Provides heavenly fall flavors.
- Applesauce: Experiment with different flavors of applesauce, just for fun!
- Eggs
- Heavy cream: If you switch this out with milk or half and half, your donut will be a little bit fluffier in consistency. You may need to use a different amount depending on the substitution.
- Sour cream: Plain Greek yogurt can also be used, and will create the same fluffiness that sour cream does.
- Canola oil: You can also use vegetable or grapeseed oil.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a subtle, delicious taste of vanilla.
- Cinnamon: Warming spice that mixes deliciously with sweet sugar.
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter works fine, but I like how the extra salt cuts through the sweetness.
You will want to have a donut pan, but if you don’t have one, you can bake these in a mini muffin tin, filling to the edge, and baking at the same temperature and timing as this recipe.
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How To Make Homemade Applesauce Donuts
A simple mix of wet and dry ingredients makes these donuts so easy to prepare for cool fall mornings–no mixer required!
Combine the all-purpose flour, granulated white sugar, salt, baking soda, and allspice in a large bowl. Stir until combined. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk the applesauce, eggs, heavy cream, sour cream, canola oil, and vanilla extract until everything is evenly combined.
Fold the applesauce mixture into the floured mixture until you have a sticky, thick dough.
Fill the donut pans with the donut batter.
Pro Tip: To make filling the donut pans easier, fill each donut depression with the batter using a piping bag (without a tip). Make sure each hole is about ¾ full of batter. (You can also cut a hole in a gallon sized ziploc bag if you don’t have a piping bag).
Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
To make cinnamon sugar topping combine the cinnamon and sugar and mix well.
In a separate shallow bowl, place the melted salted butter. Once the donuts are completely cooled, dip each donut into the melted butter and then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Plate, serve and enjoy!
Variations / Options / Add-In’s
- Applesauce: Feel free to experiment with cinnamon applesauce for extra spice or chunky applesauce for more texture. Homemade applesauce will work too!
- Spices: For more fall flavors, add nutmeg, ground cloves, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Toppings: For an extra decadent finish, drizzle caramel on top, add some icing, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar. You can even top with colored sprinkles for a festive look!
- Frosting: I love a “frosting” of nut butter mixed with honey.
- Flour: For those with dietary restrictions, you can use gluten-free or whole wheat flour for these donuts.
Tips
- If you don’t have a donut pan, you can bake these in a mini muffin tin, filling to the edge, and baking at the same temperature and timing as this recipe.
- These applesauce donuts are so yummy served warm right out of the oven!
- Make the cinnamon sugar topping ahead of time by combining the two ingredients in a covered bowl and keeping at room temperature until you are ready to use. Feel free to save some cinnamon sugar on-hand for all of your favorite fall treats.
- Feel free to add some maple syrup, agave syrup or honey to your applesauce for additional sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most important thing with these donuts is to keep them in an airtight container.
You can store these donuts at room temperature for about 1-2 days, refrigerate them
for up to 1 week, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
If frozen, thaw the donuts at room temperature and then pop in the microwave for 8-10 seconds.
These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are the perfect way of getting rid of applesauce, while also
keeping the donuts moist, fluffy, and extra tasty. While the original store-bought
applesauce will do the trick in these donuts, you can add a different flavor by using a
cinnamon flavored applesauce.
One of the easiest ways to substitute a donut pan is by using a cake or muffin pan. You can use parchment paper or tin foil to create the center holes.
Other Easy Fall Recipes
Apple Fritters | Caramel Apple Pie Bombs | Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes | Apple Crumb Cake with Cinnamon Apple Drizzle | Cream Cheese Banana Bread | Apple Cider Doughnut Cake | Apple Cider Doughnut Holes | Canned Biscuit Donuts
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donut
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 1¼ cups applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Cinnamon Sugar topping
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 5-7 tbsp salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare 1-2 donut pans by spraying them with cooking spray.
- Combine the all-purpose flour, granulated white sugar, salt, baking soda, and allspice in a large bowl. Stir until combined.
- Whisk the applesauce, eggs, heavy cream, sour cream, canola oil, and vanilla extract in a separate medium sized bowl. Mix well to make sure everything is evenly combined.
- Fold the applesauce mixture into the floured mixture until you have a sticky, thich dough. It should be a thick dough.
- To make filling the donut pans easier, fill each donut depression with the batter using a piping bag (without a tip). Make sure each hole is about ¾ full of batter. (You can also cut a hole in a gallon sized ziploc bag if you don’t have a piping bag).
- Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- To make cinnamon sugar topping: In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon sugar and white sugar. Mix well to create cinnamon sugar coating.
- In a separate shallow bowl, place the melted salted butter.
- Once donuts are completely cooled, dip each donut side into the melted butter and then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Plate and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
You can store these donuts at room temperature for about 1-2 days, refrigerate them for up to 1 week, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Tips:
- If you don’t have a donut pan, you can bake these in a mini muffin tin, filling to the edge, and baking at the same temperature and timing as this recipe.
- These applesauce donuts are so yummy served warm right out of the oven!
- Make the cinnamon sugar topping ahead of time by combining the two ingredients in a covered bowl and keeping at room temperature until you are ready to use. Feel free to save some cinnamon sugar on-hand for all of your favorite fall treats.
- Feel free to add some maple syrup, agave syrup or honey to your applesauce for additional sweetness.
