These gluten-free apple cider donuts are delightful! I only have a few donut baking trays at the bakery, but whenever I make them, they sell out! There's a few twists to this recipe, my favorite being that I fill them with apple pie filling because... why not?! I know it's not traditional but it's really tasty! I also like using a sparkling apple cider (though you don't have to) because carbon dioxide aerates the batter and makes a really bubbly light and airy crumb. We all know how dense gluten-free baked goods can be, and it's so easy to avoid with this recipe!
For these filled gluten-free apple cider donuts, I use the same filling as for my gluten-free apple turnovers. I really like the combination of apples and nutmeg. You could even add a little allspice for a stronger flavor.
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Ingredients
Most of these are pantry staples, but let's talk about a few of the most important ingredients:
- Gluten-free flour: at my cottage bakery, I use a DIY mix formulated with superfine flours that absorb moisture, and a mixture of pectin/xanthan gum. Please click through for my DIY mix recipe, and for appropriate commercial doctored blends. Your choice of gluten-free flour will make or break your baked goods.
- Apple cider: I've baked gluten-free apple cider donuts with both flat and bubbly apple cider. Either will work but know you will get a larger rise with sparkling cider!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The first step is making the apple pie filling. Finely dice the apple, and put it in a saucepan on the stovetop mixed with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for 8 minutes, until the apples have released their juices and start softening. Set aside.
Next, let's make donuts!
- Mix all the dry ingredients together, whisk well to combine.
- Mix all the liquid ingredients together (except the apple cider), and whisk well to combine.
- Add the liquid ingredients (except the apple cider) to the dry ingredients and mix well. Let sit and absorb liquids until the oven is preheated.
- Add the apple cider to the batter, mix well.
- Next, add the apple pie filling to the batter and mix.
- Pour the batter into a piping bag, and fill the greased donut pan equally.
- Bake ~16-18 minutes at 350F.
- Once slightly cooled, dip the gluten-free apple cider donuts into cinnamon-sugar.
- Enjoy right after coating!
Hint: I wait to add the apple cider to the batter because I use carbonated cider and don't want the bubbles to fizzle out while the batter absorbs moisture. I like it being my last step before going in the oven. If you use flat cider, you can incorporate it with the rest of the liquid ingredients.
Substitutions
The allergens for this recipe are: eggs.
- Egg-free - I have not tried this recipe without eggs. The eggs are there to provide structure and binding. To try an egg-free donut, I would do two things: swap the egg for a flax egg, and replace 15 grams of the gluten-free flour with corn starch. If you try this, please comment how it went!
Variations
I think it's possible to create other fruit-flavored donuts using this recipe as a base. For example, replace the apple pie filling with blueberry pie filling and use blueberry juice!
Equipment
You'll need a donut pan, like this one (non-affiliate link). Most donut pans have 6 cavity, and so the recipe was written for 6 donuts.
Storage
These gluten-free apple cider donuts are shelf-stable. They can be stored on the countertop in an airtight container or loosely covered with a tea towel. They do stay moist for two days (if you use my DIY gluten-free flour), but they really are unbeatably good just cooled out of the oven and freshly dipped in cinnamon sugar!
Top tip
The recipe was designed with my highly absorbent gluten-free flour. You'll get best results using it! If you use a different flour, you'll likely need to increase bake time, or slightly reduce hydration.
FAQ
The first time I was introduced to them, I lived on the East Coast. And sure enough, it's an East Coast (New England specifically) thing! They're super popular in the Fall at apple orchards when cider is being made.
It might be possible! I use carbonated apple cider, but without alcohol. I certainly think it's possible to bake these donuts with hard cider, especially if you're baking out of season and that's all you can find!
Related
Looking for other gluten-free and dairy-free desserts?
Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- 1 donut pan 6-cavity
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- ½ apple finely diced
- 6 grams sugar
- 5 grams brown sugar
- 1.3 grams cinnamon
- 0.6 grams nutmeg
Dry Ingredients
- 113 grams gluten-free flour please click through for appropriate blends
- 35 grams brown sugar
- 25 grams sugar
- 1.5 grams baking soda
- 1.5 grams salt
- 5 grams baking powder
- 1.3 grams cinnamon
- 0.6 grams nutmeg
Liquid Ingredients
- 1 egg cold
- 25 grams canola oil
- 2.5 grams lemon juice
- 20 grams rice milk cold (you can use any other milk you'd like)
- 2.1 grams vanilla extract
- 75 grams apple cider bubbly or flat, cold
Topping
- 40 grams sugar
- 2.6 grams cinnamon
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- Put all the apple pie filling ingredients in a saucepan and cook on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Cook for 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
Making the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C)
- Grease a 6-cavity donut pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk all the liquid ingredients together, except the apple cider.
- Pour the liquid ingredients (except the apple cider), into the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate well. Let the batter absorb moisture until the oven is preheated.
- Add the apple cider to the batter, mix well.
- Add the apple pie filling to the batter and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared donut pan. I find that using a piping bag is the most efficient way to do this.
- Place the donut pan in the middle of the preheated oven and bake 16-18 minutes.
- The donuts are done when a finger pressed does not leave an indentation and bounces back immediately. You should also see the sides of the donuts beginning to brown.
- Turn the donuts over on a cooling rack. The part of the donut that was on the bottom of the donut pan is more brown, that is the new top.
- Wait a few minutes for the donuts to not burn to the touch, and immediately coat them with the sugar-cinnamon topping mixed in a bowl.
- These are best eaten when just dipped in the sugar-cinnamon topping, enjoy!
Naelle @ GlutenFreeDIYers
Let me know what you think of this one, my kiddos go bonkers for donuts :)
Andrea
Wow! Apple cider donuts are delicious but the addition of the apple filling takes these donuts over the top! Yum!
Anjali
These were some of the best gluten free donuts I've ever tried! They had great texture, the perfect apple flavor, and I loved that I could bake them instead of fry them and they still turned out well. Yum!
Neha
These donuts were so delicious, loved the texture and flavor! So easy to make too!
Harriet Young
Amazing! That apple pie filling was absolutely divine. Thank you so much for this recipe.