These apple donuts are baked, not fried, so they come out tender and light, no greasy ring, just a moist crumb that stays soft for days. The trick is a batter that looks almost too wet, like a thick pancake mix, and that looseness is exactly what keeps the donuts from drying out. But it also means you have to handle it gently: overmix even a little, and the crumb turns rubbery instead of fluffy.
The applesauce pulls double duty, replacing eggs and cutting oil, so the spice comes through without any heaviness. If you’ve ever had a baked donut that was tough or dense, the issue was probably too much stirring or a batter that sat too long before hitting the oven.
Here, the margin for error is small but clear, fold just until the flour disappears, pipe into the pan fast, and bake right away.
Applesauce as egg and oil replacement
Applesauce does double duty here: it replaces eggs and cuts the oil, making the donuts tender without feeling greasy. Cinnamon applesauce brings its own spice and sweetness, so you don’t need to add much extra. The batter ends up wetter than a typical cake donut mix, almost like a thick pancake batter.
That looseness is what keeps the crumb moist after baking. But it also means you have to fold gently, just until the flour disappears. Overmixing tightens the gluten, and the donuts turn rubbery instead of soft.
If you’ve ever had a baked donut that was tough, too much stirring was likely the cause. Stick with a light hand, and the applesauce will do the rest.
Buttermilk and baking soda for lift
Baked donuts can turn out dense, but the buttermilk and baking soda combination fixes that. Buttermilk is acidic, it reacts with the baking soda to produce carbon dioxide bubbles.
Those bubbles expand in the oven’s heat, giving the donuts a light, airy crumb. The recipe also includes baking powder for an extra boost, so the rise is balanced and reliable.
Without that acid-base reaction, the donuts would be flat and heavy. You can see the effect when you bite in: the interior should have small, even holes, not a tight, compact texture. If the donuts sink or feel leaden, the buttermilk might not have been fresh, or the batter sat too long before baking.
Piping batter into the pan
This batter is too thick to pour neatly straight from a bowl, it plops and leaves gaps. A zip-top bag cut at the corner gives you control. You can squeeze exactly enough into each mold, filling to three-quarters full without spilling over the edges.
That consistent fill level is key: too little and the donuts are puny; too much and they mushroom out, losing their shape. The bag also helps avoid air pockets; if you spoon the batter in, you might trap pockets that bake into caverns. With piping, the batter settles evenly, and every donut bakes up with the same ring profile.
It takes seconds more than spooning, and the cleanup is just tossing the bag.
Two ways to finish: cinnamon sugar or glaze
The donuts come out of the oven plain, so the topping is where you decide the flavor direction. Cinnamon sugar gives a crunchy, spiced crust, melted butter sticks the sugar to the warm donut, and the texture stays crisp for hours.
For a sweeter, softer finish, the icing is just powdered sugar thinned with milk, thin enough to drizzle or thick enough to dip. You can color it or add sprinkles, which makes these feel more like a bakery treat. Both toppings go on after the donuts cool a few minutes; if you add them too early, the butter or icing soaks in and the surface stays tacky.
Either way, the base donut stays moist and tender underneath.
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 20 min · Servings: 12 · Calories: 300 kcal
Ingredient notes for apple donuts
Cinnamon applesauce: Cinnamon applesauce replaces eggs and cuts oil, so buy unsweetened to control sugar or use sweetened and reduce the added sugar slightly.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk’s acidity reacts with baking soda for lift; if you substitute, use whole milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice.
All-purpose flour: Use standard all-purpose flour, not bread or cake flour, to get the right crumb structure for these baked donuts.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract gives a deeper flavor than imitation, but either works here since applesauce is the star.
How to make apple donuts that bake up light and stay tender
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. If you see lumps of baking powder, break them up now, they’ll leave bitter spots in the baked donut.
Combine the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, stir applesauce, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. The mixture should look homogeneous, a pale tan from the applesauce. It will smell faintly of cinnamon and tang from the buttermilk.
Fold the batters together
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold with a spatula until no flour streaks remain. Stop as soon as the flour disappears, overmixing tightens the gluten, and the donuts will turn rubbery instead of soft.
Fill the donut pan
Spoon the batter into a zip-top bag set in a tall jar, twist the top, cut off a small corner, and pipe into greased donut molds until ¾ full. The batter should be thick but pipeable, like a wet pancake batter. Filling too full will make the donuts mushroom over the edges.
Bake until golden and springy
Bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean. The donuts should be golden brown on top and feel springy when you press the center. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Coat with cinnamon sugar
Dip the top of each warm donut in melted butter, let excess drip off, then press into cinnamon sugar. Wait a few minutes until the first coating sets, then repeat for a thicker, crunchier crust. The sugar should stick evenly without clumping.
Or glaze with icing
Whisk powdered sugar with milk until smooth and pourable. Dip the tops of cooled donuts into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. The glaze should set to a matte finish in about 10 minutes, not run off.
Apple Donuts (Baked with Applesauce)
Ingredients
Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- 1/2 cup white sugar 100 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce 120 g
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil 60 ml
- 3/4 cup buttermilk 180 ml
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 4 tablespoons butter 56 g, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar 100 g
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing Topping
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 180 g
- 3 tablespoons milk 45 ml
Instructions
Donuts
Preheat Oven and Grease Pan:
Set oven to 400°F (205°C). Mist donut pan with nonstick spray.Whisk Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt with a whisk.Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, mix applesauce, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla together.Fold Batter Together:
Pour dry mixture into wet and fold until barely blended.Transfer Batter to Bag:
Insert a zip-top bag into a tall jar, folding the edges over the rim. Spoon batter into bag, twist the top, and secure with a clip. Cut off a small corner.Fill Donut Molds:
Squeeze batter into each donut mold until 3/4 full.Bake and Cool Donuts:
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Prepare Butter and Cinnamon Sugar:
Put melted butter into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.Dip in Butter and Coat:
Submerge the top of each donut in butter, allow excess to drip off, then coat in cinnamon sugar. Wait a few minutes, then repeat the dipping for a thicker coating.
Icing Topping
Make Icing and Decorate:
In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add milk gradually if needed. Optionally add food coloring, then dip or drizzle icing over donuts and finish with sprinkles.
Storage and Serving
These are cake donuts, so they keep better than yeasted ones. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
The cinnamon sugar coating softens over time, losing its crunch; the icing sets firm and stays that way. For best texture, eat them the same day you make them. If you have leftovers, reheat a single donut in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to revive the crispness of the cinnamon sugar.
Don’t microwave, it turns them rubbery. The glaze-topped donuts don’t need reheating. You can freeze the uncoated baked donuts for up to a month.
Thaw at room temperature, then add the topping fresh. Don’t freeze donuts once they’re coated; the sugar or glaze will weep and turn sticky.
The one swap you shouldn’t make in these apple donuts: the baking soda
Buttermilk: Whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar per cup, let sit 5 minutes until curdled. Use 3/4 cup of this mix.
The donuts will still rise and taste similar. Without the acidity, the baking soda won’t react fully, so the crumb will be denser and less airy.
Cinnamon applesauce: Any fruit-based applesauce (unsweetened or sweetened). If using unsweetened, you may want to add a tablespoon more sugar to the batter.
Avoid chunky or spiced applesauce with other flavors. The moisture and tenderness stay the same; flavor shifts slightly depending on the apple variety. Chunky applesauce can leave wet spots in the donut.
All-purpose flour: Gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour blend (contains xanthan gum). Do not use almond or coconut flour alone.
The donuts will be more tender and slightly crumblier, but the structure holds. Without xanthan gum, they fall apart easily.
Baking soda: Do not swap. It reacts with buttermilk for lift. If you must reduce sodium, use 1/2 teaspoon baking powder extra, but the donuts will be noticeably denser and less springy.
The donuts will be flat and heavy, with a tight crumb. The baking powder alone can’t compensate for the missing acid-base reaction.
Tips
- If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor without adding more cinnamon, toast the cinnamon for the topping in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Let it cool before mixing with sugar; the heat releases volatile oils, intensifying the spice without bitterness.
I still catch myself wanting to stir until it’s smooth, but I stop as soon as the flour disappears, even if there are a few lumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these donuts ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the plain donuts up to a month ahead and freeze them uncoated. Thaw at room temperature, then add the cinnamon sugar or icing fresh.
Don’t freeze coated donuts, the topping will weep. For same-day prep, store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, but the cinnamon sugar will soften.
Why did my donuts turn out dense instead of fluffy?
Most likely you overmixed the batter, which tightened the gluten and made the crumb rubbery. Fold just until the flour disappears, no more. Another cause: the buttermilk might have been too old or you let the batter sit too long before baking, so the baking soda reaction faded before the heat hit.
How are baked apple donuts different from fried ones?
Baked donuts are lighter in texture and less greasy, no oil bath, just a brush of butter on top. They come out tender from the applesauce and buttermilk, not crisp like a fried ring. The crumb is more cake-like, with a moist, open interior instead of a dense, oily one.
You also avoid the mess and smell of deep frying.
