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Apple Pie Baked Donuts

Apple pie baked donuts are tender, spiced, and filled with finely diced apples, then finished with a cinnamon glaze and caramel drizzle. Baked in a donut pan for an easy, mess-free bake with springy tops and a soft crumb.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry mix
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.667 cup granulated sugar
Wet mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.5 cup apple cider or apple juice
  • 0.333 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple filling
  • 1 cup apples, peeled and very finely diced
Cinnamon glaze
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp apple cider
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Caramel drizzle
  • 1 tbsp Caramel sauce for drizzling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 donut pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a donut pan so the baked rings release cleanly.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until the spices are evenly distributed with no visible clumps.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk granulated sugar, eggs, melted unsalted butter, apple cider or apple juice, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
Combine batter
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain for a tender crumb.
Add apples
  1. Fold in the very finely diced apples so they are evenly suspended throughout the batter.
Fill the pan
  1. Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full to allow room to rise.
Bake
  1. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched.
Glaze and serve
  1. Cool the donuts for 5 minutes before releasing them from the pan so they don’t break apart.
  2. Dip each donut in the cinnamon glaze and drizzle with caramel for a shiny finish and spiced apple flavor in every bite.

Notes

Pro tip: dice the apples very finely so they bake into the donut rings without leaving crunchy pockets. Store baked donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; warm briefly to soften the crumb. These are not freezer-friendly due to the glaze, but you can freeze unglazed baked donuts for up to 2 months and glaze after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat sour cream (the batter will still bake up tender).