These baked gluten free apple cider donuts are dairy free and egg free too!
They are simple and quick to prepare, made with almond flour, apple cider and few other simple ingredients.
More Fall inspired sweets? Check out this simple Apple Loaf Cake or this Double Chocolate Pear Tart! Easy delicious gluten free vegan desserts!
I love making these cinnamon apple filled donuts, first of all they are super easy to make and ready in less than one hour!
Secondly they are soft and comforting, best if enjoyed still warm and simply spinkled with some cinnamon sugar (if desired!).
The cinnamon, the lemon and the apple cider make them such a nice Autumn treat!
Also, these vegan apple cider donuts are yeast free and thanks to the sweetness of almond flour, apple cider and baked apples, you can omit the brown sugar too and make your gluten free added-sugar free donuts.
Ingredients
Here's what you will need to make homemade gluten free apple cider donuts:
- almond flour (fine homemade almond meal will work too) for natural sweetness and softer texture
- brown rice flour, you can replace with other gluten free flours, like buckwheat or quinoa (yet these will change the final flavor of the donuts)
- a gluten free starch
- brown sugar, or another sweetener you like
- baking powder, or - as I usually do - baking soda mixed with cream of tartar
- cinnamon powder, well, this is a must
- grated lemon zest, for that citrus flavor that will make the donuts even nicer
- finely diced apple, this will make these cinnamon apple donuts naturally sweeter and add an interesting touch to the texture
- apple sauce or apple butter, it works as an egg replacer and a sweetener and it also makes the donuts nice and soft
- vegan butter, margarine, or a neutral flavored vegetable oil, like seed or coconut
- natural apple cider, best if sugar free and unfiltered
Check the recipe card below for quantities and instructions
Instructions
Let's make these simple and quick cake apple cider donuts:
- preheat the oven
- grease the donut molds with a little vegan butter or oil
- in a medium bowl mix melted vegan butter, apple sauce and apple cider
- slice half apple into half inch cubes
- in another bowl combine almond flour, rice flour, starch, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and cinnamon powder
- add the liquids to the flour mix and combine well, until you have a smooth batter
- incorporate the diced apple
- devide the batter into 6 donut molds, filling them
- bake and enjoy still warm!
Check the recipe card below for full instructions
I experimented with a few different batters for these gluten free apple donuts but this one makes me especially happy, because it’s very soft on the inside and using both apple juice and apple sauce as a binder allows you to use less sugar too, so it’s a win win!
For a more decadent version you can cover them with a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon powder, or with a simple sugar icing and some ground almonds on top. These ones are my absolute favourite! You get the softness of the donut, the sweetness of the apple pieces and the crunch of the almonds! Ain’t that a match made in heaven?!
I hope you will give these gluten free apple cider donuts recipe a try and let me know what you think!
If you make this recipe or have questions, leave me a comment down here! And a 5 star rating if you have loved it would help me grow the blog 😉
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Ciao!
Sonia
📖 Full Recipe
Gluten free Apple Cider Donuts {Vegan}
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 2 medium bowls
- 1 spoon
- 1 donut baking tray (6 3-inch molds)
- 1 kitchen scale
Ingredients
These quantities will make 6 donuts, 3-inch molds
- 50 grams gluten free brown rice flour (can sub with buckwheat or quinoa, but will change the final flavor)
- 50 grams almond flour or almond meal
- 50 grams potato or other gluten free starch
- 50 grams brown sugar (optional)
- 1,5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tablespoon grated (organic) lemon zest
- ½ apple (red, yellow or green, whichever you prefer or have on hand)
- 2 tablespoons apple sauce (you can blend the half apple left)
- 20 grams melted vegan butter (or margarine or seed/coconut oil)
- 100 grams apple cider (best if sugar free and unfiltered)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven at 350 F / 180 C
- Grease the donut molds with a little vegan butter or oil
- In a medium bowl mix melted vegan butter, apple sauce and apple cider
- Peel and slice half apple into half inch cubes
- In another bowl combine almond flour, rice flour, starch, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and cinnamon powder
- Add the liquids to the flour mix and combine well, until you have a smooth batter
- Incorporate the diced apple
- Devide the batter into 6 donut molds, filling them
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the donuts are gloden on the top
- Once out of the oven, let the donuts cool down for 5-10 minutes and then remove them carefully from the molds
- Enjoy them still warm
- You can coat them with a mix of brown sugar (1 tbsp) and cinnamon powder (½ tsp) or mix 1 tablespoon of icing sugar and a little bit of non-dairy milk, adding a bit at a time until you have a semiliquid mix. Deep the donut into the mix and sprinkle some chopped almonds or other nuts on top
Fran says
Hi, I'm a little confused about what to do w/the vegan butter in your ingredient list? I keep re reading the directions thinking I'm missing something 🤔
Sweet Sensitive Free says
Hi Fran! Sorry for my belated reply to your comment!
The vegan butter simply has to be added to the other ingredients in a bowl and whisked together 🙂
I'm sorry that the directions aren't clear enough, I'll try to improve them.
Thank you for stopping by and let me know if you need more help with the recipe 🙂
Sonia