Baked Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten Free)

These apple cider baked donuts are so delicious you'd swear you were eating a donut straight from the orchard! Made using a gluten-free flour blend that includes almond flour, they're also a perfect treat if you are following a grain free diet. They're topped with a tasty cinnamon sugar mixture that will have you reaching for seconds!

If you're craving homemade donuts, it does not get any simpler than a pillowy soft baked donut. Growing up, apple picking was a fall tradition for my family. My parents would always take my younger brother and I to local orchards at least once a season. After a full day at the orchard, picking all the apples, enjoying hay rides, and maybe even a quick visit to the pumpkin patch, we would always stop at the farm store for some hot apple cider + melt in your mouth apple cider donuts. Truly, the donuts were the highlight of the day for each and every one of us. One of the fall treats I missed most was apple cider donuts, so I decided to make a gluten free version that is just as delicious as the original.

If you like these gluten-free donuts, then you should also try these gluten free Chocolate Matcha almond flour baked donuts or these gluten-free pumpkin donuts made using pancake mix the next time you're craving a treat!

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Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Baked Donuts Recipe

• It's beginner friendly. These apple cider cake donuts are so simple to make and do not require any special techniques, making them the perfect easy fall bake for beginners or anyone that doesn't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen.
• It's a healthy donut recipe. Everyone loves donuts, but not everyone loves how things like extra chocolate glaze and heavy fried, yeasted donuts make them feel. These baked apple cider donuts are healthy donuts that are celiac disease friendly, perfect for anyone on a gluten-free diet and will leave you feeling satisfied, not bloated!
• It's nostalgic. Bring a taste of the apple orchard home when you make these fluffy, gluten free cinnamon sugar donuts.

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts Ingredients

• Bob's Red Mill Paleo Flour Blend: A perfectly balanced blend of almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour and arrowroot starch. Alternatively, you can use gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour if you prefer.

• Monk fruit sweetener: Monkfruit is a great option if you prefer your bakes to be refined sugar free. I use this as a 1:1 replacement for white sugar, which you're welcome to use instead if you prefer.

• Baking powder

• Baking soda
• Spices: I use Cinnamon, All spice & Nutmeg but you can also add a touch of pumpkin pie spice to really kick the fall flavors up a notch.

• Salt

• Eggs: you can substitute these for flax eggs if you prefer to make this a vegan donut recipe

• Butter or vegan butter for dairy free/vegan

• Vanilla

• Milk of choice: I like using oat or almond milk

• Apple Juice: look for organic if possible

• Apple cider vinegar

Baked Apple Cider Donuts Step by Step Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven & prepare the donut pan. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and lightly grease a silicone donut pan using olive oil or vegetable oil based pan spray.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together paleo flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
3. Prepare wet ingredients. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, milk & vanilla and continue to mix on medium low.
4. Make the donut batter. Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on medium low until mostly incorporated. Then increase speed to medium and finish combining.
5. Bake the donuts. To avoid a flat bottom baked donut, pour batter into a pastrybag, then snip the tip of the bag off and pipe the batter into the donut pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Prepare cinnamon sugar mixture. In a large mixing bowl, add ⅓ cup monk fruit sweetener or white sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Mix gently to combine. Allow doughnuts to cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes before adding the coating. Roll donut around in sugar mixture and place on a cooling rack until all donuts are dusted.

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts FAQs

Do you need to use silicone donut pans for gluten free baked donuts?

I strongly recommend getting yourself some silicone donut pans if you plan to make baked donuts at home, even just once. They bake evenly and the donuts slip out of the pan so easily, plus cleanup is a breeze as they're dishwasher friendly.

Where can I find the paleo flour blend?

I usually get mine on Amazon but I have also seen it available in the grocery store, mainly at places like Whole Foods.

How to store gluten free baked donuts

Store your baked donuts in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 6 days.