Gluten-Free Baked Apple Cider Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar

0 Shares

These gluten-free baked apple cider donuts are soft, warmly spiced and finished with a light cinnamon-sugar coating. Reducing the cider first concentrates its apple flavor, while a simple yogurt batter keeps the crumb tender. A donut pan makes the classic shape, but the batter can also be baked in a muffin tin if that is what you have.

Recipe details

Makes: 10 to 12 donuts | Prep: 20 minutes | Bake: 10 to 12 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coating

2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pour cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool until warm, not hot. Heat oven to 350°F and grease a standard donut pan.
Whisk gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk egg, maple syrup, yogurt, melted butter, vanilla and cooled cider reduction. Add dry ingredients and stir just until no dry pockets remain. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to hydrate the flour.
Spoon or pipe batter into the pan, filling each well about two-thirds full. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when touched.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Brush warm donuts lightly with melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar.

Important gluten-free baking notes

Use a cup-for-cup flour blend labeled for baking; single-ingredient rice or almond flour will not behave the same way. Do not pack the flour into the measuring cup. Reduced cider should cool before mixing so it does not scramble the egg or melt the butter. Avoid overmixing, which can make gluten-free baked goods dense.

Variations

For a dairy-free batch, use plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt and coconut oil. Add 1/4 cup finely diced apple for extra fruit, or replace nutmeg with cardamom. If baking in a muffin tin, fill each cup halfway and begin checking at 13 minutes.

Storage

Store cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Warm briefly before serving. Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 2 months; thaw, warm and add the cinnamon-sugar coating just before eating.