Baked Apple Cinnamon Donut Holes

Irresistibly warm donut holes, crammed with apple and cinnamon and rolled in crunchy cinnamon-sugar. And these sweet babies are baked, so you can enjoy as many as you want!

My boys adore donuts, and there's a donut shop less than 2 miles from our house. But, we never seem to make it there because I'm frequently whipping up a batch of baked donuts  - both regular-size and donut "holes". At first, I was just having fun, messing around with ingredients, experimenting with different flavor combinations and measurements. But we got hooked (and my boys' friends got hooked too).

Making baked donuts is super easy, so even though I could drive to the corner, I'd rather whip up a warm batch whenever I feel like it. And you can easily do the same - and stay in your pajamas. The best part is, when you make your own batter, you have complete control over the flavors.

I typically make Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes or Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes, so I wanted to try something different this time. I'm so glad I did! No joke, these are amazing. In fact, I made this batch for a track meet and they were devoured in seconds (by both kids and parents). And, just like the pumpkin in my pumpkin spice donut holes, the applesauce adds all the moisture you need, meaning there's very little fat in the batter.

Yes, we dunk the finished donut holes in melted butter before rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture... BUT, that fat is negligible AND the creamy butter flavor shines through because it's in the coating, not the batter.

Here's another reason why I like making these donuts - there's no messy deep fryer needed. You don't even need an electric mixer. You need just 2 bowls and a whisk. And maybe a small cookie scoop if you have one (it's not essential, it just makes spooning the batter into the muffins pans easier).


About the small scoop: I used a cookie scoop to spoon the batter into the muffin pans, and I used the scoop for two reasons. First, it saved time (I only needed one hand to do the job). Second, it created a little mound of batter in the muffin pan, with a rounded top. When they baked up, they kept that shape, making them almost completely round (like a real donut hole). You don't need a small scoop, but it sure does make life easier when you're filling 48 muffin cups.


Baked Apple Cinnamon Donut Holes 

For the donut holes:
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon-sugar coating: 
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (if you don't let the butter cool, it will melt the sugar coating)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 24-cup mini muffin pans (or four 12-cup mini muffin pans) with cooking spray.
To make the donuts, in a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla.
Add the applesauce mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just blended (don't overmix). Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling each cup 3/4 full (no higher!). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it. Cool the donuts, in the pans, on wire racks.
To make the coating, place the melted butter in small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Dunk each donut hole in the melted butter and turn to coat. Transfer the donut holes to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and turn to coat. If you want easy cleanup, transfer the finished donuts to a parchment-lined baking sheet as you work.
Enjoy warm or room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Makes 48 donut holes