Fluffy apple flavored donuts that are just 2 ingredients. These donuts don’t require any yeast, butter, or eggs. All you need to mix the dough is a spoon. You can have fresh, homemade donuts in less than 15 minutes.
Apple season is here and I’m excited for all the upcoming apple varieties. You don’t have to wait for apple season to make these donuts though. They can be made all year long. The donut dough takes about 2 minutes to mix together and then the dough is ready to be cooked.
Ingredients
- Applesauce
- Self-Rising Flour (you can also make your own with flour, baking powder and salt)
The donut dough is just 2 ingredients. The two ingredients are mixed together until a dough forms and then it’s ready to be cooked. The donuts can be eaten plain or coated in sugar or a glaze. I coated mine with cinnamon sugar.
Substitutions
- I have not tested this recipe with any flour alternatives.
- If you are looking for a substitute for applesauce, I have also made pumpkin donuts and a banana version.
Fried, Air Fried or Baked
These donuts are best fried. When fried, the donuts come out very light and fluffy and taste like regular donuts.
If you do not wish to fry the donuts, the next best method is cooking them in the air fryer. The donuts do not come out as light and airy but they are still very tasty, especially after they are rolled in cinnamon sugar (or glaze). These taste more like a healthier baked version of donuts.
If you don’t own an air fryer, you can try baking them. This was my least favorite version. The donuts come out more dense and bready when baked.
Variations
- These donuts have a mild apple flavor. If you want to enhance the apple flavor, you can add some chopped apple pieces into the batter.
- You can also add cinnamon or nutmeg to flavor the batter. Both flavors pair well with apples.
Toppings
I rolled my donuts in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Other topping ideas:
- powdered sugar
- caramel sauce
- vanilla glaze
More Apple Recipes
- 4 Ingredient Apple Cake
- 3 Ingredient Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Apple Cake
- Apple Cloud Cake
- 2 Ingredient Apple Cookies
2 Ingredient Apple Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (162.5 g) self-rising flour see note before starting
- 2/3 cup (167 g) applesauce
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- If you are frying the donuts: Add 1 inch of oil to a medium saucepan. Bring to medium heat (about 350°F).
- Combine flour and applesauce into a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until applesauce is completely incorporated into the flour and a sticky dough forms.
- Use a 2 tsp cookie scoop to scoop dough. Gently release the dough ball directly into the heated oil. (This is usually the small size cookie scoop. If you don't own a 2 tsp cookie scoop, you can also use measure out a heaping 1/2 tbsp of dough with a measuring spoon and use another spoon to help you form a ball and release it into the oil. ) Add in half of the dough balls or however many your saucepan has room for. I fried my donuts in two batches. Fry the donuts until the bottoms are golden brown, then flip them and fry a few more minutes until the other side is also golden brown. Remove donuts from oil and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel (to soak up excess oil) to cool.
- To air fry the donuts, set your air fryer to 375°F, no preheat. Cook donuts for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of your donuts and your air fryer, so I recommend testing one out before adding the remaining. To bake the donuts (not recommended as the donuts come out bready), preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for about 9-12 minutes or until done.
- When donuts are no longer too hot to touch, coat them with your favorite topping. I mixed 2 tbsp sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon and put it into a ziploc bag. I then put the donut holes in the bag and shook them until they were coated in cinnamon sugar. Donuts are best enjoyed soon after they are cooked.
Notes
- Self-rising flour amount needed: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with White Lily self-rising flour (lower amount of protein). If you are using a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup) you will need less flour for this recipe or more pumpkin. I recommend starting with 1 cup and then adding more as needed.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to a bowl. Do not use the full amount. Start with 1 cup and add more as needed. Make sure your all purpose flour has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. There are some brands of all purpose flour with high protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup), such as King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill, and that will make your donut dough too dry and your donuts dense. You don't want to use a high protein flour for these donuts.
- Fried donuts are best enjoyed the same day they are made. They do not store well. Air fried donuts taste best while warm and soon after they are cooked.
- You can use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce. I used unsweetened.
- The donuts have a mild apple flavor. If you wish to add more apple flavor, you can fold in finely chopped apples into the donut dough.
- If you don't plan on adding toppings, you can add cinnamon or other spices to the dough to add more flavor to the dough.
- These donuts come out the same size as regular donut holes. A smaller cookie scoop is used because the dough will puff up during cooking.
- I used this 2 tsp cookie scoop.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
- Nutrition estimate is for the dough only and does not include toppings or oil absorbed if the donuts are fried. Nutrition estimate is calculated using unsweetened applesauce.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
wow! These donut holes are amazing and quick to make!! I make them with 1/2 Red’s gluten free biscuit mix and 1/2 almond flour. I also added a tablespoon of flaxseed. I baked them in the oven 12 min at 375. They taste like a freshly cooked basic donut! Thankyou for sharing Kirbie!! Lissa
Thank you for sharing your adjustments! So glad they worked for you.
Only makes on me serving. They are all mine
Love that!
Great, easy and quick recipe to make. Used GF all purpose flour (followed instructions to make self raising flour). Definitely a must make & definitely has to be eaten fresh. (Which is really not a problem as there won’t be any left overs anyways! Lol)
I also made the pumpkin ones but I think pumpkin ones didn’t have enough pumpkin goodness so I only made them once. The apple ones I’ve made 4 or 5 times and will keep making! Time to go make another batch ?
Thanks for sharing!!
We’re so glad you love them!
You think that if you put pumpkin spice in a little bit of sugar in the pumpkin donuts that would give it more flavor
Could I use my mini waffle maker to cook these?
We haven’t tried it – let us know if you do!
I made the two ingredients apple donuts. Exactly by the recipe and it tasted more like bread donuts after frying. I was excited to try them tho. I will be trying them again.
Be careful to not overmix the dough – that will help!
Super easy and so very tasty! Loved them! Great directions and I love the details you added for multiple ways to prepare them.
I’m so glad they worked out well for you!
Hi these look so good and easy. I just wondered could I make my own applesauce by stewing some apples and puréeing?
We haven’t tried it with homemade applesauce – if you do please let us know how it works!
I used homemade applesauce. I followed the recipe, and at first it was really clumpy. My applesauce is much thicker than store-bought applesauce. Once I added some water, it was fine and they came out great.
If I were to use my homemade applesauce again, I would add water to the applesauce before mixing it with the flour.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
I just made these for my kids this morning before school and they were so good!!! They were very tasty and easy to make! They fry up super quick too. I made them in about 20 minutes (not including the time it took to warm up the oil). Will definitely make these again!
I’m so glad you liked them!
I just tried this recipe! They came out delicious a light apple flavor and fluffy. I tried not to mix the dough too much and I think it paid off! This recipe is a keeper!!
We’re happy you loved the donuts!
Followed directions. I could not get them cooked thoroughly-outside really brown; inside doughy.
Sounds like your cooking oil was too hot. Try to keep it at 350°F – a thermometer really helps with this.
I like the fact that you use only two ingredients .Quick and easy.
They are really easy! So glad you enjoyed them.
Love these recipes
Thank you!
How to do Applesauce please. I am interested to do the 2 ing. Doughnuts.
We recommend buying applesauce to make it really easy!
That sounds so good and easy to make. I am a newbie with using my air fryer…only used it once to make pork chops. If I make these donuts in the air fryer do I still need to use the oil? Thanks
you do not need the oil for the air fryer.
Looks amazing! I’m wondering if you could use mashed banana instead of applesauce? Or apple butter? Or maybe even pumpkin puree?
please see substitutions section of the post
Very much glad to give you 2 thumbs up kirbie. ? Let’s do this!
We hope you enjoy the recipe!
The little apple ? donuts were just perfect for my husband’s afternoon snack. They whipped up in no time, fried up quickly and after I dropped them into a paper bag with cinnamon sugar and shook em up they were just right! Another great recipe from creative Kirbie!!
I’m so glad they worked out well for you!
Do you mean 2 teaspoons or 2 tablespoons for each donut cause you start out saying teaspoons then say if you don’t have a cookie scoop to measure out 2 tablespoons of dough…
it is 2 tsp. I think your misread what I wrote. I do not state using 2 tbsp of dough. I wrote that if you don’t own a 2 tsp cookie scoop you can measure out a heaping 1/2 tbsp. I say this because measuring spoons usually do not include a 2 tsp spoon. 1/2 tbsp is the closest to 2 tsp and if you make it a heaping 1/2 tbsp, it will be very close to 2 tsp of dough.
while not a bad idea in theory this turns out more like bread with a hint of apple flavor – it’s an attempt at what apple donuts want to be, but with some alterations you may get more of the texture and flavor you’re aiming for.
as is, at least with the air fryer method, it makes for apple bread bites. not horrible, but not recommended without substituting and adding more ingredients than 2.
Hi, it is bready if you use the air fryer method but not if you fry them. If you fry them, they will taste like traditional donuts and are very fluffy. I discuss this in the post. Unfortunately, it’s not quite the same using the air fryer but I still think they are tasty and I wanted to share the air fryer method because I know many people will want to know if they can be made in an air fryer.
Better then I expected, the middles a little more tough that I expected but for 2 ingredients I had at home I can’t complain.
They look great, LM going to make them.
,, l
Great! We hope you love them!
My partner said they were the best donuts he’s ever eaten.
Oh wow, I’m so glad your partner enjoyed them so much!
Thank you for ingredients for self rising flour
You’re welcome!
Can you use a deep fryer to do these apple doughnuts in….I have a small two-sided deep fryer and lots of people.i would think if have to have slotted big spoon or shake so they don’t stick. Just wondering???
A deep fryer should work fine!
Wow this sounds nice! I’d like to try making this.
We hope you enjoyed them!
Great!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Will try the apple donuts thanks
i hope you enjoy!
Looks delicious without all the sugar and calories.
hope you enjoy!
I wonder if you could use dry cake mix with the applesauce? I have 12 boxes of Jiffy yellow cake mix I’d like to use up. I also LOVE Donuts.
I haven’t tried. Please let me know if it works!