4 Ingredient Apple Pie Donuts (No Eggs, Refined Sugar, Dairy or Butter)
These apple pie donuts are soft, fluffy and stuffed with apple filling. The donuts need just 4 ingredients and don’t require any eggs, dairy, or butter. The donut dough is easy to prepare.
These apple donuts are stuffed with apple pie filling, combining two desserts in one.
Ingredients
- Self-rising flour
- Apples
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already includes a leavening agent and salt. It saves a few extra preparation steps. You can also make a homemade self-rising flour blend by combining all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Apples: This recipe works best with a sweet and crisp apple variety like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Pink Lady. Apples are used to make and flavor the donut dough and used for the apple filling.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is added for flavor. You can leave out the cinnamon if you don’t like cinnamon flavor.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is used to sweeten and coat the apple filling. You can also use regular granular sugar if you don’t need the donuts to be refined sugar-free.
How to Make Apple Pie Donuts
Make the filling: Add chopped apples and a splash of water to a nonstick skillet and cook until the liquid from the apples has been mostly cooked off. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and cook until the apples are coated in a thickened syrup. Let the filling cool.
Make the dough: Blend the remaining apples until they become a smooth puree. Combine the apple puree and flour until a dough forms.
The donut dough can be fried or baked. For a more soft, fluffy and traditional donut, it is best to fry the donuts in oil. However, if you prefer making them a little healthier, you can bake them instead.
Use a 1 tbsp cookie scoop to portion the donut dough. Fry or bake until the donut holes are golden brown and cooked through.
Allow the donuts to cool slightly until they are no longer to hot to touch.
If you would like to coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar, do this first before filling them. To coat in cinnamon sugar, mix some cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Roll the donuts gently until coated. If you baked the donuts, the surface of the donuts will be dry. You will need to brush the donuts lightly with water or melted butter and then roll the donuts in the cinnamon sugar.
Create a hole into the bottom of each donut. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with an open round tip and pipe the filling into each donut hole. Donuts taste best soon after they are done.
Expert Tips
- Instead of cinnamon sugar coating, you can also dust the donuts with powdered sugar or dip in glaze. You can also just leave them plain. The donut filling is already sweet, so you don’t need to coat the donuts in sugar or glaze if you want to make these healthier.
- You can make the donuts bigger if you prefer but I wanted to make them the size of bite-sized donut holes.
- If you want the donuts to have a traditional texture, the best method for cooking the donuts is to fry them in oil. If you want to make them healthier, you can bake them but the texture won’t be as light and fluffy.
- Donuts are best enjoyed soon after they are done baking or frying. The donut dough will get heavier as the donuts cool.
More Donut Recipes
4 Ingredient Apple Pie Donuts
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 1 3/4 cups (168g) finely chopped apples, about 1/8 by 1/4 inch pieces, see note
- 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup, can substitute with granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
Donut dough
- 1 1/4 cups (170g) self-rising flour, see note before starting
- 2/3 cup (167g) apple puree, see note before starting
Instructions
- Make the apple pie filling: In a large nonstick saucepan, add the finely diced apple and a large splash of water. Bring to medium heat and cook the apples, stirring occassionally, until the apples have released their liquid and most of the liquid has evaporated. You want to add just enough water so that the apples don't burn. As the apples cook they will release liquid and the apples should be simmering in the liquid. Continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. The apples should also become tender and smaller in size. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the syrup and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the remaining liquid has evaporated and the apples are coated in a thick, caramel-like syrup, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Prepare the donut dough: In a medium bowl, combine the self-rising flour and apple puree. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated and a sticky dough forms. If the donut dough seems too sticky to work with, add a little more flour.
- You can fry or bake the donuts. The fried method will result in donuts that are softer and fluffier like traditional donuts.Frying method: Pour about 3 inches of oil into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C). Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop portions of dough and carefully release them directly into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry for 3–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides and cooked through. Transfer donuts to a wire rack to drain excess oil and cool.Baking method: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Using lightly wet hands, gently shape the dough into a ball and place onto your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Space dough balls about 1 inch apart. Optional step: If you want the exterior of the dough to be crispy longer, you can lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with oil. This is optional. The dough balls do crisp up and brown without any oil but they will stay crispy a little longer with oil. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown and cooked through.
- Allow donuts to cool slightly until they are no longer too hot to touch. If coating donuts in cinnamon sugar, do so at this time. See notes section for the cinnamon sugar coating I used and the method for coating if the donuts are baked instead of fried.
- Transfer the cooled apple pie filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (the opening should be big enough for the apple pieces to push through). Using a skewer or the tip of a small knife, make a hole in the side of each donut. Insert the piping tip and gently squeeze to fill each donut hole with the apple pie filling. Serve immediately while donuts are still slightly warm. Donuts are best consumed warm because the donut dough becomes more dense when fully cooled. Store any uneaten donuts in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and reheat before serving.
Notes
- Maple syrup note: Maple syrup can be substituted with 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
- Apple note: Try to use a sweet variety of apples like Fuji, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. For the finely chopped apples, cut the apple pieces into about 1/4 by 1/8 inch or smaller. You want the pieces small so that they will fit into the donuts. I peeled the apples but you can also leave skin on if you prefer.
- Apple puree note: To save time, you can use store bought unsweetened applesauce instead of making apple puree. To make apple puree, peel apples and cut into thin slices or small cubes. Place into a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Measure out 167 grams or approximately 2/3 cup for the recipe. If you have a scale, it is best to use a scale. I use this scale.*
- Self-rising flour note. 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 (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe. Measure out 1 1/4 cups for the recipe.
- Optional Cinnamon sugar coating: Donuts can be eaten plain or they can be coated in glaze or a cinnamon sugar coating. If you want to keep these refined sugar free, you can also coat them in coconut sugar or a sugar substitute. To make cinnamon sugar coating, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Gently roll each donut until coated and place onto a plate or baking sheet.
- Another way to coat (I find this to be faster and less messy): Pour cinnamon sugar into a bag big enough to fit a few donut holes. Add a few donuts holes, seal the bag and shake until the donuts are coated. Remove the coated donuts and repeat with the remaining donuts.
- Coating baked donuts: Baked donuts will have a smooth, dry surface, making it difficult to coat. You can always dust these with powdered sugar or sweetener to keep it easy. But if you want a cinnamon sugar coating, lightly brush the surface of the donuts with a little water or melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Estimated nutrition does not include the optional cinnamon sugar coating.