Baked Fall Donuts Two Ways: Apple Harvest and Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spice

It would not be fall without apples and pumpkin.  Therefore, it would not be fall without apple and pumpkin donuts!  These donuts are brimming with flavor and sure to bring out the apple and pumpkin lover in everyone. 

Apple donuts were my very first attempt at homemade donuts   Two years ago, I decided it was time to try making my own donuts.  It happened to be fall with an abundance of apples so I picked one up, shredded it, and baked my first batch.  Delicious!  It was not long after that I exchanged apples for pumpkin.  Enter baked pumpkin donuts!

There are so many reasons to love these donuts   Most importantly they are delicious.  Taste always trumps every other aspect of food.  These donuts are baked instead of fried so they are not greasy and don't create a huge mess while making (does anyone enjoy standing over a hot vat of oil, spitting all over the place?) Their ingredients boast whole grain flour, no refined sugar, and are loaded with fresh fruits. Winning!

I use an apple cider glaze for the apple harvest donuts and a cinnamon powdered sugar coating on the pumpkin ones.  You can leave off the toppings if you want a more muffin-like donut, but I highly recommend not missing the extra goodness of these glazes.  So get your ovens ready and let's make some donuts!

Apple Harvest Donuts

Donut batter:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup AP flour (or another cup ww pastry flour)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp coconut flour

3 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup (use agave for slightly sweeter doughnut)

1/4 cup apple cider

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup grapeseed oil (any neutral flavored oil would work)

1 cup apple, shredded (about 1 large apple or 2 small apples)

Apple cider glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp apple cider

Directions to make donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease two donut pans.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet until fully incorporated.  

3. Spoon into prepared donut pan, filling each donut hole about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.  If you have trouble getting donuts out of the pan, use a small spatula to go around each donut before popping out.  Cool on wire rack another 5 minutes before glazing.   

Directions for the apple cider glaze:

Wisk together powdered sugar and apple cider.  Dip tops of apple harvest donuts in the glaze. 

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Donut batter:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup AP flour (or another cup ww pastry flour)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup (use agave for slightly sweeter doughnut)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup grapeseed oil (any neutral flavored oil would work)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

Cinanmon Sugar Coating:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)

Directions to make donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease two donut pans.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet until fully incorporated.  

3. Spoon into prepared donut pan, filling each donut hole about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.  If you have trouble getting donuts out of the pan, use a small spatula to go around each donut before popping out.  Cool on wire rack another 5 minutes before coating with cinnamon sugar topping.

Directions for cinnamon sugar coating:

Wisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Put mixture in a large ziplock bag. Add pumpkin spice donuts 2 at a time to the bag, seal and shake until donuts are evenly coated.  Repeat for the rest of the donuts.