This healthier paleo version of classic apple cider donuts is a delicious treat to bake for fall! They’re soft and tender, filled with apple pie spice and cinnamon sugar flavor yet they’re refined sugar free. Kids love baking and eating them too! Gluten free, dairy free, grain free and paleo.
Want more paleo baking recipes that taste just like the real deal? Purchase my book, Paleo Baking at Home here!
Donuts always disappear faster than any other baked good in my house!
I recently made these pumpkin donuts with maple icing and the next recipe on my list was apple cider donuts. Fall is the best time for baking in my opinion and apple treats can be just as festive and fun as pumpkin.
I based these donuts on classic apple cider donuts, including a cinnamon sugar topping that takes them to the next level. You won’t believe they’re completely grain free and refined sugar free with how delicious they are!
What You Need to Make Paleo Apple Cider Donuts
The only ingredient here that is different from most of my baking recipes is the apple cider. You can use any cider for this recipe. Here’s everything you need to prepare the donuts:
- apple cider
- blanched almond flour
- arrowroot flour, or tapioca
- baking soda
- apple pie spice
- ground cinnamon
- fine sea salt
- eggs
- maple sugar, or coconut sugar, or a combination
- coconut oil or ghee
- almond milk
- pure vanilla extract
- Coconut oil spray {to grease the donut pan}
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
Preheat your oven to 350° F. I used a silicone donut pan for this recipe to allow for easy removal.
First, reduce the apple cider: Place the apple cider in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and allow it to simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until it reduces to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and allow it to cool while preparing the rest of the donut batter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, apple pie spice, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil or ghee, almond milk, and vanilla. Whisk in the reduced apple cider, then immediately add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until fully combined.
Spray your donut pan with coconut oil cooking spray to lightly grease it. Spoon the batter into the wells of the donut pan to make 11 donuts – you might need to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your donut pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted near the center of one comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 5-10 minutes. The donuts will need to set before removing them from the pan. Carefully remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
While they cool, make the topping. Melt the ghee and place it in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the coconut and maple sugar and apple pie spice. Brush the cooled donuts with the ghee and either sprinkle with or dip in the sugar mixture.
Maple Sugar versus Coconut Sugar
You’ll see in many of my recipes that I use either maple sugar or coconut sugar. Maple sugar has amazing flavor and is fine and light in color – I absolutely love it for baking and for making icing! But I realize it’s not sold in many grocery stores, including the ones I go to.
I always buy my maple sugar on Amazon in large amounts so I always have it on hand! I love this brand. If you can’t get maple sugar, coconut sugar is always great for baking in place of it.
Sometimes, I like to use both maple and coconut sugars in my recipes to get the maple flavor and the deeper brown sugar flavor of coconut sugar.
I like to look at maple sugar as “light brown sugar” and coconut sugar as “dark brown sugar”. Just as you sometimes use white sugar + brown sugar in traditional baking recipes, I sometimes like to use maple and coconut sugars.
How to Store Paleo Apple Cider Donuts
If you’re not serving the donuts right away (or if you have leftovers), store them loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you want to keep them fresh longer, refrigerate them for up to one week, reheating in the toasted oven. You can also freeze them tightly wrapped for up to 2-3 weeks. Simply defrost in the refrigerator and lightly reheat in the toaster oven.
I hope you’re ready for a delicious treat to bake this fall that everyone is going to love! Preheat your oven and grab your ingredients because it’s time to bake – let’s go!
Paleo Apple Cider Donuts {Gluten Free}
Paleo Apple Cider Donuts {Gluten Free}
Ingredients
Donut Batter:
- 1 cup apple cider reduced to about 1/3 cup (see instructions)
- 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp apple pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar, or a combination
- 2 Tbsps coconut oil or ghee melted
- 2 Tbsp almond milk or other dairy free milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Coconut oil spray to grease donut pan
Topping:
- 2 Tbsp melted ghee
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup maple sugar or all coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350° F. I used a silicone donut pan for this recipe to allow for easy removal.
-
Reduce the apple cider: Place the apple cider in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and allow it to simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until it reduces to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and allow it to cool while preparing the rest of the donut batter.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, apple pie spice, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
-
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil or ghee, almond milk, and vanilla. Whisk in the reduced apple cider, then immediately add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until fully combined.
-
Spray your donut pan with coconut oil cooking spray to lightly grease it. Spoon the batter into the wells of the donut pan to make 11-12 donuts - you might need to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your donut pan.
-
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted near the center of one comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 5-10 minutes. The donuts will need to set before removing them from the pan. Carefully remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
-
While they cool, make the topping. Melt the ghee and place it in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the coconut and maple sugar and apple pie spice. Brush the cooled donuts with the ghee and either sprinkle with or dip in the sugar mixture. Serve right away, or store loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate or freeze, tightly wrapped, to keep them for longer. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Paleo Baking Recipes for Fall? Try One of These!
Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Icing
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How can I make these sugar free?
Would this make a better apple cider bread than donuts? Do they have a donut texture or is it just the shape? Thinking about making this is a loaf pan.
We have an almond allergy. What other flour would you use and do you think coconut milk would work?
These look amazing! If I don’t have apple pie spice, what can I use instead?
I love your recipe. This is a food that I love. I followed your recipe and I had a good and nutritious meal. I did it yesterday. Its taste is great. Thanks for sharing. Does this affect the flavor of this dish?
Can I make this with muffin pans? I don’t have a donut pan
So freaking good!! I’m so glad I made these. I accidentally overfilled my donut pans so there were some that spilled over, but that also meant I got to cut those parts off and eat them while the rest cooled. Thanks for sharing it, its a hit!
Can I replace the arrowroot w another flour?
I usually sub tapioca flour for arrowroot…hope that works
Your recipes never let me down. Made these just now and added in apple pulp from fresh juiced apples. Ahhhhhhmazzzing.
If you were to try and make these more apple-y how would you compensate for the added liquid?
Made these with coconut oil and coconut sugar. Left off the topping and they were still amazing! Reducing down the apple cider is key for flavor. Don’t skip this part!
Hi! Would LOVE to make these for my family but we have an egg allergy. Would these work using an egg replacer, like flax egg or some other binder? Thanks!!
Do you think this recipe would work in a cake pop maker? Thanks! They sound delicious!
Very interesting, I read similar information on wikipedia.
epic fail. So tasty, but I tried to make these using silicone donut molds and they completely fell apart.
So good! Light and fluffy and good flavor. I was hoping to up your rating a bit since they are well deserving 🙂 my kids loved them
Mine ended up lacking flavor. If it wasn’t for the coconut sugar coating it wouldn’t have tasted like much of anything. Not sure if I should have added more of something but it was a fail for me.
These look delicious. A great fall treat.
These are delicious!
Could I use a bundt/cake pan for this recipe as well? P.s. everything you create is magic! XOXO