Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free)

Unsure there is anything more basic and wonderfully fall than grabbing a classic apple cider donut from a farmer’s market stand or if you’re lucky enough to have ventured out to an apple orchard, fresh from the farm itself. Ironically, I am allergic to apples, unless they are pasteurized and processed in some form— so while apple cider makes my mouth itchy on it’s own, my potato self seems to have no issues imbibing apple cider in the form of donuts… as long as they are gluten-free and dairy-free!

The problem I have with a lot of the gluten-free apple cider donuts available in bakeries or farmstands is that cane sugar is usually the first or second ingredient, along with some kind of starch being the primary flour. (sometimes it’s almond flour, but I’m sadly allergic to that too). As I wistfully stared at the dozens of photos on my Instagram feed of people gleefully eating apple cider donuts, I decided I needed to make some at home for myself.

Then I ran into another issue. I googled gluten-free and vegan apple cider donut recipes because I reaaaaally wanted to be lazy and just make them from someone else’s recipe, and I wasn’t exactly pleased with what I found on lé google. Either all the recipes had you just using vegan butter (I don’t love subs like this) or a crapton of sugar. While my primary objective was NOT at all to make a “healthy” donut (because hello, girl needs a sugar fix sometimes), I also didn’t want to feel like utter crap after being inevitably unable to contain myself from eating more than 1 donut when they are lying around my house.

SO.

These took me several rounds to get the flavor, texture, and satisfaction just right, but this apple cider donut feels like you’re biting into fall, and with wholesome ingredients to boot— without feeling like ‘healthy’ donuts, because these aren’t intended to be. Donuts should be delicious, after all! They’re super straightforward and easy to make too, even for baking newbies.

Let’s get this bread. Or rather, donut(s).

Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free)

makes 6 donuts

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean Flour
3/4 cup Cassava Flour
1/4 cup Teff Flour (can sub Brown Rice Flour)
[*TIP: You can sub 1.5 cup of all-purpose GF flour to simplify things, but the flavor will be a bit different!]
1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
Pinch of Salt

WET INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Apple Cider (ideally reduced from 1 full cup of Apple Cider- simply simmer Apple Cider until reduced)
1/4 cup unsweetened Applesauce
1/4 cup Mylk of your choice (I used Oat)
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Oil (use olive, avocado, or coconut) + extra to grease pan
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

FOR CINNAMON SUGAR COATING (OPTIONAL)
1/3 cup of Cane Sugar or Coconut Sugar
1 tsp ground Cinnamon

Tools needed: Donut Pan (I have this one)

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease donut pan.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine chickpea flour, cassava flour, teff flour, baking soda, baking powder, all the spices, and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

3. In small dish, combine mylk with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Stir and set aside to ‘curdle,’ like a “buttermilk.”

4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine coconut sugar, apple cider, applesauce, oil, and vanilla extract. Add in the “buttermilk,” and stir well to combine.

5. Add the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine evenly. Using a spoon, scoop batter into the greased donut pan and distribute evenly. Batter should fill donut pan to be level, as the batter will rise while baking.

6. Place donut pan in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Immediately transfer over to a wire rack and if planning to coat in cinnamon sugar, toss donuts into a bowl one at a time with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely before eating!
   

   When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, donuts will last up to 5-6 days, or you can freeze them too!