Easy Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donut Holes – No donut pan required!
These ridiculously moist baked vegan apple cider donut holes are cakey and perfectly spiced with rich apple cider flavor thanks to the apple cider reduction. Made in one bowl, and you don’t even need a donut hole pan! A taste of the apple orchard in the comfort of your own home- and the perfect quick and easy fall treat!
Tell me about these apple cider donut holes:
Autumn means all of the spiced bakes- cinnamon sugar donuts, pumpkin coffee cake, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and apple cider donuts of course.
Unfortunately for us vegans, rarely does a bakery nor apple orchard include a vegan donut or donut hole. Which is why I needed to bake us a recipe 🙂
And to be honest, these baked apple cider donut holes taste like a bakery munchkin donut. So who even needs a trip when you can make these so easily at home?
So let me tell you about these apple cider munchkins:
- They’re packed with apple cider flavor: We’re using an apple cider reduction (more on that below) to really punch up that apple cider flavor. This will make it really taste like it’s been baked in a bakery on an apple farm. Especially with the hint of nutmeg!
- These donut holes are perfectly cakey and moist: Without needing any yeast nor frying to do the tricky. They’re soft and fluffy with an irresistible cinnamon sugar coating.
- You need less than an hour to make them: Yep. From reducing the apple cider to rolling these donut holes in their buttery cinnamon sugar coating, these vegan apple cider donut holes are ready to be enjoyed so easily and quickly!
- You don’t even need a donut hole pan! I didn’t want to add *yet another* specialty pan for you to run out and bake these if you’ve just stumbled across this recipe (and may have already turned on your oven. I get it, I’ve been there!). So we’re using a mini muffin pan instead! Don’t have one? Read below for my solve for that!
Why we need apple cider reduction:
Do not fret, it’s so simple.
Apple cider reduction is just apple cider that’s been cooked down. You can pick up any apple cider at the store (NOT apple juice), and make an apple cider reduction.
The simmering of the apple cider will create a concentrate that’s SUPER packed with apple cider flavor.
Step-by-step: how to make apple cider munchkins:
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
What if I don’t have a mini muffin pan?
Using the mini muffin pan is my alternative to having to buy a donut hole pan. Which you can really only use for one thing- donut holes.
I personally like using the mini muffin pan because you can make mini cupcakes, mini muffins, and donut holes/munchkins from them. So you get way more uses from the pan, and who needs another gadget that you only use for one thing, and rarely at that?!
That being said, if you don’t have a mini muffin pan, you can actually just use mini muffin pan liners, and bake them within a regular cupcake pan.
The apple cider donut holes will come out more ridged, obviously, like a mini cupcake, but you can still roll them in cinnamon sugar and vegan butter for a delicious munchkin donut treat!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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Easy Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donut Holes – No donut pan required!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30 1x
- Category: Donuts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These ridiculously moist baked vegan apple cider donut holes are cakey and perfectly spiced with rich apple cider flavor thanks to the apple cider reduction. Made in one bowl, and you don’t even need a donut hole pan! A taste of the apple orchard in the comfort of your own home!
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donut Holes:
- 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) apple cider
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (83 g) dairy free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) neutral oil or melted vegan butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice blend
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups (250 g) flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) dairy free milk, such as soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup (56 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prep: Make sure to read through all ingredients and steps before beginning. Measure out all ingredients before you begin. Spray 2 mini muffin pans with oil (the recipe yields 30 mini muffins, so you might to bake in intervals, if your pans don’t allow for all at once).
- Reduce the apple cider: In a medium saucepan, heat the apple cider until boiling, and let it reduce for about 20 minutes, until it measures 1/2 cup (120 mL). Once reduced, set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes. Then begin the apple cider donut batter. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Make the apple cider donut hole batter: In a medium bowl, add in the apple cider reduction, sugar, brown sugar, dairy free yogurt, oil, baking powder, spices, vanilla extract, sea salt, and baking powder. Whisk just until combined (the baking powder will begin to activate here- that’s expected!). Add in the flour and dairy free milk, and whisk just until combined.
- Pipe the donut holes: Fill a pastry bag with the apple cider donut batter, and cut off the tip of the bag. Pipe the batter into the mini muffin pan, filling each cavity to about 3/4 of the way full. You don’t want them too full, or they will dome like muffins and become less round.
- Bake: Place the mini muffin pans into the oven to bake for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool in their pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a parchment paper lined cooling rack.
- While the donut holes are baking: Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar coating section, and ensure that the butter is melted.
- Coat the donut holes: Brush each donut hole with vegan butter before generously rolling in the cinnamon sugar. Place onto the parchment paper, and repeat until all are done.
- Serve and enjoy! Enjoy immediately or store any leftovers in an airtight container and at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Notes
Gluten free: I like King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free baking flour here. I haven’t tested with Bob’s Red Mill, so I can’t guarantee good results.
Can i use coconut sugar for this?
You can, but they might not be as fluffy!
My daughter has a lot of allergies and I can only use coconut yogurt, is that a good dairy free yogurt sub? And is it just plain yogurt?
Oh sure! You can definitely use coconut yogurt, I’ve tested it with Cocojune and it works lovely!
To make classic munchkins, should I just omit the apple cider or how could I replace it?
Yes, I would just swap in dairy free milk for the reduced amount of apple cider (so 1/2 cup (120 mL). Additionally, I’d add in an extra tsp of vanilla extract!