One of my favorite fall memories is walking through an apple orchard, picking apples and ending the day with warm cider and hot, cinnamon sugar donuts.
I no longer live in a climate with seasonal orchard visits, but whenever I get the chance, I take my kids north to share with them the adventure. To this day, the melt-in-your-mouth warmth of a cinnamon sugar donut on a chilly day is a something I look forward to recreating.
Can You Bake Donuts Instead of Frying Them?
The answer is YES! With a Freshware 18-Cavity Silicone Mini Savarin and Donut Mold, it makes this sweet memory easy to recreate at home – and adds much less guilt. Baking instead of frying is a huge win for my waistline, and I can still enjoy every bite!
Using one of my new favorite kitchen essentials, my Staub Ceramics 2-piece Large Universal Bowl Set, for mixing, I can gather ingredients (and if you do any occasional baking, you probably already have the ingredients on hand!) and have these donuts on a plate in no time.
Okay, well, more like 10-15 minutes. Less time than it takes to get to an apple orchard – or the nearest donut shop!
Healthy Homemade Donut Recipe for The Holidays
We like making our donuts fit right into any season and add a bit of holiday whimsy by serving them on a festive plate! This Fitz and Floyd Hand Painted Home Warms the Heart Cookie Platter is one that can be used year after year and even passed down the generation, a classic Christmas platter!
Ps. While you’re making things festive, don’t forget the garland and lights! A Kurt Adler 9-Foot x 14-Inch Virginia Pine Garland and some Winter Lane LED Light Strings can be used in so many ways, from decorating your home to adding that just-right touch to a dining or entertaining table.
Ingredients: makes 36-54 mini donuts (3 batches)
The Donuts:
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 3/4 cup flour (can sub coconut or almond flour if desired)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar (use granulated sweetener of choice, stevia or coconut sugar will work as well)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
The Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp melted butter
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray your silicone donut mold with baking spray before using.
2. In a large measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar, set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, like my red Staub bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
4. Mix the egg and melted butter with the milk and vinegar mixture. Then pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
5. Transfer batter to donut mold. I set mine on a baking sheet just to keep it stable while baking. You can use a spoon to spoon the dough into the individual cavities.
6. Bake for 5 minutes. Let cool in pan for 1-2 minutes when done and remove from pan and set on wire rack to cool completely.
7. In the meantime, in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 2 tbsp. of butter.
8. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix together.
9. When donuts are done cooling, either brush or dip one half of the donut with the melted butter and dip that side into the cinnamon sugar. Place back on a wire rack. Repeat until all donuts have been covered with cinnamon sugar.
10. Serve and enjoy!
