Apple Cider Donuts {AIP}
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These apple cider donuts are the perfect fall dessert! They’re grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free, paleo, and AIP-friendly.
Everyone goes wild for pumpkin in the fall, but apple cider needs some love too! Apple cider donuts are a classic, and I needed them here on my site as well. These are everything I was craving and more, and I know you’re going to love them too. They’re paleo, AIP and are made with a perfect maple glaze.
Why You’ll love these Apple Cider Donuts
- They’re straightforward to make. No donut maker, no stand mixer, just bowls, and a donut pan!
- They taste like the real deal. Especially with the added glaze that really ties it all together!
The Ingredients for the Apple Cider Donuts
- Tigernut Flour, Coconut Flour, and Tapioca Starch. This is the grain-free flour blend that I pretty much always use for donuts. I haven’t tried any other flours to sub the coconut flour and tigernut flour, but you can use arrowroot instead of tapioca.
- Gelatin Powder. This acts as a binder, and collagen will not swap 1:1. The next closest swap would be ground flaxseed.
- Baking Powder. I like to use this Legit Bread baking powder.
- Apple Sauce and Apple Cider. You can also use apple juice instead of apple cider.
- Coconut Sugar.
For the glaze
- For an AIP glaze.
- Coconut butter
- Coconut oil
- Apple cider
- Maple syrup
- For a regular, maple glaze.
- Organic powdered sugar
- Coconut milk
- Apple cider
- Maple syrup
Tools for Making the Apple Cider Donuts
- Mini donut pan. I love making mini donuts with this recipe! You can try to use a regular donut pan as well, you may just have to bake them a few minutes longer.
How to make Apple Cider Donuts
- Reduce the apple cider in a pot by half.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine the dough. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold the batter until a dough forms.
- Add to the pan. Add the dough to a piping bag and pipe it into the mini donut pan, pressing any of the uneven batter down with your fingers.
- Bake. Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until fully baked through. Allow to cool slightly before carefully flipping onto a cooling rack.
- Top with your desired glaze and enjoy!
How do you store these donuts?
Store them in the fridge for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to a month.
Can you make this recipe coconut free?
I haven’t been able to replicate the same results without coconut flour.
Can you make it with an egg instead of gelatin?
I don’t recommend this as it will add too much moisture. You can use ground flax instead.
Does it need the glaze?
I think the glaze really takes it to the next level, but they’re still yummy without it too.
Can you make full-sized donuts?
You can, though you may need to bake them for a few extra minutes.
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Apple Cider Donuts {AIP}
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-9 mini donuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These apple cider donuts are the perfect fall dessert! They’re grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free, paleo, and AIP-friendly.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup tigernut flour
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (sub mace for AIP)
For an AIP glaze
- 3 tbsp coconut butter, melted
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider
For the maple glaze (use above for AIP)
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp apple cider
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
Instructions
For the donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a mini donut pan and set aside.
- Add the apple cider to a pot and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the apple cider has reduced by half.
- Add the apple cider to a bowl along with the apple sauce, coconut oil, and coconut sugar. Stir to combine.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold the batter until a dough forms.
- Add the dough to a piping bag and pipe it into the mini donut pan, pressing any of the uneven batter down with your fingers.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until fully baked through. Allow to cool slightly before carefully flipping onto a cooling rack.
For the glaze
- Combine all of the ingredients for the desired glaze in a bowl and stir until fully combined. Dip the donuts in the glaze with the rounded side down. Pick up the donuts and allow the excess glaze to drip off. Allow the glaze to set in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before enjoying it!
Notes
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 231
- Fat: 17.8g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 2g
I loved these!! And so did my husband who has no allergies :). Super yummy, thank you!
yay, so glad!!
I tried to make these in a mini doughnut maker and it was a big fail, sadly! They fell apart! But still tasted delicious!
Coconut flours can vary quite a bit in absorbance, so sometimes you have to adjust if not using Anthony’s coconut flour, which is what I use to write my recipes.
Can this be made with another paleo flour?
I haven’t tried any other flours to sub the coconut flour and tigernut flour, but you can use arrowroot instead of tapioca.
Could these be made as donut holes?
Should work, yes!
I made these with the maple glaze and made my own powdered sugar out of coconut sugar. They came out perfect and the family loved them!
I was coming to ask this, since powered sugar from cane sugar isn’t aip compliant. Did you just put your coconut sugar in a bender?
At what stage do you add the gelatin? Is it added to the wet or the dry ingredients??
The gelatin is added with the dry ingredients.