Apple Cider Donut Holes (No Eggs, Baked, 5 Ingredients)

These Apple Cider Donut Holes are easy, oven-baked soft treats made with sparkling apple cider and ready in under 30 minutes. They are a delicious dessert for a fall table.

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I’m a huge fan of making donut holes and my kids are even bigger fans of eating my Pumpkin Donut Holes, 2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes, or Sweet Potato Donuts. But when the fall season starts, and apples are everywhere, I love to make apple-flavored recipes.

While adding apples makes great Baked Apple Fritters, they can make donut holes too dense. So to get the same flavor while keeping the signature fluffiness of donuts, I opted for apple cider! Using alcohol-free apple cider (or regular one) makes these donuts super soft and very tasty!

Ingredients and Substitutions

You need 5 ingredients to make the dough for these donut holes.

• Self-Rising Flour – This provides the structure and helps the donut holes rise. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour and add 4 teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, you could try a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with a leavening agent included.
• Apple Cider – Cider brings a sweet, sour apple flavor and a touch of acidity that balances the sweetness. It can be sparkling or non-sparkling. You can replace it with sparkling apple juice for a non-alcoholic version or pear cider. Do not use apple cider vinegar, as it would change the flavor drastically and it wouldn’t rise as much.
• Brown Sugar – This adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness and moisture to the donut holes. You can substitute it with coconut sugar or a monk fruit blend for a lower-carb option, but brown sugar adds a unique depth that enhances the fall flavors.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon pairs beautifully with the apple flavors. You can substitute it with pumpkin spice, nutmeg, or a mix of both for a variation on the fall flavor profile.
• Light Olive Oil – Olive oil adds moisture and richness to the dough while keeping it light. You can substitute it with canola oil, grapeseed oil, or almond oil for a more neutral flavor. Avoid coconut oil unless the cider is at room temperature, as melted coconut oil will solidify if mixed with cold ingredients.

How to Make Apple Cider Donut Holes

Making these donuts is really easy with the recipe card further down, but here are pictures of key steps.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Pour your apple cider of choice (not vinegar!). I used zero alcohol cider.

Stir the batter until it becomes sticky.

Form little dough balls and place them on a small muffin tray.

Bake the donut holes at 350 °F (180 °C) for 18-20 minutes.

Brush the balls with melted vegan butter and roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Carine’s Baking Tips

While this recipe is super easy, I have a few more tips to share that didn’t fit in the recipe card below.

1. Use Sparkling Cider for Extra Fluffiness – Sparkling apple cider adds a little extra puff to the batter, making the donut holes fluffier. If you don’t have sparkling cider, you can use regular cider, but the texture may be slightly denser.
2. Measure Flour Accurately – Use the spoon-and-level method when measuring flour to avoid packing too much into the cup, which can result in dense donut holes. Too much flour will make the dough stiff and less fluffy.
3. Warm Your Cider – If your apple cider is cold, warm it slightly before mixing it with the oil to prevent the oil from creating lumps in the batter.
4. Don’t Overmix the Batter – Stir just until the ingredients are combined to avoid developing the gluten in the flour too much. Overmixing can make the donut holes tough and chewy.
5. Use Mini Muffin Pans for Shape – Mini muffin pans are perfect for forming uniform, round donut holes, but you can also use a regular muffin pan and adjust the cooking time slightly (adding 5-7 minutes) for larger donut holes.
6. Check Baking Early – Oven temperatures can vary, so start checking the donut holes at the 15-minute mark by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, they are ready to come out of the oven.
7. Coat While Warm – Brush the donut holes with melted vegan butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm for the best adhesion and a nice, crunchy coating. If they cool too much, the butter won’t stick as well.
8. Double-Dip for Extra Coating – For an extra crunchy, sugary coating, roll the donut holes in the cinnamon sugar a second time after they have cooled slightly to ensure a thick, satisfying crust.
9. Store Properly – If you’re making these ahead, store them in an airtight container and refresh them by warming them in the oven for a few minutes before serving to bring back their soft, warm texture.

More Donut Hole Recipes

If you like super-easy donut hole recipes, I’ve got you!

Apple Donut Holes

Pumpkin Donut Holes

Banana Donut Holes

Air Fryer Donut Holes

Apple Cider Donut Holes

These Apple Cider Donut Holes are easy, oven-baked soft treats made with sparkling apple cider and ready in under 30 minutes. They are a delicious dessert for a fall table.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 donut holes

Calories: 109.2 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup Apple Cider - not apple cider vinegar! (note 2)
• ▢ ¾ cup Brown Sugar - (note 3)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ▢ ⅓ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 4)

Coating

• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons Melted Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - to brush
• ▢ ½ cup Sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Spray cooking oil in two 12-hole mini muffin pans. Set aside.
• Whisk self-rising flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
• Add in apple cider and oil.
• Stir to combine and form a smooth batter.
• Fill each mini muffin hole up to 3/4 of their level.
• Bake the donut holes on the center rack at 350 °F (180 °C) for 18-20 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip them upside down on a cooling rack and let them cool for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, prepare the cinnamon sugar for coating the donut hole. Whisk cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the donut holes with melted vegan butter, then roll them in cinnamon sugar to coat.
• Repeat until they are all coated and look like mini donut holes.

Notes

Note 1: Equivalent to 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 4 teaspoons of baking powder. I didn’t try an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. I suspect it might work fine though.

Note 2: Apple cider can contain some alcohol, or you can choose a non-alcoholic apple cider. Another option is to use sparkling apple juice.

Note 3: Any crystal sweetener works; soft brown sugar adds more moisture to the donut holes. 

Note 4: Flavor oils like almond oil and canola oil work, too. Coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold food, so if your apple cider is straight out of the fridge, the melted coconut oil with form oil lumps – not recommended!

Storage: You can store the donut holes in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1hole | Calories: 109.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.8g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 3.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Sodium: 2.8mg | Potassium: 28.4mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 10.9g | Vitamin A: 1.2IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 11.4mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 3.9mg | Phosphorus: 11.4mg | Zinc: 0.1mg