My kids are huge fans of donut holes. I think it’s the combination of a small bite-sized treat and the soft texture and sweet taste that makes them such a hit every single time. When I made my Pumpkin Donut Holes, 2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes, or Air Fryer Donut Holes. Since the apple season is now in full swing, I knew I had to try apple-loaded donut holes. These donuts are absolutely delicious. With a sweet and crispy coating, and such a soft sweet dough.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Cinnamon Applesauce – Applesauce provides moisture, sweetness, and acts as a binder for the dough, making these donut holes light and soft. If you use plain applesauce, you’ll need to add cinnamon for flavor. For variation, you could substitute it with pear sauce, but the texture and flavor will change slightly, and you might need to adjust the spices. Self-Rising Flour – Self-rising flour makes the dough rise during baking. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can use all-purpose flour mixed with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains a leavening agent. Finely Grated Green Apple – Green apples bring freshness, moisture, and a slight sourness to the dough, balancing out the sweetness. Green apples are ideal as they don’t release too much juice, but you can use Honeycrisp or Gala apples for a sweeter option. Make sure to squeeze out excess juice to prevent the dough from becoming too wet. Cinnamon – For the cinnamon sugar coating. It makes the donut holes taste more like traditional cinnamon donuts. You can swap it with pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg if you prefer. Sugar – It makes a crispy cinnamon coating. You can substitute it with coconut sugar for a more caramel-like flavor, or use a sugar-free monk fruit blend for a lower-carb option. Coconut Oil – It helps the cinnamon sugar adhere to the donut holes after baking. You can replace it with vegan butter for a buttery flavor, or use refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut taste.

How to Make Apple Donut Holes

I love this recipe because it’s so easy to make. Here are a few pictures of the key steps to make it.

Carine’s Baking Tips

This recipe is super easy, but I have a few more tips for you to make sure it won’t fail.

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