Apple Cider Donuts (AIP, Paleo)

These apple cider donuts are the ultimate delicious fall dessert. They are sweet, cakey, and full of all the fall flavors such as apple and cinnamon. The recipe is easy to make and will be your new favorite weekend treat. These donuts are gluten and dairy-free, Paleo and AIP.

a stack of apple cider donuts

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Apple Cider Donuts

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. Get ready for the ultimate party in your mouth. These apple cider donuts have the perfect cake texture, moist and with a nice bounce. Flavor-wise, get ready for all your favorite fall flavors, such as apple and cinnamon. The maple sugar cinnamon coating adds an extra irresistible kick to this recipe. The recipe is easy to make, all you need is a blender and a donut pan.

You know the feeling when you go apple picking and your friends or family members all indulge in apple cider donuts but you can’t? No more thanks to this delicious recipe. Next time bring a donut or two with you and join in the fun. These are great to make ahead as well.

Ingredients

  • apple cider
  • coconut milk
  • yellow plantain 
  • coconut oil
  • honey
  • apple sauce
  • vanilla extract
  • tapioca flour
  • tigernut flour
  • coconut flour
  • baking soda
  • cinnamon
  • maple sugar

Do you have food sensitivities and don’t know what to eat? Get my FREE substitution chart to learn how to make easy swaps, because life is too short to not enjoy food. Suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, Paleo, and AIP.

apple cider donuts with sugar

How to Make Apple Cider Donuts

  1. Start by placing 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan and cook on medium for about 20 minutes, until it has cooked down to about 1/4 cup.
  2. In the meantime mix all the dry ingredients.
  3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients into a blender, everything but the apple cider.
  4. Once the apple cider has cooked down place it in a medium bowl and let it cool off for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be completely cool, but not hot anymore. In the meantime grease 8 holes of the donut pan with coconut oil until they are lightly coated.
  5. Add apple cider concentrate to the blender and blend everything until smooth. Combine wet and dry mix to a thick batter.
  6. Preheat oven to 350F. Place batter into 8 donut pan holes. With your finger smoothen out the batter. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
  7. Let the donuts cool off for 5-10 minutes before removing them. You still want them to be a bit warm for the sugar to stick better.
  8. Mix together maple sugar and cinnamon and coat the donuts with the sugar mix, by dunking both sides into the sugar cinnamon mix and sprinkling some more on top. If you need more of the coating simply mix together more in the same ratio.
  9. Enjoy.

HOT TIP for food sensitivities: Next time you go on a day trip bring 1 or 2 of these donuts with you and join in the fun when everyone else picks up something sweet on the go. You can make these a few days ahead.

apple cider donuts

FAQs

What Kind of Plantain Should I Use?

For this recipe, I specifically use a medium yellow plantain that is not overripe. Meaning it should be yellow with no dark spots (a few are ok). And it should be firm. If the plantain is overripe the texture becomes less cakey and moister. Can you use green plantains? You could but the flavor won’t be the same. It will taste more like a wholewheat flour donut. The color will also change, a bit darker and a bit greenish.

Do I Need a Donut pan?

Yes, you do. The batter is not thick enough to stay in a donut shape without the pan. Although not ideal for heating but still better than aluminum, a silicone donut pan will be the best option. Unless you can find stainless steel (I have not been able to find one yet, so if you do let me know in the comment section below. If you don’t have a donut pan you could use a muffin pan to make muffins.

Can I Substitute Any of the Flours?

I would not recommend it.

How Do I store these Donuts?

Store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. It actually tastes even more intense.

Substitutions

  • Maple sugar: Although the taste is my favorite especially for this recipe, you could also use coconut sugar if you cannot find maple sugar. Most health food stores carry maple sugar.
  • Spices: If you are not on the elimination phase of the autoimmune protocol you can add 1/4 tsp cardamom and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to each the batter and the sugar coating – if you like those flavors. (Cardamom and nutmeg are not AIP elimination phase compliant.)

More Fall Dessert Recipes

If you love this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below. And as always don’t forget to tag me in your food pictures on Instagram

Happy Cooking

~ Annika

Apple Cider Donuts (AIP, Paleo)

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 donuts

Equipment

  • donut pan

Ingredients
  

Wet ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider (cooked down to 1/4 cups)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 medium yellow plantain not over ripe – (yellow without brown spots and firm) approx. 1.25 cups of sliced plantain
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry ingredients

  • 2/3 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/3 cup tigernut flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Cinnamon sugar coating

  • 2 Tbsp maple sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Start by placing 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan and cook on medium for about 20 minutes, until it has cooked down to about 1/4 cup.
  • In the meantime mix all the dry ingredients.
  • Add all the other wet ingredients into a blender – everything but the apple cider.
  • Once the apple cider has cooked down place it in a medium bowl and let it cool off for a few minutes. It doesn't have to be completely cool, but not hot anymore. In the meantime grease 8 holes of the donut pan with coconut oil until they are lightly coated.
  • Add apple cider concentrate to the blender and blend everything until smooth. Combine wet and dry mix to a thick batter.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Place batter into 8 muffin pan holes. With your finger smoothen out the batter. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • Let the donuts cool off for 5-10 minutes before removing them. You still want them to be a bit warm for the sugar to stick better.
  • Mix together maple sugar and cinnamon and coat the donuts with the sugar mix, by dunking both sides into the sugar-cinnamon mix and sprinkling some more on top. If you need more of the coating simply mix together more in the same ratio.
  • Enjoy
  • Store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. It actually tastes even more intense.
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Comments

  1. Amber Coxfield

    Can we substitute something else for plantain, they don’t sell this in China.

    1. Hi Amber. You can try it with a banana. I have a similar recipe that uses a banana, the taste will be slightly different though, not like a crazy banana taste but it will be there a little bit. Hope that helps.

  2. Jason

    5 stars
    Really great! My plantain was a bit more ripe than recommended, so it had a slight banana flavor. But it was still fantastic and had a great texture.

    1. Hi Jason. Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so glad you liked them! I know it is sometimes hard to find plantains that are not too ripe already. 🙂

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