Try these baked apple spice donuts that are soft, delicious, and perfect for cozy fall mornings. Everyone will love these easy cake mix shortcut donuts that are coated with cinnamon sugar and full of fall flavors.
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There is nothing cozier than a delicious apple spice donut with a cup of coffee (preferably pumpkin spice) on a crisp fall day. And, since we are lucky enough to have a few apple orchards near our home, apple picking is high on our must-do fall activities every year.
But what I love the best after a full day at the apple orchard is coming home and experimenting with different apple recipes to create the perfect apple desserts. Whether it’s our fun caramel apple crisp muffins, homemade applesauce, or these simple cake mix apple spice donuts, which are the perfect cozy treat for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Made with a spice cake mix, applesauce, apple juice, and a few other simple ingredients, these donuts are soft and full of warm fall flavors everyone will enjoy.
Why You Will Love These Cake Mix Apple Spice Donuts:
- Easy and quick recipe, as they are made with a boxed cake mix, so that you can enjoy homemade donuts without all the fuss.
- Fun to make with kids, since they contain simple ingredients with minimal prep, allowing both kids and adults to enjoy making them together as a fun fall activity.
- Customizable, because you can enjoy them plain or coat them with cinnamon sugar.
- Perfect for any occasion, as you can make them for breakfast, a snack, dessert, or even for a holiday brunch idea or fall gathering.
- Healthier because they are baked and not fried, so you can still enjoy a delicious fall-flavored treat without all the calories.
Looking for more fall dessert ideas?
- Easy and Delicious Fall Desserts
- 52 Best Pumpkin Desserts for Fall
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- 19 Air Fryer Pumpkin and Apple Recipes for Fall
Cake Mix Apple Spice Donut Recipe
Ingredients for Apple Spice Donuts
These baked donuts are soft, moist, and full of apple spice flavor. With only a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy a delicious homemade donut in minutes. Perfect for fall baking, everyone will love this super-easy recipe.
You will need
- Spice Cake Mix
- Applesauce (unsweetened)
- Apple juice
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Butter (melted)
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
How to Make Easy Cake Mix Apple Donuts
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease your donut pans.
- In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of apple juice over medium heat, and simmer until it reduces to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the spice cake mix, applesauce, egg, apple juice, butter, and vanilla until just combined.
- Add to piping bag (or gallon-size storage bag with one corner cut off). Pipe into greased donut pans, filling them about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Brush donuts with melted butter, and dip them into the cinnamon sugar topping. Enjoy!
Variations:
- Swap out the apple juice with apple cider for apple cider donuts instead of apple spice.
- You can drizzle with caramel sauce or add caramel chips.
- Make apple pumpkin donuts by replacing half of the applesauce with pumpkin puree.
Helpful Tips:
- Simmering the apple juice concentrates the flavor without making the batter too thin, so the donuts come out tender and delicious.
- To keep the donuts soft and fluffy, try not to overmix the batter; just stir until combined.
- Although not necessary, use a piping bag or a gallon-sized storage bag so you can pipe the batter into the donut pan, so it’s not as messy.
- Baking times can vary, so start checking at the lowest time.
- If you are coating in cinnamon sugar, let the donuts cool for 5 minutes and then brush with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar. The donuts should still be warm so that the coating will stick well.
Storage and Leftovers:
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds to soften.
Cake Mix Apple Spice Donut Recipe
Equipment
- Donut Pan
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened
- ½ cup apple juice reduced (see step 2)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease your donut pans.
- In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of apple juice over medium heat, and simmer until it reduces to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the spice cake mix, applesauce, egg, apple juice, butter, and vanilla until just combined.
- Add to piping bag (or gallon-size storage bag with one corner cut off). Pipe into greased donut pans, filling them about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Brush donuts with melted butter, and dip them into the cinnamon sugar topping.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Melt butter in a dish and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar.
- While the donuts are warm, brush them with the melted butter and dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Notes
Variations:
- Swap out the apple juice with apple cider for apple cider donuts instead of apple spice.
- You can drizzle with caramel sauce or add caramel chips.
- Make apple pumpkin donuts by replacing half of the applesauce with pumpkin puree.
Helpful Tips:
- Simmering the apple juice concentrates the flavor without making the batter too thin, so the donuts come out tender and delicious.
- To keep the donuts soft and fluffy, try not to overmix the batter; just stir until combined.
- Although not necessary, use a piping bag or a gallon-sized storage bag so you can pipe the batter into the donut pan, so it's not as messy.
- Baking times can vary, so start checking at the lowest time.
- If you are coating in cinnamon sugar, let the donuts cool for 5 minutes and then brush with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar. The donuts should still be warm so that the coating will stick well.
Storage and Leftovers:
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds to soften.
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