If you love donuts but want a donut with a little more protein that doesn’t give up flavor, these apple cinnamon almond flour donuts are worth making! These little paleo donuts are full of juicy apples and lots of cinnamon flavor.
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My kids are so excited we are breaking the rules today. Breakfast must be fun, but my biggest rule is that breakfast must have protein and not too much sugar. Nothing is worse than sitting through your first class, and your tummy starts to rumble. They tick off all of the checkboxes I have for breakfast rules. Delicious, protein, fruit, and low in sugar.
I love that these paleo apple donuts are made with all the healthy stuff….almond flour, cassava flour, egg, almond milk, and no-refined sugars. It makes these fall under the no-guilt; yes, you can have another donut category.
You can make them in a donut maker or bake them in a donut pan! And aren’t these gluten free donuts worth it? As a mom, I love that these include high-protein almond flour to prevent sugar buzzes!
Check out all of the Best Gluten Free Donut Recipes on my blog! You can also check out our favorite gluten free apple recipes.
Allergen Information:
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. Note that this recipe contains nuts and eggs.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Almond Flour – I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy. I like Anthony’s Almond Flour because they test to ensure it is gluten free.
- Cassava Flour – You can also use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
- Ground Cinnamon, Baking Soda, and Salt
- Apples – I prefer tart apples, but you can use any variety.
- Coconut Oil – I love the flavor coconut oil brings to these cinnamon apple donuts. You can use another light oil if you prefer.
- Almond Milk – I used almond milk but other dairy-free milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk. Regular milk will also work.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Honey – Use an inexpensive variety of honey. Do not use corn syrup imitation honey.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add the apple chunks. Mix until just barely mixed. (This will help the donuts bake up fluffier.)
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Step 3: The batter should be a little thick, but not too thick. See all of the delicious apple chunks? They are the highlight of this donut recipe!
🔑 Sandi says: Let the batter rest for 15 minutes if you have the time. Almond flour is grainy, but resting the batter can soften it a bit, so you have less gritty donuts.
Step 4: There are two ways you can cook these donuts.
- My favorite way to make donuts is in a BabyCakes Donut Maker. They taste fried, but these are just as healthy as baked donuts. You can also use a donut pan and bake these, they will taste just as good :-).
- Bake them in a donut pan at 350º F. Be sure to grease it before adding the batter.
TIP: If you use a donut pan, spray coconut oil in the pan, and it will help give a little crispness to your donuts.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The donuts are ready in 5-7 minutes if you use a donut maker. If you are baking your paleo donuts in a donut pan, it will take 22 minutes.
I like to use apples that are on the tart side for baking. My favorites are Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Jonagold. They are more sweet-tart and really taste delicious in this gluten free apple donuts recipe.
I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk. Regular milk is also fine if you are not dairy-free
Store these donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe zip bag for up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Delicious Donut Recipes To Try:
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Paleo Apple Cinnamon Donuts with Honey Nectar
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the BabyCakes Donut maker, or your oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup cassava flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and a dash salt together to blend.
- Combine 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 3 tablespoons honey, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add 1 peeled chopped apples.
- Mix into a soft batter.
- Add the donut batter to sections of the donut maker or donut pan and cook for 4 minutes in the donut maker or 20 minutes in the oven. You will know the donuts are finished cooking when they are firm to the touch and slightly golden in color.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy.
- You can use cassava flour, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. However, I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Let the donut batter sit for 10 minutes before adding it to the donut maker or pan.
- These donuts will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I made these this morning following the recipe exactly except I added some nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon. Our donuts came out very oily tasting. If I make again I think I’ll need less coconut oil. Also would add some honey to the batter and not just the drizzle for sweetness. I did bake in oven in a donut pan. They were hard to remove despite a greased nonstick pan. I love that they are made with almond flour. Thanks!
Hi April, can I ask what gluten free flour blend you used? A starchier blend may have made less oil necessary.
Can I substitute Sunflower flour for the almond flour? Allergic to almonds.
Hi Connie, I have never seen sunflower flour, but I assume it is moist like almond flour and that it should be fine to use!!
These look incredible, I really need to buy a donut pan!
I can definitely recommend it 🙂