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Test Kitchen Approved

Apple Delight Donuts

Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

About

It is simply not autumn until you have a bite of one of these Apple Delight Donuts! It's the fall festival, farmstand favorite that everyone loves instantly! Each bite is like sipping on the best apple cider of your life — spiced sugar and warm, jammy apple flavor! Mmmm, Apple Delight Donuts are just wonderful, fantastic... dare we say delightful?

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Ingredients

  • For the donuts:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup prepared applesauce
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • For the coating:
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -Coat a 6-cavity donut pan with nonstick spray.

Step 3 -In a bowl, add the flour, the baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the apple pie spice, and the salt and whisk to combine.

Step 4 -In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 4 tablespoons of the room temperature butter, the dark brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed, while scraping the bowl halfway through, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 5 -Add the egg and the vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

Step 6 -Add the applesauce to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

Step 7 -With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the flour mixture and the milk and beat until just combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl, as needed.

Step 8 -Add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined into a batter.

Step 9 -Transfer the batter to a large piping bag.

Step 10 -Using the piping bag, pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full and gently smoothing out the tops.

Step 11 -Bake the donuts, while rotating the pan halfway through, until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.

Step 12 -In a wide, shallow bowl, add the remaining granulated sugar and the remaining apple pie spice and stir to combine.

Step 13 -Allow the donuts to cool for 1 minute.

Step 14 -Carefully remove the donuts from the pan.

Step 15 -Working with 1 of the donuts at a time, evenly brush the donuts with the remaining melted butter.

Step 16 -Immediately dip the butter-coated donut into the spiced sugar mixture, ensuring to coat both sides.

Step 17 -Repeat until all of the donuts are coated in the spiced sugar mixture.

Step 18 -Serve.

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