Healthy Baked Apple Donuts with Stevia Glaze
Making warm baked donuts at home used to leave me with dense, heavy rings that tasted more like rubbery muffins than real bakery treats. After a few tries in my kitchen, I found that folding real unsweetened applesauce directly into a lighter oat and almond flour blend keeps the crumb incredibly tender without needing a drop of processed sugar. Paired with a delicate, cinnamon-spiced stevia glaze, these donuts give you that cozy bakery quality straight from your oven.
Recipe Highlights
- Baked Not Fried: Baked instead of fried, keeping cleanup easy and light.
- Sugar-Free Glaze: Naturally sugar-free glaze using powdered stevia sweetener.
- Grain-Free Texture: Tender texture made with wholesome grain-free flour blends.
- Apple Cinnamon Flavor: Loaded with real unsweetened applesauce and ground cinnamon.
- Quick & Easy: Quick to bake in under 30 minutes total.
Key Ingredients Breakdown
Oat Flour & Almond Flour Blend
Oat flour adds structure and a soft, cake-like texture, while fine almond flour provides healthy fats that keep the center tender. If you need a strict grain-free option, substitute the oat flour with additional almond flour, adding one extra tablespoon of tapioca starch for binder.
Unsweetened Applesauce
Applesauce acts as the core flavor base and replaces heavy oils or butter, keeping the crumb naturally moist. You can swap this with mashed ripe banana or sugar-free pumpkin puree if you want a subtle flavor variation.
Granulated & Powdered Stevia
Granulated stevia sweetens the donut batter without changing the wet-to-dry ratio, while powdered stevia dissolves smoothly into melted butter or unsweetened almond milk to create a clear glaze. Erythritol or monk fruit sweetener works as a direct 1:1 substitute.
Eggs
The egg binds the liquid ingredients with the flour blend and helps the donuts rise evenly in the mold. For a plant-based option, substitute with a flax egg (one tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons warm water).
Cinnamon & Allspice
These warm baking spices emphasize the natural sweetness of the applesauce without adding extra calories. Nutmeg or ground cardamom can be added for extra warmth.
Why You Will Love These Healthy Baked Apple Donuts
A soft, bakery-style autumn treat baked to golden perfection—without deep frying or refined sugar.
Naturally Sweetened
Real unsweetened applesauce and stevia provide authentic autumn flavor without any added sugar spikes.
Bakes in Under 30 Minutes
Simple pantry steps mean you can whip up a batch quickly on quiet mornings.
Light and Tender Crumb
Combining oat and almond flours creates a soft, bakery-style texture that never feels heavy or dense.
No Deep Frying Mess
Baking in a donut pan gives you golden, perfectly shaped rings without dealing with hot oil splatters.
Diet-Friendly Treat
Low in calories and carbs, these fit seamlessly into balanced, sugar-free, or low-carb meal plans.
Pro Tips
- Transfer the batter into a large Ziploc bag, snip off the corner, and pipe it directly into the donut pan for neat, even rings.
- Allow the donuts to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing so the topping sets instead of melting off.
- Spray your donut pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray, even if it is non-stick, to ensure clean release.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigeration: Store leftover donuts in an airtight container lined with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 2 days, or keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze unglazed donuts in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
- Reheating: Warm individual donuts in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds to restore their soft texture.
Healthy Baked Apple Donuts with Stevia Glaze
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6 donuts
servings15
minutes12
minutes870
kcalThese healthy baked apple donuts feature a moist, tender crumb naturally sweetened with applesauce and warm autumn spices. Dipped in a smooth, sugar-free stevia glaze, they deliver the comforting flavor of fresh apple cider donuts with none of the excess sugar or heavy frying oil.
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Ingredients
- ​For the Apple Donuts:
​1 cup oat flour
​1/2 cup fine almond flour
​1/3 cup granulated stevia sweetener
​1 teaspoon baking powder
​1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
​1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
​1/4 teaspoon salt
​1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
​1 large egg, room temperature
​2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
​1 teaspoon vanilla extract
​2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- ​For the Stevia Glaze:
​1/3 cup powdered stevia sweetener
​1 tablespoon melted unsweetened butter or coconut oil
​1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
​1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
​1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 6-cavity non-stick donut pan with non-stick cooking spray or a light coat of coconut oil, then set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, granulated stevia, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until completely combined and free of lumps.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the unsweetened applesauce, room-temperature egg, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond milk until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula just until the batter comes together. Avoid overmixing so the donuts remain soft.
- Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut cavities, filling each about three-quarters full. Smooth the tops gently with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the donuts cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered stevia, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of almond milk in a small bowl. Add more almond milk a splash at a time until a smooth, drizzlable consistency forms.
- Dip the top of each cooled donut into the stevia glaze, set them back on the wire rack, and let the glaze firm up for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Equipment Needed: A 6-cavity donut pan, mixing bowls, whisk, silicon spatula, and a piping bag or Ziploc bag.
- Glaze Consistency: Stevia glazes set faster than traditional powdered sugar glazes. If the glaze thickens while dipping, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of warm milk to loosen it again.
- Flour Texture: For the softest texture, use finely ground oat flour rather than coarse rolled oats blended at home.
Nutrition Facts & Label
Servings: 6 | Serving Size: 1 glazed donut | Calories: 145 | ​Total Fat: 8g | ​Saturated Fat: 4g | ​Cholesterol: 31mg | ​Sodium: 140mg | ​Total Carbohydrate: 14g | ​Dietary Fiber: 3g | ​Sugars: 2g | ​Protein: 4g
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these donuts without a donut pan? Yes, you can use a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Fill 6 muffin cups halfway with batter and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 18 minutes.
Why did my stevia glaze turn out thin? Powdered stevia behaves differently than traditional powdered sugar because it lacks bulk starch. Add the milk slowly, a tiny splash at a time, to avoid thinning out the mixture too quickly.
