There’s just something about apples baking in the oven that makes a home feel *alive.* That warm, buttery smell — a little cinnamon in the air, maybe a hint of caramel — it’s the scent of comfort. And these donuts… they’re basically autumn in a circle.
The first time I made them, I was honestly just trying to use up a couple of apples that were sitting in the fruit bowl looking sad. You know the kind — not bad enough to throw out, but definitely not crisp enough to eat on their own. So I peeled them, diced them up, and figured, *why not toss them into something sweet?*
And then it happened: the smell, the crumble, the soft donut that’s just the right amount of spiced and tender. They came out of the oven looking like something you’d buy at a cozy bakery that also sells cinnamon lattes and has pumpkin décor year-round. The crumble was buttery and crisp, the apples inside just soft enough, and the drizzle on top? A lazy little swipe of cinnamon icing that pulls it all together.
I won’t lie — they didn’t last long. I ate one while it was still too hot to handle, standing at the counter with my coffee, burning my tongue a little, and not regretting it for a second.
What I love most is that they’re baked, not fried — so they feel a little bit lighter. But they don’t *taste* like a “healthy” version of anything. They’re just… good. Simple, spiced, homey, and kind of addictive in that “I’ll just have one more” way.
If you want your kitchen to smell like a hug, if you want to feel like you’ve got your life together for a minute even if you don’t — make these. Trust me.
Ingredients
For the Crumble Topping:
* 35 g (2½ tbsp) cold unsalted butter
* 25 g light brown sugar
* 60 g all-purpose flour
* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Donut Batter:
* 225 g (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp) self-raising flour
* 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar (or light brown sugar for deeper flavor)
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* ½ teaspoon mixed spice (or sub: ¼ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp ginger + pinch of cloves)
* 175 ml (¾ cup) milk
* 30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil
* 2 large eggs, room temp
* 2 medium sweet apples (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, finely diced (~285 g)
For the Cinnamon Icing:
* 75 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
* ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1–2 tablespoons water or milk
Instructions
1.Preheat your oven:
350°F (180°C / 160°C fan). Grease your donut pan really well — you don’t want these beauties sticking.
2.Make the crumble:
Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs. Don’t overthink it — lumpy is fine. Set it aside.
3.Whisk the dry stuff:
In a big bowl, mix self-raising flour, sugar, cinnamon, and mixed spice.
4.Combine the wet stuff:
In another bowl (or jug), whisk milk, oil, and eggs until smooth.
5.Bring it all together:
Pour the wet into the dry, stir until it’s just combined — no need to be perfect here. Fold in your diced apples (toss them in a tiny bit of flour first so they don’t all sink to the bottom).
6.Fill your pans:
Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut cavities, about ¾ full. Sprinkle crumble on top of each one — be generous.
7.Bake:
15 minutes at 350°F, then bump the temp up to 375°F (190°C / 180°C fan) for 5 more minutes to get that topping nice and crisp.
8.Cool:
Let them sit in the pan for 5 minutes (they’ll be soft at first), then pop them out and transfer to a wire rack.
9.Glaze:
Mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, and water or milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled donuts — messy is good.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I skip the crumble?
You *can*, but I don’t recommend it. The crumble is what makes these donuts feel special. Without it, they’re still nice — but with it, they’re next-level cozy. It’s like the crunchy little blanket that ties everything together.
2. My apples turned mushy — what did I do wrong?
Probably used a super soft variety like Red Delicious. Stick with firmer apples — Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady hold up beautifully. You want them to soften a little but still have bite.
3. No donut pan — can I still make them?
Absolutely. You can bake the batter in a muffin tin — just fill them ¾ full, top with crumble, and bake a few minutes longer (about 20–22 minutes total). You’ll end up with “apple crumble muffin-donuts,” which, honestly, sounds just as good.
4. Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, but they’re best the same day. The crumble topping softens overnight. If you must store them, keep them in an airtight container and reheat for a few minutes in the oven to crisp them back up.
5. Can I freeze them?
Yep. Once cooled, freeze them (without glaze) for up to 2 months. Warm in the oven or microwave, then drizzle the icing fresh before serving. They’ll taste almost as good as day one.
Apple Crumble Baked Donuts
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
For the Crumble Topping:
35 g (2½ tbsp) cold unsalted butter
25 g light brown sugar
60 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Donut Batter:
225 g (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp) self-raising flour
175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar (or light brown sugar for deeper flavor)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice (or substitute: ¼ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp ginger + pinch of cloves)
175 ml (¾ cup) milk (any kind)
30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil (e.g., canola or sunflower)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 medium sweet apples (e.g., Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and finely diced (~285 g before prep)
For the Cinnamon Icing:
75 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 –2 tablespoons water (or milk for richer glaze)
Directions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C / 160°C fan). Generously grease a 12-cavity donut pan (or two 6-cavity pans) with butter or nonstick spray.
- Make crumble: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter using fingers, a fork, or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside.
- Prepare batter: In a large bowl, whisk together self-raising flour, caster sugar, cinnamon, and mixed spice. In a separate jug, whisk milk, oil, and eggs until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined.
- Add apples: Toss diced apples with 1–2 teaspoons of reserved flour (to prevent sinking), then fold gently into the batter.
- Fill pans: Spoon or pipe batter evenly into the donut cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
- Top & bake: Sprinkle crumble evenly over each donut. Bake for 15 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 375°F (190°C / 180°C fan) and bake 5 more minutes to crisp the topping.
- Cool: Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Add more liquid as needed for drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled donuts.
