Hi everyone!  On Thursdays, I will be sharing some of my favorites from the archives from Lemon Sugar.  These Applesauce Doughnut Holes have remained very popular since I first posted them years ago. They just scream autumn! Enjoy! ♥

Ok, I promise I’ll get off the fall-flavor train soon.

Yeah, not really.  I can’t promise that at all.  I know there are some of you out there who aren’t into pumpkin, apple and cinnamon EVERYTHING, but I can’t help myself.  I am very into pumpkin, apple and cinnamon everything.

I’ll try to mix it up a bit.  However,  you should know that I still have 14 cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry, so I’m probably not going to keep my word on this one.   At least for a while.  But I’ll try.  Kind of.

The good news, for some of you, is that there isn’t a drop of pumpkin in these doughnuts.  Apple and cinnamon, yes.  But no pumpkin.

Baby steps.

Seriously, who am I kidding?  I would’ve put pumpkin in these if I were thinking straight.

I’m usually not one to fry much of anything, but the thought of a soft, cinnamon and apple doughnut with a slight crisp to the outer, sugar-coated layer?  I couldn’t leave it alone.  These are fantastic at any temperature, but warm, fresh doughnut holes are where.  it’s.  at.

Can you imagine indulging in a couple of these with a big old mug of coffee?  I can.  ‘Cause I did it.

If you’re looking for an easy doughnut recipe, you’ve found it.  No special tools are needed, except perhaps a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil.  If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat, and you should be at the right temperature.  If the oil is too hot, the middle of the doughnut won’t cook and the outside will burn.  If it’s too low, they’ll get greasy and absorb all of the oil, so you can tell when you’re in the right spot.  They should cook in about 3-4 minutes, be dark golden brown on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside.

Let them drain on a cookie sheet lined with a paper towel and a wire cooling rack, if you have one.  Roll them when they’re warm (but not hot) in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then try not to eat them all yourself.

If you aren’t into the cinnamon-sugar coating, you can try a powdered sugar glaze, too.  This recipe makes between 24 and 36 doughnut holes, depending on the size of your scoop, so you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Hope you love this as much as we did.

Don’t forget, if you haven’t yet, make sure you stop by my Facebook page and follow along – you can also find me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Leave me a comment below so I know you were here!

♥erin

Applesauce Doughnuts

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Warm fall flavors of apples, cinnamon and cloves come together in these easy, no-yeast doughnut holes. Recipe source: Lulu the Baker

Serves: Approx 24-36 doughnut holes

Ingredients

Doughnuts:

• 2-3 inches oil for frying
• 2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable/canola oil
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For cinnamon sugar:

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Fill a large heavy saucepan with 2-3 inches of oil. Heat to 360 degrees (F) using a candy or instant-read thermometer to monitor temperature.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, beat together white sugar, brown sugar and eggs until pale and just slightly foamy.
4. Beat in 2 Tablespoons oil.
5. Add half of the flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated.
6. Add milk, and beat until just combined.
7. Add remaining flour and again beat until just incorporated.
8. Stir in applesauce and vanilla beat until just combined.
9. Using a small scoop or Tablespoon, carefully drop the batter into the hot oil, 6-8 at a time.
10. Fry for about 3 minutes, turning once with tongs half-way through, monitoring temperature of oil then whole time.
11. Remove to a paper towel to drain and cool.
12. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, and individually roll each doughnut in cinnamon sugar.
13. Best served slightly warm, but otherwise keep in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.
14. Enjoy!

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