Easy Baked Apple Crumb Donuts
Soft, fluffy baked donuts filled with tender diced apples and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb—an easy, cozy treat perfect for any time of day.
Equipment
- Donut pans or muffin tins
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Piping bag or zip-top bag
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Donut Batter
- 2 cups pancake mix
- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg optional
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup apple peeled, finely diced
For the Crumb Topping
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
- powdered sugar optional, for dusting
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray donut pans with non-stick cooking spray. If using muffin tins, note shape will differ.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together pancake mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- Step 3: Add milk, egg, and melted butter to dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; batter should be slightly lumpy.
- Step 4: Fold in the finely diced apples carefully to distribute throughout the batter.
- Step 5: In a separate bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and optional nutmeg until pea-sized crumbs form.
- Step 6: Transfer batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner cut off. Pipe batter into donut cavities, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- Step 7: Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over each filled donut and press lightly to adhere without compressing.
- Step 8: Bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
- Step 9: Cool donuts in pans for 5 minutes. Loosen edges with a spatula and invert onto a wire rack, crumb side up. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Store donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months. Reheat gently for best texture. Variations include gluten-free pancake mix, dairy-free milk and butter substitutions, and optional glaze with powdered sugar and apple cider.