Homemade Apple Butter Donuts

Skip the orchard with these homemade donuts...

There are some flavors that just belong to fall, and apple butter is near the top of the list.

Rich with apples and warm spice, Wisconsin Bee Company Apple Butter does a lot of the work for you in these homemade donuts. It adds moisture, sweetness and deep apple flavor to the batter without requiring fresh apples, extra cooking or a long list of spices.

These are soft, cake-style donuts baked in the oven and finished with cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. They’re easy enough for a weekend breakfast but feel special enough to serve with coffee when friends or family stop by.

And unlike a trip to the orchard, you don’t have to wait in line for them!

Baked Apple Butter Donuts

Makes: 10–12 donuts Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 10–12 minutes

Ingredients

For the Donuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup Wisconsin Bee Company Apple Butter

• 1/2 cup milk

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Sugar

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Make the Donut Batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a donut pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the Apple Butter, milk, melted butter and vanilla, then stir until everything is well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold them together just until no streaks of flour remain. Try not to overmix the batter; a light hand will help keep the finished donuts soft and tender. The batter should be thick enough to spoon or pipe into the pan. For cleaner, more evenly shaped donuts, transfer the batter to a large zip-top bag, snip off one corner and pipe it into each donut cavity until about three-quarters full.

Bake Until Just Golden

Bake the donuts for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean.

Let them cool in the pan for about five minutes before carefully transferring them to a rack. You want them cool enough to handle, but still warm when you add the cinnamon sugar.

Finish with Cinnamon Sugar

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Lightly brush each warm donut with melted butter, then roll or dip it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until generously coated. That warm butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick while adding a little richness to the outside of the donut. At this point, they're ready to eat and they're at their best while they're still slightly warm.

A Little Extra Apple Butter Never Hurts

If you really want to lean into the apple flavor, serve the donuts with a small dish of warmed Apple Butter on the side for dipping. You can also split a donut in half and spread a thin layer of Apple Butter inside before putting it back together. It turns an already-good breakfast into something dangerously close to dessert.

For a brunch spread, serve them alongside fresh fruit, coffee, hot cider or scrambled eggs. They also make an easy fall dessert when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Why Apple Butter Works So Well in Donuts

Apple butter is more concentrated than applesauce, which gives these donuts a deeper flavor without adding too much extra liquid to the batter. The slow-cooked apples and spices bring both sweetness and moisture, helping produce the soft, dense crumb you expect from a good cake donut. That also means this recipe doesn't need an overwhelming amount of cinnamon or sugar. The Apple Butter is already bringing plenty of flavor to the party.

A Taste of Fall at Home

Homemade donuts can sound like a project, but these don't require hot oil, yeast or hours of waiting for dough to rise. Mix the batter, bake them for a few minutes and roll them in cinnamon sugar.

That's about it! The result is a warm, soft apple donut with plenty of fall flavor and a very good reason to keep an extra jar of Wisconsin Bee Company Apple Butter in the pantry.

Just don't expect the first batch to last very long.