Apple Date Donuts

This recipe is in collaboration with Natural Delights’ Medjool Dates. All views are my own.

These baked apple date donuts are the perfect fall treat!

The whole grain, tender batter is filled with sweet dates, crisp apples and cinnamon and are glazed with an easy homemade, naturally sweetened date frosting or dusted in cinnamon sugar.

You’ll take one bite and be totally smitten, I promise!

How to make apple date donuts

Featured Ingredients

For the apple date donuts:

• Dates: Pitted Medjool dates are the star of the show in this recipe! They’re packed with natural sweetness, provide that trademark date flavor and are filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber. For this recipe, they are soaked in boiling water so they become soft. They serve as a sweetener for the donuts as well as provide texture and moisture.
• Apples: Finely diced apples provide a crisp, juicy bite as well as a boost of fiber, vitamins and minerals, making these donuts perfect for late summer, early fall, and even winter (but let’s be honest, I’d eat them year-round).
• Brown sugar: I like to add a little bit of brown sugar to the donut batter to give them more flavor. The molasses in brown sugar lends itself so well with the dates, apples and cinnamon.
• Applesauce: Applesauce is a classic substitution for fat in baking because it provides moisture without any added fat (plus it provides loads of nutrition). I use some applesauce and some oil in this recipe for the perfect texture.
• Cinnamon: It’s the perfect warm spice! We’re going to put it in the batter as well as the cinnamon sugar coating.

For the cinnamon sugar:

• Cinnamon: Again, there’s a reason cinnamon is so popular, and these donuts wouldn’t be the same without it! You can’t go wrong with dates + apples + cinnamon. In this case, the cinnamon is part of the coating for the outside of the donuts when mixed with a little bit of sugar.
• Granulated sugar: For the trademark sweetness when you bite into a coated donut.

For the date frosting:

• Dates: Just like we did for the donut batter, we’re going to soak a few ounces of pitted Medjool dates in boiling water to make them softer and pliable. Then, we’ll whirl them up in a food processor to turn them into the ultimate naturally sweetened frosting!
• Coconut oil: I add melted coconut oil to the frosting to help it hold together as it sits.
• Peanut butter: A tablespoon or two adds immense flavor to this frosting.
• Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor! I opt for pure vanilla extract.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To make the donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 6-cup donut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place the dates in a medium glass bowl and cover it with boiling water. Let the dates soak for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water and chop into a thick paste. Set aside.
3. In another medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the eggs at medium speed. Once the eggs are fluffy and light in color, add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the applesauce, oil and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly mixed. Beat the chopped date paste into the wet ingredients until combined.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined. Beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
5. Use a spatula to fold in the finely diced apples until just combined.
6. Transfer the donut batter into a large Ziploc bag. Use scissors to snip one of the bottom corners of the Ziploc bag to make it into a piping bag. Slowly pipe the batter into the wells of the prepared donut pan, creating a donut shape.
7. Bake the donuts 12-15 minutes or until just set. Let mostly cool.

To make the toppings:

To make the cinnamon sugar:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
2. Dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.

To make the date frosting:

1. Place the dates in a small glass bowl. Cover the dates in the boiling water. Let sit 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and carefully transfer the dates to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
2. Place the coconut oil and peanut butter in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 15-20 seconds or until the coconut oil is mostly melted. Transfer the mixture to the food processor or blender with the dates.
3. To the food processor or blender, add the vanilla extract and salt. Puree the mixture while drizzling the milk into the mixture until it’s smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed (add additional milk if the mixture is thicker than standard frosting).
4. Use a knife to spread the frosting on each donut. Alternatively, dip each donut top into the frosting.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• For the apples: Try this recipe with finely diced pears. You can also omit the apples if you don’t want any chunks of fresh fruit in your donuts.
• For the brown sugar: You can use dark or brown sugar or even granulated sugar. You can also swap in pure maple syrup or honey if you wish. You can skip it altogether for an even lower sugar version (these donuts are already very low in sugar in comparison to traditional donuts).
• For the applesauce and oil: You can use all unsweetened applesauce or all oil in this recipe instead of a 50/50 mix. As for the oil, I like to use avocado, but any neutral oil will work.
• For the flour: I prefer whole wheat pastry flour, but you can use regular whole wheat, oat, all-purpose, whole wheat white or gluten free all-purpose flour.
• For the peanut butter: If you make the frosting for these donuts, you can use any nut or seed butter.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make these gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour or gluten free oat flour.
• To make these dairy free: Use dairy free milk for the frosting, such as soy, almond, coconut, rice, cashew, oat or pea milk.
• To make these vegan: Try this recipe with flax ‘eggs’ or an egg replacer (although I haven’t tested this). Use dairy free milk for the frosting, such as soy, almond, coconut, rice, cashew, oat or pea milk.
• To make these nut free: For the frosting, use a seed butter like tahini or sun butter. Be sure all ingredients you use are nut free.
• To make them egg free: Try this recipe with flax ‘eggs’ or an egg replacer (although I haven’t tested this).

Why I Love Dates

• Dates are naturally sweet so they make a great substitution for traditional sugars. I like to use them in place of most or some of the sugar in my recipes!
• They are are a source of vitamins and minerals like potassium (in fact, they have more potassium than bananas!), B vitamins, iron, copper and magnesium.
• Dates contain fiber - about 6 grams per ½ cup!
• You can purchase Natural Delights Medjool Dates in pitted and organic pitted varieties so there is no fuss when using them in recipes or as a snack.
• Dates have a unique flavor and sticky texture that lend themselves well to many recipes and baked goods.
• Natural Delights Medjool Dates are a sustainable choice:
  • They are grown in the Bard Valley - a 150-square-mile radius at the intersection of Arizona, California and Mexico - where water is plentiful and the climate is high heat, low humidity.
  • 100% of their tree trimmings are turned into mulch.
  • Their ripening facilities are warmed by thermal energy from the sun.
  • 100% of their green packaging is made from post-consumer recycled materials.
  • Drip irrigation is used on over 2,200 acres to conserve water.
  • Natural Delights® are 100% glyphosate free.
• Shop Natural Delights Medjool Dates on Amazon and receive 30% off by using my code 30Epicurean!

Date recipes you'll fall in love with:

• Walnut Oat Bars with Dates
• Blueberry Date Muffins
• Coconut Date Balls  

Apple Date Donuts

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• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 15-20 mins
• Cook Time: 12-15 mins
• Total Time: 27-35 mins
• Yield: Makes 12 donuts 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Apple Date Donuts:

• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 6 ounces)
• ½ cup boiling water
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups flour*
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ medium apple, skins on, finely diced (about ½ cup)

Topping Options:

Cinnamon Sugar:

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Date Frosting:

• ¼ cup pitted Medjool dates (about 2 ounces)
• ¼ cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch coarse salt
• ¼ cup milk (of choice)

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Instructions

To make the donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 6-cup donut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place the dates in a medium glass bowl and cover it with boiling water. Let the dates soak for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water and chop into a thick paste. Set aside.
3. In another medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the eggs at medium speed. Once the eggs are fluffy and light in color, add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
4. Add the applesauce, oil and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly mixed. Beat the chopped date paste into the wet ingredients until combined.
5. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined. Beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
6. Use a spatula to fold in the finely diced apples until just combined.
7. Transfer the donut batter into a large Ziploc bag. Use scissors to snip one of the bottom corners of the Ziploc bag to make it into a piping bag. Slowly pipe the batter into the wells of the prepared donut pan, creating a donut shape.
8. Bake the donuts 12-15 minutes or until just set. Let mostly cool.

To make the toppings:

To make the cinnamon sugar:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
2. Dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.

To make the date frosting:

1. Place the dates in a small glass bowl. Cover the dates in the boiling water. Let sit 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and carefully transfer the dates to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
2. Place the coconut oil and peanut butter in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 15-20 seconds or until the coconut oil is mostly melted. Transfer the mixture to the food processor or blender with the dates.
3. To the food processor or blender, add the vanilla extract and salt. Puree the mixture while drizzling the milk into the mixture until it’s smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed (add additional milk if the mixture is thicker than standard frosting).
4. Use a knife to spread the frosting on each donut. Alternatively, dip each donut top into the frosting.

Notes

*For the flour: You can use whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white, oat, all-purpose or gluten free all-purpose flour for this recipe. I like whole wheat pastry flour mixed with all-purpose.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 donut
• Calories: 193
• Sugar: 35g
• Sodium: 56mg
• Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 33g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 31mg