Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Oh my goodness, they’re SO good: Think soft, moist, cakey deliciousness dusted with a cinnamon-y-sugar coating.
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 (~15oz) box vanilla or yellow cake mix
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, plain or cinnamon*
- 1 cup water
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, more for a stronger cinnamon flavor
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* See note below on applesauce swap.
Instructions
Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 325˚. Liberally mist a donut hole pan(s) (you can use a mini muffin tin, if you don’t have a donut tin) with nonstick oil spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, applesauce (or pumpkin/sweet potato puree) and water. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon batter into the prepared tins (fill each compartment only about ¾ way, as they will puff in oven). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until donut holes are cooked and a toothpick comes out clean. Set pan(s) on counter and let slightly cool before removing holes.
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:
- In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. One at a time, brush the melted butter onto each donut top, then sprinkle on some sugar followed some cinnamon (alternatively, you can dip the donut tops directly into the sugar-cinnamon mix). Enjoy warm or room temperature.
Notes
Equipment note
This recipe requires a donut hole tin or mini muffin pan—unfortunately, it will not work without one of these molds. I experimented with a few different methods—using just a sheet pan, doling out a small amount of the batter with an ice cream scooper, and even refrigerating the batter for an hour before using it to help it firm up, but it was still too thin to hold its shape. Ingredient swap
You can swap applesauce for 1 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree. Boxed cake mix amount and water-adjustment
Try to find a brand of cake mix that is as close to the recommended 15 ounces as possible. If the mix is less than 15 ounces, you will need to reduce the amount of water added. The final texture of the mixture (before you bake it) should be similar to a thick pancake batter. To achieve this, start off by adding only 1/2 cup of water and mixing thoroughly. If it seems too dry, gradually add water by the tablespoonful. After each tablespoon of water, mix well and determine whether the batter has reached the desired consistency. Modifying for Gluten-Free
• This recipe will work using a gluten-free cake mix, however, the texture may change a little because of the varying types of gluten-free flours used from brand to brand. For example, a gluten-free 1:1 (also known as a gluten-free all-purpose baking flour) will seamlessly work, whereas almond flour might have slight texture change, albeit, it will still be delicious. • Also, when adapting this recipe to be gluten-free, you'll need to reduce the amount of water (especially if the mix is less than 15 ounces). The original recipe calls for 1 cup of water, but I recommend starting with just 1/4 cup. Mix thoroughly, and aim for a texture similar to thick pancake batter. If it feels too dry, gradually add a few tablespoons of water at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you achieve the desired consistency. • For reference, I experimented with two mainstream gluten-free cake mix brands: Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix (15oz) and Simple Mills GF Vanilla Cake mix (11.5oz). The Betty Crocker GF mix yielded the closest result to the original recipe, while the Simple Mills GF mix needed to bake for five minutes longer and resulted in a relatively different texture (likely because it’s made with almond + coconut flours). For both GF mixes, you’ll need to reduce the water from 1 cup. I used only 1/4 cup of water for Simple Mills GF mix (11.5oz), and 1/2 cup of water for the Betty Crocker GF mix (15oz).
This recipe requires a donut hole tin or mini muffin pan—unfortunately, it will not work without one of these molds. I experimented with a few different methods—using just a sheet pan, doling out a small amount of the batter with an ice cream scooper, and even refrigerating the batter for an hour before using it to help it firm up, but it was still too thin to hold its shape. Ingredient swap
You can swap applesauce for 1 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree. Boxed cake mix amount and water-adjustment
Try to find a brand of cake mix that is as close to the recommended 15 ounces as possible. If the mix is less than 15 ounces, you will need to reduce the amount of water added. The final texture of the mixture (before you bake it) should be similar to a thick pancake batter. To achieve this, start off by adding only 1/2 cup of water and mixing thoroughly. If it seems too dry, gradually add water by the tablespoonful. After each tablespoon of water, mix well and determine whether the batter has reached the desired consistency. Modifying for Gluten-Free
• This recipe will work using a gluten-free cake mix, however, the texture may change a little because of the varying types of gluten-free flours used from brand to brand. For example, a gluten-free 1:1 (also known as a gluten-free all-purpose baking flour) will seamlessly work, whereas almond flour might have slight texture change, albeit, it will still be delicious. • Also, when adapting this recipe to be gluten-free, you'll need to reduce the amount of water (especially if the mix is less than 15 ounces). The original recipe calls for 1 cup of water, but I recommend starting with just 1/4 cup. Mix thoroughly, and aim for a texture similar to thick pancake batter. If it feels too dry, gradually add a few tablespoons of water at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you achieve the desired consistency. • For reference, I experimented with two mainstream gluten-free cake mix brands: Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix (15oz) and Simple Mills GF Vanilla Cake mix (11.5oz). The Betty Crocker GF mix yielded the closest result to the original recipe, while the Simple Mills GF mix needed to bake for five minutes longer and resulted in a relatively different texture (likely because it’s made with almond + coconut flours). For both GF mixes, you’ll need to reduce the water from 1 cup. I used only 1/4 cup of water for Simple Mills GF mix (11.5oz), and 1/2 cup of water for the Betty Crocker GF mix (15oz).
Nutrition Information per serving
Serving Size: 1 donut holeCalories: 40Carbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0gTotal Fat: 0.5g— Unsaturated Fat: 0.5g— Saturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 4mgFiber: 0gTotal Sugar: 4g— Natural Sugar: 0g— Added Sugar: 4g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.