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Murielle Banackissa
Heart shaped apple donuts cooling off on a cooling rack.

Baked Heart Shaped Apple Donuts

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1 hour 30 mins Prep: 30 mins Cook: 1 hour
Serves 24

Light and fluffy, these heart shaped donuts are made of a base of spelt flour and Autumn Glory Apples. Topped with a rich almond-flavored glaze and sprinkles, these are a lovely dessert to make for a loved one or to treat yourself on Valentine’s Day!

Equipment

  • Heart shaped donut pan (I used this one.)

Ingredients

For the donuts

  • 2 cups whole spelt flour
  • ½ cup organic cane sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1 Autumn Glory apple , peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 tbsp filtered water
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil

For the icing

  • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted vegan butter , melted
  • 2 tbsp full fat coconut milk
  • ¼ tsp almond extract , or more to taste
  • Vegan sprinkles , for garnish & optional

Recipe

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease your donut pan.

  2. Step 2

    Add spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into a bowl. Mix until combined. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add the diced apple into a microwave safe bowl along with 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with a plate and microwave for 4 minutes or until fork tender.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer apples in a blender along with soy milk, apple cider vinegar and avocado oil. Blend until smooth. Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.

  5. Step 5

    Pour the batter into your donut pan, filling it about 3/4 full and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes then remove from the donut pan and let cool completely.

  7. Step 7

    Prepare the icing by adding all ingredients together into a bowl. Mix until smooth. Taste and add some almond extract if you want a stronger almond flavor.

  8. Step 8

    Dip each donut into the icing and place on a plate, decorate (if desired) and let icing set completely.

  9. Step 9

    If the icing stiffens up as you ice your donuts, place it in the microwave for 10 seconds, stir and continue the process.

  10. Step 10

    These donuts are best when fresh, but can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Common Questions & Swaps

The donut pan I used yields small donuts. If your donut pan is bigger, you will have to adjust the baking time accordingly.

This recipe can easily be halved; I just made the full recipe to use an entire apple instead of just half of one.

  • Can I use another flour? I have personally not tested the recipe with another flour or a mix of flours, but I would think that a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour would work really well.

  • Can I use coconut sugar instead of organic cane sugar? I have not tested the recipe with another granulated sweetener, but I think that coconut sugar would work well.

  • Can I use any plant based milk for the batter? I would stick to an unsweetened milk, but you can use anything from almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk, hemp milk, macadamia milk etc. Avoid canned coconut milk as it is too rich.

  • Can I use another type of apple for this recipe? To be honest, this recipe is made for Autumn Glory Apples, which are very sweet and quite firm. Their texture and flavour was taken into account to make this recipe work so I would would suggest to try and get your hand on them. If you can’t find Autumn Glory Apples, then give Fuji or Golden Delicious apples a try.

  • Can I use any oil? Yes, as long as it does not have a very strong and pronounced flavour. If you use a hard oil (like coconut or butter), melt it first then measure it and use in the recipe as indicated.

  • Is the almond extract necessary? No, but I personally looove its flavour in combination with the apple in the donuts. If you don’t have any, simply leave it out or you could add a touch of cinnamon into your icing for an extra cinnamon punch.

Heart shaped apple donuts cooling off on a cooling rack.
Heart shaped donuts being glazed.
Heart shaped donuts topped with sprinkles.
Ready to eat heart shaped donuts laying on a plate.