Craving baked donuts but no pan? Here's how to make donuts without a donut pan! All you need is a muffin pan, foil, and a little patience. Plus a recipe for mini powdered apple cider donuts!
Last month I wrote an article for Taste of Home explaining how to create a donut pan at home! This has been highly requested from y'all, so I'm sharing my tips here too. Check out the original article here!
Next time you're craving baked donuts, grab your muffin pan and foil, and get to baking.
DIY Donut Pan
To create your makeshift donut pan, start by taking a 5"x5" square piece of foil and place it over your fingers.
Fold the foil around your fingers and carefully fold the sides up to create a mold.
Fit the mold into a cup of your muffin pan and press into place.
Repeat for remaining cups.
Homemade Donuts without a Donut Pan
Today we're making baked apple cider donuts with a powdered sugar topping, but feel free to experiment with flavors! Maybe a fall favorite, pumpkin donuts?!
Simply reduce the apple cider down, combine everything together in a mixing bowl, pipe into makeshift donut pan, bake, let cool, then dust with powdered sugar.
These mini baked apple cider donuts are absolutely adorable, perfectly moist, and oh so fluffy!
FAQ and Tips for Making Donuts at Home
What's your favorite store-bought donut pan? Here's my 2-piece donut pan set, I love it!
Don't have a piping bag? No problem! Use a zip-top bag instead. Pour the batter into the bag and snip the tip to pipe.
What kind of dairy-free milk should I use? I suggest plain unsweetened almond milk or soy milk.
Can this recipe be adapted for gluten-free diets? Absolutely, just use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Can I use melted coconut oil instead of vegan butter? Yep, you sure can!
How do I find vegan sugar? Look for labels that include words like organic, unrefined, natural, or raw on the package. Here's a great option for vegan-friendly sugar.
I hope y'all have fun making donuts without a donut pan! Be sure to share your creations with me on Instagram.
Mini Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk
- Powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- Start by reducing the apple cider in a small saucepan on the stove. To do this, bring apple cider to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Once reduced to about ½ cup, remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Pour in reduced apple cider, melted vegan butter, and dairy-free milk. Stir to combine, being careful not to over mix! If the batter seems too dry, add extra dairy-free milk in one tablespoon at a time.
- Pipe the batter into a generously sprayed makeshift donut pan, filling about ¾ of the way full. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes. Flip baked donuts onto a cooling rack and let cool completely!
- After the donuts have cooled, top with a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy warm.
Barbara says
Why not just start out using 1/2 cup of apple cider instead of reducing 1-1/2 cups down to 1/2 cup?
Jenna Urben says
Reducing the apple cider gives you a thick, syrup-like consistency with sweet, bold apple flavor!