WW Friendly Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts (Easy & Low Fat)

Fall always gets me in the mood for warm apple treats, but truthfully, I love doughnuts all year long. When the craving strikes, I like to skip the bakery and make these light and fluffy baked apple cinnamon doughnuts right at home. They’re full of cozy apple flavor, spiced just right, and baked instead of fried for fewer calories and WW Points.

Instead of deep-frying, I whip up a quick batter with whole wheat pastry flour, applesauce, and a touch of spice, then bake them in my donut pan (affiliate link) until golden. The result? A batch of warm, soft doughnuts that satisfy my sweet tooth without leaving me feeling weighed down.

These baked apple cinnamon donuts are a healthier twist on a classic and make the perfect fall breakfast, afternoon snack, or WW-friendly dessert.

Why I Love These Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts

• WW Friendly and Lower Fat – Each donut is baked, not fried, for fewer calories and less fat.
• Easy Pantry Ingredients – Made with simple staples like flour, applesauce, and cinnamon that I always have on hand.
• Moist and Flavorful – Applesauce keeps them tender with natural sweetness.
• Customizable Toppings – Enjoy them plain, dusted with cinnamon sugar, or drizzled with a light icing.
• Perfect for Fall (or Anytime!) – A cozy treat that pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Whole wheat pastry flour – Adds fiber while keeping the donuts light. All-purpose flour can be used if you don’t have pastry flour.
• Baking powder – Helps the donuts rise and stay fluffy.
• Pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon) – Pumpkin pie spice adds warmth and complexity, but ground cinnamon works just as well.
• Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
• Brown sugar – Keeps the donuts moist and adds caramel-like sweetness. Use light or dark brown sugar depending on your preference.
• Unsweetened applesauce – Replaces some of the fat and gives a natural apple flavor. Pumpkin puree can be swapped in for a fall twist.
• Milk – Any kind works—dairy, almond, oat, or soy.
• Egg – Binds the ingredients and adds structure.
• Canola oil – A small amount keeps the donuts soft. Vegetable or melted coconut oil also work.
• Vanilla extract – Adds depth of flavor and sweetness without extra sugar.

WW Points and Nutrition

According to my calculations, each of these baked cinnamon apple doughnuts has just:

• Calories: 148 calories
• WW Points: 5
  To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
  (You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
• Old Points: 4 PointsPlus

How to Make Healthy Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts Step-by-Step

Step 1: Gather and Prep your ingredients

Heat the oven to 350F degrees. Gather all your ingredients and tools.

Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spice(s) and salt.

Step 3: Whisk together the wet ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, milk, egg, oil and vanilla.

Step 4: Combine the dry and wet ingredients

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the applesauce mixture. Using a spoon mix until just combined. Do not overmix or the doughnuts will be tough.

Step 5: Fill the donut pans with batter

Use a pastry bag, or large plastic bag, to pipe the mixture into the donut pan (affiliate link). Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into the molds, but the finished doughnuts may not appear as even.

Step 5: Bake

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed gently around the edges.

Step 6: Cool and Remove Donuts from pan(s)

Place the pan on a wire rack and let the doughnuts cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the molds to release the doughnuts. Invert the donuts on the rack and cool completely, or enjoy warm.

Recipe Notes

I used this recipe for baked pumpkin doughnuts, substituting applesauce for the pumpkin and topping them with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and drizzle of icing. YUM!

The delicious, still warm-from-the-oven baked doughnuts are able to satisfy my craving for a sweet treat, while avoiding the sugar rush I get from the bakeshop variety.

They made Rod smile too.

The doughnuts can be eaten as is, sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, or decorated with your favorite icing and chopped nuts and/or candy sprinkles.

I like to sprinkle mine with a little cinnamon and sugar and drizzle them with icing I made by stirring together 2 heaping tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of apple juice (water or milk would work too) to achieve a drizzling consistency.

If you’ve made this Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

More Donuts & Muffins for WeightWatchers

If you liked these baked apple cinnamon donuts you’ll also love:

• Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts – A cozy fall favorite made with pumpkin puree and warm spices for a seasonal twist on baked donuts.
• 3-Ingredient Baked Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts – Quick, easy, and bursting with pumpkin spice latte flavor—perfect for coffee lovers.
• Easy Baked Mint Chocolate Donuts – A refreshing mint-chocolate combo baked into a lighter donut that’s WW friendly.
• Easy Kodiak Cakes Muffins – Protein-packed muffins made with Kodiak mix (affiliate link) for a simple, satisfying snack or breakfast.

Make Healthy Baking Easy

Love sweet treats that don’t derail your goals? You will find even more simple, satisfying recipes like these baked donuts in my Ultimate WW-Friendly eCookbook Bundle. It is packed with comfort foods, lightened-up favorites, and meal plans designed to make healthy living delicious and doable.