Making freshly baked salted caramel apple donuts at home is easy! Cinnamon spiced donuts with tart green apples are dipped in luscious caramel and topped with crunchy peanuts.
ingredient
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup peanuts, salted and roasted, chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¾ cup green apple, peeled and grated (about 2 medium)
Directions
- Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until the sugar, is dissolved. If needed, use a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan.
- Increase the heat and bring to a boil, without stirring, about 5 to 6 minutes, until the color is dark amber.
- Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream, small amounts at a time. The mixture will bubble; stir to dissolve any clumped caramel.
- Stir in the unsalted butter and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste and add salt as desired.
- Cool caramel to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator or freezer for quicker cooling, the sauce will thicken slightly. Make sure the caramel does not stiffen too much, it should still have a pourable consistency for dipping.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, stir together melted butter, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and applesauce, stir in fresh apple.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Stir with a spoon, add another ½ of the flour mixture and stir. Add remaining flour and stir until just combined.
- Spoon batter into a large resealable plastic bag, seal and snip the corner off one end.
- Squeeze mixture into the cavities of a large donut pan lightly sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Fill each cavity ¾ way full.
- Use a small offset spatula or knife to distribute the dough evenly and level the surface.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops, spring back slightly when touched and bottoms of donuts are a light golden brown.
- Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. If baking mini donuts, bake for 7 to 8 minutes, and continue as directed for large donuts.
- Dip each cooled donut into the caramel sauce about halfway, shaking off any excess.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and top with peanuts. Repeat with remaining donuts.
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