Apples are packed with essential vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, all important parts of a healthy diet. The same cannot generally be said for donuts. That’s why this recipe for Apple Donuts is such a gem. You can enjoy these donuts without guilt because they’re pretty good for you.
Why Apples?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and health is the number one priority when it comes to our kids. Apples are packed with essential vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber – all-important parts of a healthy diet.
How to Make Apple Donuts
The Ideal Apple
Any kind of apple will do for this edible craft, but bigger is better. It’s important to have enough surface area to support all your delicious topping choices. Try Braeburn, Fuji, or Gala.
How to Cut the Apple
Start by cutting the top and bottom off of the apple and discarding the cut ends. Then, laying the apple on its side, cut it into three to four discs of equal thickness. Before cutting your apple into discs, you can use a corer to achieve the hollow center. You could improvise by using any circular metal object to pop out the core after the apple has been sliced. We recommend icing tips for this approach.
Tips for Applying Your Toppings
Given that apples are about 80 percent water, it can be pretty difficult to get spreads to stick to them – they slide right off. To make applying your toppings easier, pat down the apples with a paper towel after cutting them.
Creative Ideas
If you want to achieve the ever-popular rainbow unicorn effect that we’re so fond of, start with a white base – we used cream cheese, but Greek yogurt is another excellent option – and add color to your heart’s content.
Add Natural Color to Your Apple Donuts
A natural way to achieve this colorful effect is by using the juice of fruits and vegetables; beets produce a vibrant magenta, blueberries a bright purple, carrots a stunning orange, pomegranates a bold red, spinach a striking green, and red cabbage a subtle blue. While spinach doesn’t sound like it would go very well with a sweet apple “donut,” when used in small amounts, these natural colorants don’t affect the taste of your dish.
A Nutritious Design
If you’re concerned less about looks and more about nutritional value, nut butters, hummus, and avocado make excellent vegan spreads, especially if you’re craving something savory. For those of you with a sweet tooth, cookie butter, hazelnut spread, and classic caramel make the perfect sticky base for your crunchy candy toppings.
Topping Ideas
When it comes to toppings, the possibilities are endless – anything goes. A few of our favorites are berries, granola, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, but you can also add chopped nuts such as almonds and cashews for a dose of healthy fats, or even flax and chia seeds for added crunch and fiber. Whatever treats you choose, a fun and functional way to display them is in an artist’s palette – each topping gets its own compartment and it plays up the creative feel of the craft.
Story by Caitlin Cesa
Styling and Photography by Andrea Ahedo
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