Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Pull Aparts
These Apple Cider Donut Pull Aparts bring together everything I love about fall baking. A soft, gluten free and egg free brioche style dough is coated generously in cinnamon sugar, then layered with tender spiced apples and baked until golden. A drizzle of apple cider glaze finishes them with even more apple flavor. Each pull apart has layers of soft dough, caramelized cinnamon sugar, and apple filling, giving you all the flavors of an apple cider donut with a warm, gooey center.
Makes 12 pull aparts
OVERNIGHT PREP
Ingredients
Brioche Style Dough
153 g water, warmed to 105°F
4.7 g rapid rise yeast
10 g granulated sugar
21 g ground flaxseed
104 g water
133 g cornstarch
113 g white rice flour
78 g brown rice flour
23 g tapioca starch
6.7 g xanthan gum
10 g kosher salt
27 g nonfat dry milk powder
53 g honey
67 g unsalted butter, softened
Apple Filling
4 cups apples, diced
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Apple Cider Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider, plus more as needed
Instructions
Make the dough. Combine the yeast, sugar, and 153 g warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and 104 g water. Let stand until thickened.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cornstarch, white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, kosher salt, and nonfat dry milk powder.
With the mixer running on low, gradually add the yeast mixture. Add the honey and prepared flax mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
Add the softened butter and continue mixing until completely combined. Increase the mixer to high speed and mix for 1 minute.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap placed directly against the surface. Refrigerate overnight.
Make the apple filling. Combine the diced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and brown rice flour in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the apples are tender and the liquid has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool completely before assembling.
Prepare the cinnamon sugar. Place the melted butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Prepare the pan. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Assemble the pull aparts. Portion the chilled dough into 36 evenly sized balls, using 3 pieces of dough for each pull apart.
Coat each dough ball in melted butter, followed by the cinnamon sugar.
Flatten one coated dough ball and place it into a lined muffin cup. Top with a layer of the cooled apple filling.
Flatten a second coated dough ball and place it over the apple filling. Add another layer of filling.
Flatten a third coated dough ball and place it on top. Finish with a final layer of apple filling.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 12 pull aparts.
Bake. Bake at 350°F until the pull aparts are browned and the centers feel firm when gently pressed, about 45 minutes.
Allow the pull aparts to cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tin.
Make the apple cider glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon apple cider until smooth. Add additional apple cider, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
Finish. Drizzle the apple cider glaze generously over the warm pull aparts and serve warm.