Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts

Something interesting has happened since we brought Sam home. Something I had been warned about but didn’t really think much of it until I started living it. A friend told me, Just wait, you will get dirty looks from other moms when they see how good you look with a newborn.

Ok, that’s a bit extreme, however, I can’t tell you how many comments I have had about my body, and from strangers in just  a little over two weeks.

We headed back with the nurse at Sam’s weight check, she was a sweet energetic nurse. We made small talk to start and then she said, “Ok, you have an 11 day old baby and you look AMAZING. What is your secret??!”

I stopped. I tried to figure out the best way to maneuver. But then thought, blunt was the best way.

I answered simply, “We adopted.”

Again, a couple days later, out running errands, and a girl who worked in the store I was shopping determined how old Sam was and her eyes got huge, “What? But you look so good!”

Again, I answered, “We adopted.”

I guess the secret’s out. And what’s the secret? It’s that there is no secret. A woman’s body changes and shifts from carrying and then birthing a baby. And this desire to magically bounce back to the pre-baby body is not a thing. I look like I am back to my pre-baby weight only because I didn’t go through pregnancy and birth.

The post-baby body is something that is not celebrated enough. Women’s bodies do some literally incredible things and yet there is a fear of gaining the weight and then being able to really  lose it. The first time I was pregnant, I was 31 and my doctor tried to warn me that I was no spring chicken and the weight would not fall off that easily. He was concerned I may be worried about not getting my pre-baby body back.

Again, when will we celebrate the miracle of the post-baby body? When will the first thing we worry about not be, how will I lose the weight? Maybe this is not the case for all, but the feeling I have gotten from being celebrated for having a newborn without the ‘baggage’ of the extra weight makes me concerned about the message that is being sent to our new mothers.

Perhaps you have recently had a baby, are pregnant or one day may have a baby. Just know that your body, throughout the entire process is PERFECT. And the extra weight is a sign of the perfect miracle you have brought into this world. And don’t look with envy at the woman walking the newborn looking like she has lost all the weight with zero effort. Because the fact of the matter is, if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

Apple season is always my favorite. All fall long I add apples to EVERYTHING. And they are just so much better in season. I have been having a lot of fun with my donut baking pan. Things in the shape of a donut are so much more fun, right? I mean surely you could make a muffin, but donuts are just fun.

I love apples baked into everything. A good apple crisp is always a perfect cozy dessert. Apples in your oats? How about these Apple Pie Overnight Oats? But if you REALLY want a good apple recipe, this one is my fave: Baked Oatmeal + Apple Crumble. Can’t. Go. Wrong. So now that I have you craving all things apple, I guess it’s time to actually talk about THIS recipe.

These Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts are bursting with plump, juicy apples with the perfect touch of cinnamon. Perfect for breakfast, or a nice snack, perhaps even warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Hungry yet? Well go preheat your oven! You will have these donuts in minutes!

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Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 c whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 c unsweetened almond milk or whole milk
• 1/3 c Greek Yogurt plain
• 1/2 c coconut sugar or granulated sugar of choice
• 1 medium apple I prefer gala or fuji
• 2-3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 T coconut oil melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, coconut oil and yogurt.
• In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, flour, sea salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
• Dice apples small and toss them with a few dashes of cinnamon (and a touch of maple if desired.)
• Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and then fold in apples, reserving about 1/3 of the apples to top donuts.
• Spoon batter into a greased donut pan and bake for about 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for several minutes and then dig in!