Cinnamon Roll Apple Donut Bites

Looking to elevate your gluten-free donuts with holiday flavors? Then this Apple Cinnamon Roll Donut recipe is worth a try. Drizzled with a Maple Syrup Cinnamon Icing, these bites are the perfect gf treat.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Pack GoodLove Cinnamon Rolls, defrosted
• 1 granny smith or baking apple, sliced paper thin
• Boiling Water (enough to cover apple slices in a bowl)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Egg Wash
• 4 cups light oil for frying
• 4oz cream cheese, softened 
• 3-4 tbs Skinny Sticks Maple Syrup
• 1 cup powdered sugar, can add more as needed for desired consistency
• Dash of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Core, and thinly slice the apple. 
2. In a small bowl add boiling water, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve. Add the apple slices and carefully submerge them with the back of a spoon to ensure all slices are covered by the mixture. Set aside.
3. While the apple slices are marinating, you can start on the icing. With an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add your GoodLove Icing Packet and Maple Syrup, & cinnamon. Mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You can store the icing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
4. After 15 to 20 minutes, carefully drain the apple slices. Layout the slices on a paper towel to soak up extra moisture. 
5. Unroll thawed cinnamon rolls one at a time. Cut each strip in half.
6. Apply a bit of egg wash to the bottom half of each cinnamon roll strip. Apply one apple slice at a time onto the strip of dough, creating a line until you reach the end of the strip.
7. Starting at the beginning, carefully roll the strip into a spiral, keeping the apples inside. This should make a “rose” or “flower” look.
8. Once all strips are rolled back into shape, heat the oil in a frying pot over medium heat until slightly bubbling. You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a piece of dough into the hot oil. It should rise to the top in 1 to 2 minutes and turn golden brown.
9. When the oil is at the right temperature, lower 1 to 2 rolls into the oil. Let them rise to the top and turn golden brown before carefully removing with tongs or a slotted spoon. Let them rest on a paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil. 
10. Using a spoon or piping bag, apply desired amount of icing to cooled, but still warm, apple cinnamon roll donuts.
11. Best served immediately. Enjoy!

Tips👇

⭐ DO NOT over soak your apples. You just want the slices to become pliable, and easy to work with. Make sure you thoroughly blot them dry to avoid access moisture when applying the slices to the slices of cinnamon roll. 

⭐ You can add a bit of your favorite gf flour to your work space to help stop the cinnamon rolls from sticking too much when you work with them. I used a little Bob's Red Mill® Rice Flour.

⭐  Adding a bit of egg wash to the lower section of each strip really helps the apple slices stick to the dough when rolling. You can also carefully use your fingers to lightly push each slice into the dough to make sure they stay put. After rolling, if you find the last bit of dough to start to unravel, you can add a bit more egg wash to the end to help seal it tight. This will prevent the dough from unraveling during frying.