Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Enjoy this homemade fall and winter treat for breakfast or dessert. Baked Apple Cider Donuts are an old-fashioned recipe made with simple ingredients. These donuts are soft, tender and sweet.

Skip the lines at the local donut shop and make these delicious apple cider donuts. I’m pretty sure that our local donut store doesn’t even carry this flavor or at least, I’ve never seen it there.

If you are a fan of apple cider, you will love this recipe. Each bite is full of apple and warm fall spices. The cinnamon sugar coating adds an extra bit of sweetness. 

Want more donut recipes? Try these Cake Donuts with Chocolate Glaze and Glazed Donuts.

Ingredients

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• Apple cider – Buy a bottle of apple cider at your local grocery store in the fall months or you can make your own. 
• All-purpose flour – You can also use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Sea salt – Regular salt will also work.
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Ground cloves
• Ground ginger
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Milk – You can substitute almond milk if you like.
• Vanilla extract – I have a recipe for homemade vanilla extract.
• Egg

Coating Ingredients

• Granulated sugar
• Cinnamon
• Butter or margarine

How to Make

1. Add apple cider to a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the juice is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Set aside.

2. While the apple cider is simmering, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly coat two donut pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

4. Add the milk, vanilla extract and egg. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend until combined. Slowly add the apple cider reduction and mix again.

5. Add batter to a piping bag and evenly fill each donut cavity in the donut pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan.

6. While the donuts cool, stir together 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

7. Remove the donuts from the pan. Brush with melted butter or margarine and coat with the cinnamon sugar mix.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

These kitchen tools will help you make this recipe.

• Donut pan
• Mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Piping bag

What are apple cider donuts?

Apple cider donuts are popular in the fall months during apple season. These cake-like donuts are made with an apple cider reduction that helps to really bring out the apple flavor. They are typically covered in cinnamon sugar and made with apple spices like cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftover donuts in a covered container or plate wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. For optimal freshness, enjoy the same day you make them. 

You can freeze this apple cider donuts recipe. Place in freezer bags or a freezer safe container for up to three months. 

Once thawed, you may want to coat them again in the cinnamon sugar mixture as some of it may be absorbed into the donut during the freezing process.

What is Apple Cider?

I’ve seen apple cider described as the closest thing to eating an apple freshly picked off the tree. It’s non-alcoholic, unfiltered and unsweetened apple juice. This post explains the difference between apple cider and apple juice.

Can I substitute apple juice for apple cider?

If you can’t find apple cider and you don’t feel like making your own, you can use apple juice. Make sure to buy unsweetened apple juice or apple juice concentrate.

Recipe Tips

• A piping bag helps to get the batter into donut pans without making a mess. However, you can also use a cookie scoop to add it in and then swirl it around the pan with a spoon or clean fingers.
• Prepare the apple cider reduction the day or night before to save time during the preparation process. Store it covered in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Apple Recipes

• Caramel Apple Dump Cake
• Snickers Apple Salad
• Caramel Apple Pizza
• Caramel Apple Cookies
• Apple Crisp Bars
• Maple Apple Pudding
• Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
• Instant Pot Apple Butter
• Air Fryer Apples
• Apple Pie Egg Rolls
• Apple Butterscotch Buns

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