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Apple Cider Donuts are perfectly tender, dusted with spiced sugar, and fragrant with sweet apple cider. Plus they’re baked, not fried!
Stock up on apple cider when you visit your favorite orchard for apple picking, and make this apple cider donuts recipe! Similar to my baked apple cider donuts but tossed in spiced sugar rather than glazed, these soft and cakey donuts are incredibly good. They’re perfect for dunking into a cup of coffee, mug of hot chocolate, or why not, a glass of apple cider punch! Every bite delivers those cozy fall flavors we crave during the cooler months. I dare you to eat just one!
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Donuts
- Almost as good as a trip to the apple orchard. Can’t make it to the orchard this year? No problem! Grab a bottle of apple cider from the store and bring those cozy fall vibes straight to your kitchen by whipping up a batch of these donuts.
- Packed with seasonal flavor. From the warm spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice—to the rich apple cider, every bite of these donuts is a celebration of autumn.
- Better than bakery-fresh. Skip the pastry case where donuts might have been sitting for who knows how long. These apple cider donuts come fresh out of your oven, warm, tender, and completely irresistible.
Baked, Not Fried!
Why bake donuts? Well for one thing, it’s much less messy! When you bake apple cider donuts they’ll taste just as good as a fried doughnut but are better for you because you won’t be frying them in oil! Speaking of oil, I love letting the oven do the work of cooking this apple cider donut recipe rather than me standing over a pan on the stove. And, the texture of baked donuts can’t be beat. They’re cake-like and tender all the way through.
What You’ll Need
Simple ingredients plus sweet apple cider make these donuts an easy, fall-favorite bake. Here’s a look at what you’ll need, and the full ingredients list and detailed instructions are included in the printable in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
- Sugars – You’ll do a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar to sweeten the donuts. I used light brown sugar. You can use dark brown sugar but the donuts may turn out a bit darker.
- Apple Cider – Fresh apple cider is amazing in this donut recipe, but your favorite brand of store-bought cider will work just fine.
- Egg – Use a large egg brought to room temperature so it easily blends into the batter.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Buttermilk – Real buttermilk adds lightness to the donuts. If don’t have it, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, then measure out how much you need for the recipe.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda (make sure they’re fresh!), and salt.
- Spices – A combination of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.
For the Topping
- Butter – You’ll use melted, unsalted butter to help the topping stick to the donuts.
- Topping Mix – Granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and allspice add extra flavor.
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
Here’s an overview in photos of how you will make this recipe:
- Reduce the cider. Cook the apple cider over medium heat until it reduces to 1/2 cup, about 15-20 minutes.
- Mix butter and sugars. Combine the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Stir in the cider. Add the apple cider, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture.
- Add buttermilk. Now gently stir in the buttermilk.
- Make dry mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Combine batter. Stir the dry mix gently into the wet mix.
- Add to pan. Using a piping bag, transfer the batter to a greased donut pan.
- Bake. Now bake the donuts for about 10 minutes at 350°F.
- Make topping. In a shallow bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Melt the butter separately.
- Dip. Brush each apple cider donut with melted butter, then dip them into the spiced sugar mixture.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Donuts
- If you don’t have cider: Easily swap apple juice for the apple cider if you don’t have any cider and follow the direction to reduce it to 1/2 cup.
- Don’t overmix! For the best light and fluffy donuts, make sure not to vigorously stir the batter. You want to fold and mix the batter, stopping when no streaks of flour remain.
- A few moist crumbs are OK. Check the donuts at 10 minutes – if they look done and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on it, pull the donuts from the oven. You don’t want to overbake them or they may taste dry.
- Use a piping bag or DIY piping bag. To transfer the batter evenly into the donut pan, a piping bag is your best friend! If you don’t have a piping bag, you can get the same effect by using a ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
How to Store
Make sure the donuts are completely cooled before placing in any container to prevent them from getting soggy.
- Counter – Place the cooled donuts in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Fridge – To help the donuts last a bit longer, place the container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Transfer donuts to a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw them in the fridge before serving.
More Apple Dessert Ideas
Apple Cider Donuts
Apple cider donuts are perfectly tender, dusted with spiced sugar, and fragrant with sweet apple cider.
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 3 cups fresh apple cider, at room temperature, (NOT apple cider vinegar)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
For the spiced sugar topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Reduce the apple cider. Start by pouring 3 cups of apple cider into a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and let it simmer until it has reduced down to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. This reduction can take about 15-20 minutes. The goal is to concentrate the apple flavor, so the cider should look thicker and more syrupy when finished. Once reduced, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened unsalted butter, granulated white sugar, and light brown sugar. Use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the mixture until it becomes light and fluffy. This process helps the donuts turn soft and airy.
- Mix in the apple cider, eggs, and remaining liquids. Add the cooled, reduced apple cider, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until well combined. Then, slowly pour in buttermilk, stirring gently to prevent curdling.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of salt, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing as this can make the donuts dense. The batter should be thick and slightly sticky.
- Prep the oven and donut pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the wells of a donut pan with nonstick spray or a little melted butter to ensure the donuts release easily after baking.
- Add the doughnut batter to the pan. Transfer the batter into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe the batter evenly into the donut wells, filling each one about ¾ full.
- Bake and cool. Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes or until they spring back when gently pressed. Be careful not to overbake as this can make them dry. Once done, remove them from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Spiced Sugar Topping
- Make the cinnamon sugar. In a shallow bowl, mix granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Melt butter in a separate bowl.
- Coat the donuts with the cinnamon sugar. Once the donuts have cooled slightly, brush each donut with melted butter, then dip them into the spiced sugar mixture. Make sure to coat both sides generously for the best flavor.
- Serve. Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature. These soft apple cider donuts pair perfectly with a cup of tea, coffee, or hot cider. Enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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