Easy baked apple cider donuts recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in about 30 minutes. Coated in spiced cinnamon sugar. Soft, moist and tender!
Homemade donuts rock and always taste so fresh! Try out my Easy Apple Fritters and these Easy Pumpkin Donuts (With Cake Mix) and obviously these Homemade Jelly Doughnuts (Sufagniyot) and you won't ever go back to store-bought ones ever again!
Enjoy them during Fall or Thanksgiving for breakfast or even dessert. It's also an awesome way to use up a surplus of apples and/or cider.
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How to make apple cider donuts?
- Reduce apple cider- Do this over stovetop, which will allow excess liquid to evaporate, leaving behind a thick cider syrup. Let it cool.
- Prepare batter- Mix together egg, butter, milk, vanilla, sugars. Then, separately whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Dump dry mixture into wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter in pan- Use a piping bag to make this easier and mess-free.
- Bake- Until donuts rise and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Coat with butter and sugar- Brush butter over each donut and then dip in a bowl of spiced sugar.
- Enjoy! They taste best when served warm.
What do these donuts taste like?
Unlike traditional fried donuts that are made with yeast and are more bread-like, these ones have a muffin-like texture. They super soft, moist, tender and packed with a strong apple cider flavor and warm spices (especially cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom).
Variations
- Topping options- Vanilla glaze, melted chocolate, chocolate ganache, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar.
- Apple cider donut holes- Instead of a donut pan, use a donut hole pan. They are a fun bite-sized dessert or snack.
- Serve with a dipping sauce- Such as a bowl of Homemade Caramel Sauce or this Homemade Dulce De Leche or Chocolate Fondue or Homemade Whipped Cream.
Tips and Techniques
- Reduce apple cider- This is a VERY important step and should not be omitted. You need to reduce 1.5 cups of apple cider to about ⅓ cup until it's a thick syrup. This syrup is a concentrated apple cider and packs a strong apple punch. On its own, cider has a lot of water and the apple flavor is very diluted and you can't taste it in your baked goods.
- Homemade cider vs. Store-bought apple cider- Either can be used.
- How do you heat cider donuts? Simply heat in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.
- Apple cider syrup must cool down before being used- If it's boiling hot, it will cook the egg in the batter. It can be slightly warm or preferably, at room temperature
- Use unsalted butter- Because this prevents the donuts from becoming too salty.
- Don’t over-mix batter– Because that will make the donuts very tough. Mix until just combined, even if there are lumps.
- What can I use instead of a donut pan? If you don't have a donut pan, simply use a cupcake pan or muffin pan and make apple cider doughnut muffins. They will have the same flavor, just a different shape. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean. You should be able to get about 10 muffins.
- Adjust amount of spices in batter and topping- I like to use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Use all 3 or just a one or two of those spices. You also use more or less of those spices. It's truly a personal preference.
- Both, granulated sugar and brown sugar are required- Don't omit one or replace one with the other because the flavor changes a bit.
- Both, baking powder and baking soda are required- They cannot be used interchangeably. These donuts rise the best when both leavening agents are used.
- Grease pan- Use an oil spray or spread a thin coating of butter because this prevents the donuts from sticking to the pan.
More Apple Desserts
- Easy Apple Crumble Pie
- Easy Apple Caramel Pie
- Homemade Apple Pie
- Apple Pie Cake
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Easy Apple Turnover (With Puff Pastry)
- Chocolate Caramel Apples
- Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake
- Easy Apple Cake (With Cake Mix)
- Mini Apple Strudels
Recipe
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
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Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Apple cider
- 1 Egg Large
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon Butter Unsalted, Melted, Can also use melted coconut oil
- ½ cup Milk Whole or 2%
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom powder
Spiced sugar topping
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- ½ cup Butter Unsalted, Melted
Instructions
- Pour cider in a nonstick saucepan and cook over medium heat without lid until it's reduced to ⅓ cup. It will become a thick syrup. Keep aside and allow it to cool down.
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Keep aside.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture, along with the reduced apple cider, and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix!
- Pour batter in a greased donut pan, filling halfway through.
Tip: Pour batter in piping bag and pipe batter in the donut pan. It's easier and neater. - Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool down for 5 minutes at room temperature and then remove from pan.
- While the donuts are cooling, mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom in a wide bowl.
- Brush melted butter all over each donut and roll in the bowl of sugar until fully coated.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Tastes best when served warm immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature for 2-3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Recipe
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
Carol Shott
Excellent. I left out cardamom. My husband loves apple cider donuts. We moved from Illinois to Missouri and can’t find the donuts anywhere. I was told it was a Northern thing. So thank you so much for your recipe. He’s in heaven now that I can make them for him.
Abeer Rizvi
That makes my heart so happy.
Bren
OMG these are so freaken good .. first time making donuts and using a pan .. cut back on the sugar spice topping only made 1/2 the sugar topping .. but good even without .. will be making again .. thank you
Linda
Hi, can you prepare dough and refrigerate overnight?
Abeer Rizvi
I have never done that to know what would happen.
Elaine
These turned out perfect. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking for an apple cider donut. We loved these soft fluffy cake donuts and so easy to make
Maureen
Love this recipe! I have made these several times and made them for neighbors and friends
Suzanne
This looks so good! What a great recipe to make for weekend brunch!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it freeze well?
Audrey
Can these be made a week ahead and frozen? thanks!
Abeer Rizvi
No. That just won't work well. Donuts tend to taste best when they are fresh.
Bev
Can’t wait to give it a try. Can I reduce the cider today and bake them tomorrow so I won’t have to wait for the cider to cool?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, you can absolutely prepare the apple cider a day or two in advance.
Suzi
Oh my! My daughter is visiting Ohio from Texas and we went to the orchard yesterday. Looked at a bunch of recipes for these and went with yours. Perfection!!! I only had salted butter and it was no issue. I did sub a couple tablespoons Greek yogurt for some of the milk for a denser texture. These will be on repeat!
Barbara Kyle
My family loves apple cider doughnuts! I was nervous to try making them. I was afraid they wouldn't measure up to the harvest markets but I was proved wrong! These were great!
Bre
Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world! *chef's kiss* They are amazing. I made a regular batch and a gluten free batch using Bob's 1:1 and the gluten free ones are equally delicious and the perfect texture. As an avid baker, these will be on a steady rotation now.
Abeer Rizvi
So happy to hear that!
David Thomas
These donuts are deliciously moist and almost melt in your mouth. I will definately make them again and again!
DT
Diana
These are delicious but didn't get apple cider flavour. I made sure to concentrate rhe apple cider. Maybe just needed to concentrate it more because of the brand. Thanks for the recipe
Cindy
Oh my goodness! Had this with a pumpkin spice iced coffee and was so good. I made them into muffins. They raised up so nicely! Great texture!! Thank you!
Debbie
Can I make these in my mini donut maker?
Abeer Rizvi
I haven't tried that but I am curious now too. If you try it out, I would love to hear how it goes.