Baked Apple Cider Donuts
All your favorite Fall flavors are in these easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts. Just like you get when apple picking, but no frying oil needed!
AN APPLE FLAVORED BREAKFAST RECIPE
I posted my Apple Cider Donut Holes recipe last week and I had a lot of people wanting regular sized donuts. Ask and you shall receive! Today I’m bringing you my favorite recipe for Baked Apple Cider Donuts! We go apple picking every year and I always pick up some apple cider from the farm. There is nothing better than fresh pressed apple cider! They always sell apple cider donuts there so I was determined to make my own version at home. No oil necessary with this one! All you need is a donut pan!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What we’re trying to do here is really concentrate the apple flavor. I experimented to try to change up this recipe a bit from my usual apple cider donut recipe and found that this really does boost the apple flavor. If you’re trying to speed up the amount of time it takes to make these donuts, you can just use ½ cup of apple cider and skip the reduction step. However, I recommend you really give it a try because it gives a bolder apple flavor to the donuts.
I know apple cider can sometimes be hard to find if you want to make these out of season. You could technically make these with apple juice but there is nothing like the flavor of apple cider.
Apple juice is apple cider that has been filtered. Apple cider is as close to the apple as you can get. It has a much more concentrated flavor.
No problem. You are just going to make this in batches. One tray at a time. This is the donut pan I use (paid link).
Cake flour produces a lighter, fluffier donut. If you can’t find it, then you can use all-purpose flour. Just sift it first.
It is most likely from too much apple cider. Make sure your reduced apple cider is measured to 1/2 cup and no more.
No, this just helps the sugar mixture stick to the donuts. If you are trying to keep the fat content lower than you can just dip the hot donuts right into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Some will end up sticking to the hot donuts. Just not as much as when you coat in butter first.
You can store these donuts in a plastic ziptop bag or airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. These also freeze beautifully. Place cooled donuts in a freezer-safe bag and they will keep for up to 2-3 months. Let defrost at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- apple cider – it’s important you use an apple cider that you really enjoy drinking.
- cake flour – I talk about this more above in the frequently asked questions section.
- baking powder
- cinnamon snd nutmeg – you can use apple pie spice as well.
- milk
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- egg
- unsalted butter – you can use salted butter, just leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
- vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE BAKED APPLE CIDER DONUTS:
In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider up to a boil over high heat. Let it boil for about a minute then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the cider to reduce to 1/2 cup; this can take about 10-15 minutes (or more). It will start to look just a little thicker and slightly deeper in color. Allow the cider to cool before the next step. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a donut pan with a non-stick cooking spray. I really like the nonstick spray that has flour in it (like Baker’s Joy).
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, in a large mixing bowl, set it aside. Whisk together the reduced apple cider, milk, brown sugar, sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Pour the batter into a large zip-top bag, cut off about 1/2 inch off one of the bottom corners. Pipe the batter into the pan so each hole is about 1/2 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes until they are cooked through. You can stick a toothpick into the center of the donut, and if it comes out clean, they are done. Place the donuts onto a cooling rack.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the donuts one at a time with the butter making sure to coat both sides. You could also do a real fast dip into the butter. Dip the donut into the cinnamon mixture and shake the donut until it’s well covered. Repeat this with each donut.
Serve and enjoy!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Originally published: September 2021
Updated and republished: September 2024
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted (salted or unsalted)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups apple cider up to a boil over high heat. Allow it to boil for about a minute then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer the cider until reduced to 1/2 cup; this will take about 10-15 minutes (or a bit longer). The cider will start to thicken a little bit and it will get slightly deeper in color. Make sure to measure out 1/2 cup when finished in case the apple cider didn't reduce quite enough.
- Allow the cider to cool completely before continuing to the next step.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a donut pan with a non-stick cooking spray. I really prefer to use the nonstick spray that has flour in it for baked goods.
- Whisk together 2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in a large mixing bowl, set it aside.
- Whisk together the reduced apple cider, ½ cup milk, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into a large zip-top bag. Cut off about 1/2 inch off one of the bottom corners.
- Pipe the batter into the pan so each hole is about 1/2 full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (on the middle oven rack) until they are cooked through. You can stick a toothpick into the center of the donut, and if it comes out clean, they are done. Place the donuts onto a cooling rack.
- In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup granulated sugar and 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon.
- Brush the donuts one at a time with the melted butter (making sure to coat both sides). You could also do a real fast dip into the butter.
- Dip the donut into the cinnamon mixture and shake the donut until it's well covered on all sides. Repeat this with each donut.
- Then enjoy!
Notes
- You don’t have to reduce your apple cider, you can just use 1/2 cup (but. Really recommend doing it).
- If you want to use apple juice you can do that but it wont give the same flavor.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Sifted all-purpose flour can be used in place of cake flour.
- If you have a smaller donut pan, just bake these donuts in batches.
- You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
They were good, but heavy. I have a different recipe to try. I’m going to use apple cider in it instead of milk just milk and see how they come out.De
These were so easy to make and yielded 12 donuts from two regularly sized donut pans. The concentration of the cider–by the way, I used some spiced cider that I made last week–provided just the right apple flavor with an extra spicy finish. Mine were a little dry after baking, but I think maybe I overcooked them just a couple of minutes. I have a new range and am still getting used to gauging times. The sugar finish is nice–I didn’t use any butter but made certain to shake them in sugar while they were still nice and warm–they were great! Thanks for all your terrific recipes!!
What a wonderful comment! Thanks so much Anne! That really means a lot and I appreciate you coming back to comment!
Can i use splenda instead of sugar ?
I don’t bake with Splenda so I don’t have any experience with it. If it is something you normally bake with then I would go by your expertise on it 🙂 I imagine if it is a one for one conversion (like using Splenda for baking) then you should be okay
We had gotten some apple cider from an apple picking trip and I needed to use up what was left before it expired and so I made these. I have had a donut pan forever that I never seem to use. These were delicious. Not, they are not like fried because they are baked (I get annoyed when people think baked things are supposed to taste exactly like fried, there is just no way to exactly replicate what frying foods does to them) but they still tasted absolutely delicious – thank you!
Would this work made as a bundt cake and if so, how long should it bake?
Good question! It should but I haven’t tested it I’m sorry! So I couldn’t really give you a time.
Would it be ok to use boiled cider syrup instead of cooking down the cider?
I haven’t tried it but it seems like it should work! If you give it a try, please let me know how it does for you!
HI Lynda, no the batter isn’t thick enough for that. But you could make donut holes. I have a link above for Apple Cider Donut Holes thats made using a muffin pan. That might be a better option for you 🙂
Oh my, my! You are really trying to get me fatter, lol. It sounds like reducing the cider will deepen the flavor. That sounds divine! I made pumpkin donuts once and dipped them into the butter prior to coating them because it was one of the steps in the recipe, but I wish I would have brushed it one. My husband and I didn’t like them, but our friends did. Going to get some cider next trip to the store.
Would it be possible to make donut holes. I thought I might use my Cake Pop machine.
Hi Mary, I have a link above for my Apple Cider Donut Hole recipe 🙂