Baked Apple Cider Donuts are perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert!
These cakelike donuts have the delicious taste of apple cider baked right into the donut and are finished with a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Why make this recipe
The smell of fall is in the air and in my kitchen! These baked apple cider donuts make my kitchen all nice and cozy smelling. The smell of apples, cinnamon and nutmeg are so amazing and the taste of these baked donuts is equally as amazing.
I love baking and baking donuts is so much fun. They are much easier to make than a traditional donut, and the taste is delicious. These donuts are my new favorite and are perfect for fall, although they'd be tasty anytime of the year.
The secret to these delicious donuts is all in the apple cider. I used our home pressed apple cider, but any apple cider will do.
The apple cider is reduced down so you have a really concentrated apple cider. I used two cups of apple cider and reduced it down to ½ cup. The reduced cider was added to these baked donuts.
Other baked donut recipes include Chocolate Donuts, Raspberry Donuts and Mini Powdered Sugar Donuts.
Step by step directions
- Simmer apple cider on the stovetop, until reduced. Allow cider to cool.
- Combine dry ingredients together in a bowl
- In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients.
- Mix just until combined
- The consistency should be smooth and fluid
- Pour into greased donut pan
- Bake
- Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly
- Roll donuts in sugar mixture and serve
Recipe tips
- Don't overfill donut pan
- Baking time will vary slightly from oven to oven
- Donuts should be just slightly browned around the edges.
- To determine if donuts are baked through carefully touch the top of a donut with your finger. Donuts should bounce back just slightly and not feel soggy. Or use a toothpick and test center of one donut. There should be just a few dry crumbs on toothpick when donuts are cooked through.
- Remove donuts while still warm from pan
- Dust with cinnamon and sugar while donuts are still warm
- Mini donuts can be made instead of full sized donuts. Reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes.
Recipe Faqs
These donuts are best eaten the same day they are baked. If you do have any leftover, store in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 2 days.
Yes, you can make these with a mini size donut pan. Follow directions for making full sized donuts, but reduce baking time to 8 - 10 minutes.
More delicious apple recipes
- Apple Fritters
- Chocolate Apple Cake
- Applesauce Bars
- Apple Pull-Apart Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Babka
- Pumpkin Apple Muffins
- Apple Tart
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Do you love baking as much as I do? You'll want to check out all my baking recipes!
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mini Donut Pan
Ingredients
Donut Batter
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1½ cups flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons oil (canola or other light oil)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
Donut Batter
- Place apple cider in a sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat until cider has reduced to ½ cup. Allow cider to cool.2 cups apple cider
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.1½ cups flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl, combine apple cider oil, egg, milk and vanilla2 Tablespoons oil, 1 egg, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and combine
- Pour batter into a greased donut pan
- Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 12-15 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan. Cool on a baking rack.
Sugar Mixture
- Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch nutmeg
- Roll each donut in sugar mixture
Video
Notes
- Don't overfill donut pan
- Baking time will vary slightly from oven to oven
- Donuts should be just slightly browned around the edges.
- To determine if donuts are baked through carefully touch the top of a donut with your finger. Donuts should bounce back just slightly and not feel soggy. Or use a toothpick and test center of one donut. There should be just a few dry crumbs on toothpick when donuts are cooked through.
- Remove donuts while still warm from pan
- Dust with cinnamon and sugar while donuts are still warm
- Mini donuts can be made instead of full sized donuts. Reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Lois says
These are fabulous. Light and fluffy, you’d never know they’re not loaded with fat. It’s time-consuming to cook down the apple cider, but I usually do a bigger batch of it and freeze it away for future donuts!
Kathy says
Glad you enjoy them! One of the benefits of cooking down the cider is the amazing smell! My house always smells amazing!
Alisha says
I liked this a lot but I also needed them to have more apple flavor. I’m wondering if I could put an envelope of apple cider powder in the recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Alisha,
I haven't tried that before, but you could give it a try. You might reduce the amount of sugar, since those packets are fairly sweet.
Let me know if it works!
Kathy
Lois says
OMG, these were so good!! I cooked down 4c of cider and froze the other 1/2c for a later batch. It took an hour to reduce the cider but the recipe is so quick and easy otherwise. I bushed them with a little melted butter before dipping in the sugar and cinnamon to help it stick.
Kathy says
Hi Lois,
Thanks so much for your comment and your tips!
Kathy 🙂
Theresa Sexton says
Can I make this batter in advance and bake the donuts fresh when we are ready to eat them. I often have guests on weekends and I love putting meals/snacks together ahead of time so I have everything ready to go when we are ready to eat.
Kathy says
Hi Theresa,
To make ahead of time, I would prepare everything, but not combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until you're ready to bake. Store the wet ingredients covered in the refrigerator. The final step would be to mix everything together and then bake.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Elizabeth Ankeny says
I haven't made these yet but I LOVE that you include the exact measurements in the directions themselves. Thank you!
Kathy says
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks!!! That's something new and I'm slowly updating all my recipes to include that feature. I find it helpful to not have to scroll up and down while I'm making a recipe. Thanks for letting me know that you also appreciate the feature - and enjoy the donuts!!!
Kathy 🙂
Kelli says
Love this new feature as well. I spend SO much time scrolling up to see the ingredients that this is a huge time saver. I love it!!
Kathy says
Thanks, Kelli! And I totally agree! I love it as a user. I wish I could quickly add all my recipes with this feature right away, but I have to update them one by one so it will take me a bit.
Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoyed the donuts!!! 🙂
Kerri says
Yes! Thank you for adding the ingredients in the Instructions! We didn’t find these apple tasting enough. Anyway to bump that flavor up?
Kathy says
Hello,
You could try doubling the amount of apple cider and reducing it down to the 1/2 cup amount. This should give you a stronger apple flavor.
Thank you 🙂
Nancy says
Yes! Absolutely brilliant feature! Just found your website and am enjoying all your great recipes, especially the sourdough discard ones.
Kathy says
Thank you! 🙂
Madison says
Could these be made in a donut maker? If so, how would it need to be modified? Thanks! Excited to try these 🙂
Kathy says
Hi Madison,
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with using a donut maker. I'd check the instructions that came with the donut maker to see how to use. If they are baked in the donut maker, instead of fried, I would think it should work.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Monda says
It worked with almond milk (unsweetened)🧡
Kathy says
Great! Thanks for letting me know! I'm certain there will be more readers wanting to substitute the milk for almond milk too! Good to know it works just fine.
🙂
Samantha says
Can you substitute almond flour for white flour for the recipe? 1:1?
Kathy says
Hi Samantha,
I'm afraid I have not used almond flour before so I don't know if it would work in this recipe.
Thanks 🙂
Diane Moody says
Oh my goodness! A couple of years ago while in New York City, my daughter introduced me to apple cider donuts found at the Bryant Park holiday market. Love at first bite! I had never thought of making them myself until I saw them popping up on Pinterest in the last couple of months, and yours was the first one I tried. So, so good and just as I remember them! We'll be making lots of them in the weeks ahead. What a lovely discovery in such weary times. Thanks, Kathy!
Kathy says
Wow! Thank you! So glad to know these were a hit compared to the ones from NY!!! Thanks for leaving such a lovely comment! 🙂
Linda Baldwin says
Great recipe,tastes great,but thought I would taste the cider more.Baked them in my electric donut maker.They turned out great. Didn't out the sugar on some of them and they were good too.
Kathy says
I've never used an electric donut maker. Glad they worked out for you. The apple cider flavor is there, but I agree, it's not real strong - just a touch. 🙂
Lori Bilodeau says
Sorry I never went far enough to see how to fill them but mine was a lot thicker than what you show
Kathy says
Not a problem! 😉
Lori Bilodeau says
I just made them but I think I might have overfilled them, when they came out they had a muffin top, and no hole in the middle. It doesn’t say how long to wait before you put them in the cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg mixture
But they’re very good but it could have more cider taste to them. Thank you
Kathy says
Hi Lori,
Overfilling the donut pan is easy to do. It doesn't take much and boom, it seems like too much once they are baked. Just back off a bit next time and they should be fine. I do roll mine in the cinnamon/sugar mixture as soon as I remove them from the donut pans. If the donuts are still warm the sugar mixture will stick better. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Fariya says
I bet your house smelled amazing while that cider was reducing down.
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Kathy, I'm so not ready for summer to end but one (or ten) of these delicious donuts will certainly ease the way! They look wonderful!
Valentina says
Well, you've just inspired me to order a donut pan. These sound delicious. I've never reduced cider to use in baking. I'm intrigued and can't wait to give this a try.
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Wondering if I could place an order for your home pressed apple cider? 😉 Oh man - these look so good! Bring on the fall recipes - I am ready!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Now you're talking Kathy! These are screaming fall to me! And they weather here has been making me think it's right around the corner. Pinned and excited to bake a batch!
Kathy says
Fall is coming!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
These look so fluffy and I bet they smell AMAZING as they bake!
Kathy says
The whole house smells delicious!
David @ Spiced says
Perfect timing on these donuts, Kathy! I was just talking to a friend yesterday about how excited I am for apple cider donut season! This baked version sounds delicious. And I bet your house smelled amazing while that cider was reducing down!
Kathy says
Fall means it's time for apple cider and pumpkin spice! 🙂
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
I have never made donuts before! I did recently by the appropriate pan though, so no excuses now - especially seeing as I have come across this lovely recipe 🙂
Kathy says
I think you're all set to make donuts! Time to get baking! 🙂