Baked Apple Cider Donuts (30 Minutes!)

These Apple Cider Donuts are epic Fall treats packed with Fall flavor. Cinnamony and sweet and cakey with just the right amount of apple cider flavor, these baked donuts (yes, baked!) will be the highlight of your Fall season. Baked apple cider donuts are super quick and easy to make, too. No oil needed, no frying needed, just some good ol' fashioned apple cider and lots of love!

These apple cinnamon donuts are a part of my homemade donut recipes collection that also includes fan-favorites Baked Chocolate Donuts (also ready in 30 minutes!), Baked Donuts with Pink Chocolate Glaze, and Baked Pumpkin Donuts.

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Ingredients needed to make homemade apple cider donuts in 30 minutes

Here's what you'll need from the grocery store and your pantry to prepared these homemade donuts:

• Apple cider: Pick up a quart from the local apple orchard or pumpkin patch while you're out apple picking or pumpkin picking, or grocery store. This will be used to make reduced apple cider. Reducing the apple cider concentrates the flavor by boiling out some of the water content. This will help ensure that beautiful strong apple flavor comes through well in the baked donuts. Apple juice may be substituted if needed, although the flavor will be slightly different than with apple cider.
• All-purpose flour: Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup then level the top with the back of the spoon or knife. This will assure you get the correct amount and the best texture. Alternatively, it's always a good idea to measure your flour with a kitchen scale. I provide my recipes by default in US customary measurements (cups), however, you can toggle the Metric button in the recipe card below to see the weight measurements (grams, milliliters) for all the ingredients.
• Baking powder: Be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder and baking soda before using these ingredients in your baking recipes. Expired leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda may not allow your baked recipes to rise the way they should.
• Salt: Feel free to adjust the amount of salt based on your preference. Note, although it seems counterintuitive, salt is a necessary ingredient in baking recipes. It helps to balance the sweetness without making your recipe taste salty (unless that's the desired effect based on the recipe!)
• Ground cinnamon: For best results, check to make sure your cinnamon is not expired. Fresh cinnamon will pack much more flavor. And expired cinnamon will not taste good. For flavor variation, try a combination of cinnamon with any Fall spices such as nutmeg, cloves, or apple pie spice - use 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus ½ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon cloves or apple pie spice, for example.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. Be sure to remove the butter from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking to ensure it has softened enough to be evenly incorporated into the batter. If using salted butter, cut in half the added salt in the recipe or omit altogether. Because salted butters vary in terms of their salt content, I recommend using unsalted butter and adding your own salt so you can control the level of salt in the recipe.
• Dark brown sugar: dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than does light brown sugar, giving more flavor and depth. If you only have light brown sugar, that will also work, although the flavor may be a touch less caramely.
• Granulated sugar: regular white sugar should be used for this recipe. I would not recommend substituting with a sugar alternative.
• Eggs: Use two large eggs for this recipe. Be sure to remove the eggs from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking to ensure it has come to room temperature. Cold eggs will try to stay together when mixing into other ingredients, whereas room temperature eggs will incorporate much more evenly into the other ingredients when mixing. The goal is to have a mixture where all ingredients are evenly combined so the donuts bake up correctly.
• Vanilla extract: use the highest quality pure vanilla extract you can afford. The flavor makes a difference.
• Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream or substitute the sour cream with plain whole milk yogurt. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking to ensure it comes up to room temperature. Cold ingredients tend to not want to incorporate into the other ingredients. Using room temperature ingredients will ensure your batter mixing well and evenly.

How to make fresh apple cider donuts at home

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. Alternately, use a 12-cup muffin pan if you do not have donut pans. Set aside while you prepare the donut batter.

Step 2 - Make the apple cider reduction: 

In a small saucepan, heat the apple cider over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced by about half, around 10 minutes.

This will result in concentrated apple cider with strong apple cider flavor for the most delicious donuts. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Note: You will need ½ cup of this apple cider reduction for the donut batter and a few tablespoons for topping the donuts.

Step 3 - Make the donuts:

In a medium bowl or large bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon (reserve remaining cinnamon for the topping) and whisk to combine. Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 10 tablespoons butter (reserve remaining butter for the topping), brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar (reserve remaining sugar for the topping) on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated after each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream or yogurt. 

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. With the mixer running, add ½ cup of the apple cider reduction in a slow, steady stream and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl well to make sure the batter is evenly mixed. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pans, filling the greased donut pans about ⅔ of the way full (you can also do this using a disposable piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a ½-inch opening cut from one corner). 

Bake until evenly golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through baking, 9 to 11 minutes  A toothpick inserted into the center of the thickest portion should come out clean when they are done. Remove from the oven and place the donuts in the donut pans on a cooling rack while you prepare the topping.

Step 4 - Prepare the donut topping:

While the donuts cool in the pans, whisk the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine. 

In a separate small bowl, melt butter in the microwave then whisk in 3 tablespoons of the remaining apple cider reduction. 

After the donuts have cooled slightly (at least 5 minutes), carefully turn them over to release the donuts from the pans. One at a time, brush the donuts with the melted butter/cider mixture and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm.

Serve immediately or allow to cool on a wire rack and warm gently in the oven prior to serving for the best apple cider donut experience!

How to store the best apple cider donuts:

Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

These donuts may be frozen after they are baked and cooled, but before dipping in the concentrated apple cider and cinnamon sugar mix. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or in the microwave for about a minute on 50% power. Brush with melted butter/apple cider reduction and dip in cinnamon sugar.

Tips for making easy baked apple cider donuts

• I highly recommend investing in a donut pan for this, and other, baked donut recipes. It’s inexpensive and makes the shape and baking of these donuts come out perfectly! Most are also non-stick which makes removing the donuts (and clean-up!) super easy
• To fill the donut cavities, create your own piping bag. Start by taking a gallon sized ziptop bag and fill it with the donut batter. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and close the top. On one bottom corner, snip a small diagonal piece off with a scissor. Squeeze the batter out into each cavity and smooth the top of the batter with a butter knife or small offset spatula 
• Try not to overfill the donut cavities with batter. It may be tempting, however, the donuts will puff up while baking. And, you’ll lose the hole in the middle if you overfill. If this does happen, just take a sharp knife and cut out the middle to get the center hole back. You may also use an apple corer, cupcake corer or a large piping tip to punch the center out. I like to dunk these little scraps in the butter/apple cider mixture and pop em in my mouth while topping the donuts (baker’s privilege!)
• Wait a few minutes after the donuts are done baking before you top them. You want to be able to handle the donuts while dipping them without burning your hand/fingers! I suggest you mix up the butter/apple cider mixture after you’re done baking all the donuts. This gives the donuts a chance to cool a bit while you're preparing to top them. Using a pastry brush, brush on the butter/apple cider mixture. Then, dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar so the sugar coats the donuts fully

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Are you a donut lover like me? If you're looking for more donut recipes, try these:

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