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    Home » Fall

    Baked Apple Cider Donuts

    September 26, 2019 By Kimberlee Ho 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe | kickassbaker.com pin for Pinterest
    Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe | kickassbaker.com pin for Pinterest with text overlay

    These Apple Cider Donuts are epic Fall treats. 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!

    They're super quick and easy to make, too. No oil needed, no frying needed, just some good ol' fashioned apple cider and lots of love!

    pile of baked apple cider donuts on a wire rack with apples in the background and cinnamon sticks in front

    An Annual Fall trip to the apple orchard

    It's become a tradition in our family to visit the local apple orchard in the middle of the Fall season. My. kids are actually huge fans of apples, plus they love the whole process of picking their own.

    It never fails, though, that we forget to bring our own wagon with us. And, we end up dragging our too-full buckets of apples throughout the orchard until we realize we have way more than we need to and it's time to pay.

    Luckily, our apple orchard is clever and places the freshly made apple cider donut counter just before you get to the register.

    The aroma of those freshly made donuts is reason enough to fight for a parking spot in the orchard's tiny lot! The donuts come out piping hot and full of cinnamon sugar and brimming with delicious apple cider flavor. It's heaven on earth!

    how to pipe donut batter into donut pans for baking

    Making apple cider donuts at home

    Making donuts at home doesn't have to be complicated or involve a vat of hot frying oil. Don't get me wrong, fried donuts are delicious.

    But, they're also not so good for you.. Baking donuts cuts out loads of calories and fat, but not the flavor or goodness.

    To make these donuts, start by reducing apple cider. Reducing it helps to concentrate the flavor by evaporating some of the water content. T

    his reduction is used in two places so that we can be sure that apple cider flavor comes through. It's used in the donut batter and in the glaze. Mmmm apple cider glaze... More on that later.

    Next, make the donut batter. This is a simple mixture of dry and wet ingredients. I threw some sour cream or yogurt in there to keep the donuts moist.

    Drizzle in some of that delicious apple cider reduction and pipe into the donut pans. Bake, allow to cool a bit, then brush on the rest of the apple cider reduction mixed with melted butter.

    Lastly, dunk in cinnamon sugar and you've got yourself one helluva Baked Apple Cider Donut!

    Brushing melted butter onto freshly baked apple cider donuts

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • 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
    Dipping an apple cider donut in cinnamon sugar

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

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

    • Pumpkin Cake Donuts
    • Baked Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
    • Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream Filling
    • Homemade Chocolate Glazed Donuts
    Overhead shot of apple cider donuts on a wire rack with cinnamon and apples

    Useful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

    Donut Pan

    Parchment Paper Sheets

    Picking up one apple cider donut from the pile
    pile of baked apple cider donuts on a wire rack with apples in the background and cinnamon sticks in front

    Baked Apple Cider Donuts

    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!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 14 servings
    Calories: 300kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho
    US Customary - Metric

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup apple cider
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
    • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
    • ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 6-cavity donut pans (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick spray.

    Make 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. Remove from the heat and set aside. (You will need ½ cup of this apple cider reduction for the donut batter and a few tablespoons for topping the donuts).

    Make Donuts:

    • In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon and whisk to combine. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 10 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar 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 prepared donut pans, filling them about ⅔ of the way full (you can also do this using a disposable 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. 

    Prepare Topping:

    • While the donuts cool, whisk the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in the microwave then whisk in 3 tablespoons of the apple cider reduction.
    • After the donuts have cooled slightly (at least 5 minutes), unmold them from the pans, brush with the melted butter/cider mixture and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool and warm gently in the oven prior to serving for the best apple cider donut experience!

    Notes

    • Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
    • Donuts may be frozen after they are baked and cooled. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe ziptop 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
    • Recipe adapted from NYTimes.com

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!
    Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe | kickassbaker.com pin for Pinterest with text overlay

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    Filed Under

    BreakfastFall
    « Banana Chocolate Muffins
    Honey Corn Muffins »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tasia ~ TwoSugarBugs

      September 27, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      My Bugs are big apple fans too! I love that crunchy cinnamon sugar top and bet it's the perfect compliment to the apple cider donut. Pinning for a breakfast soon!

      Reply
      • Kim

        September 27, 2019 at 5:04 pm

        Yay! So happy to hear that! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

        Reply
    2. Anita

      September 28, 2019 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      I am in love with these donuts, Kim! I need a donut pan! and I seriously need those parchment sheets in my life.

      Reply
      • Kim

        September 30, 2019 at 11:02 am

        Yay! I just made them again today and they're so so good. The donut pans are pretty inexpensive. You can also use a muffin tin instead and bake a bit longer. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Thuy

      September 08, 2020 at 9:38 pm

      4 stars
      Just baked a double batch this past weekend. Always feeding a crowd...

      They were very good! And moist- a must for any cakey baked goods. Positive feedback from all tasters. 👍

      Reply
      • Kim

        September 09, 2020 at 7:28 pm

        Awesome!! So happy to hear this!

        Reply
    4. Rebecca B

      September 05, 2021 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      Loved making this! Saw it on IG, bought myself a donut pan & made the recipe two days later LOL. Super easy to follow! I also don’t have a mixer & mixed by hand which worked perfectly for me. The donuts came out so good & got me in the mood for fall!

      Reply
      • Kim

        September 07, 2021 at 6:15 pm

        Woo hoo!!! So happy you loved them!

        Reply
    5. Nelly

      October 22, 2021 at 5:47 am

      Hi! I'm in loove with that recipe! But... where I live apple cider is not a common beverage. We have a dizzy, slightly alcoholic one (like somersby), ia that it? I have seen recipes for homemade in the slowcooker where you just boil applles with spices?

      Reply
      • Kim

        November 10, 2021 at 7:05 pm

        You can substitute for apple juice! That will work well.

        Reply

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    Hey there!  Thank you so much for visiting Kickass Baker!  I’m Kim, the working mom and home baker behind this blog.  I know how crazy life can be.  Too often, we can beat ourselves up and give up things we enjoy because we think we aren’t great at them.  But you are kicking ass everyday and I’m here to help you bake up some crazy-good recipes and embrace your Kickass Baker!

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