Description
These quick baked apple cider donuts are everything you want in a fall recipe: fast, simple, and genuinely delicious. They don’t require a trip to the orchard or a deep fryer or a complicated technique.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for coating)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 6-cavity donut pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and apple cider until smooth and slightly frothy.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine; do not overmix).
- Transfer batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into prepared donut cavities, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- While donuts cool, mix ½ cup granulated sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Melt ¼ cup butter in another small bowl.
- While donuts are still warm, brush each with melted butter on all sides, then immediately dip into cinnamon sugar mixture, turning to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately. Best eaten within an hour of baking.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter. Use room temperature eggs. Don’t skip the butter bath for the coating. Let donuts cool in pan for exactly 2 minutes before transferring. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use melted coconut oil or vegan butter. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: baked donuts, apple cider donuts, fall recipe, easy donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts