Description
These baked apple cider donuts are tender, fluffy, and packed with concentrated apple flavor from reduced cider. No deep fryer needed—just a donut pan and an oven for a quick, mess-free fall treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup apple cider (unfiltered is best)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 cup apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ¼ cup (12-15 minutes). Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 6-cavity donut pan well with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg until smooth and slightly lighter in color, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and cooled reduced cider. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
- Bake for 9-11 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 wire rack to cool slightly.
- While donuts are still warm (but not hot), brush each with melted butter, then dip into cinnamon-sugar mixture (½ cup granulated sugar + 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon), turning to coat all sides. Repeat with remaining batter.
Notes
Don’t skip reducing the cider—it concentrates the apple flavor and improves texture. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Coat donuts while warm so the sugar sticks. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use dairy-free butter and buttermilk substitute (½ cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 210
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: baked apple cider donuts, copycat recipe, fall donuts, easy donut recipe, baked donuts, apple cider donuts