Print

Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts: Best Homemade Fall Treat

baked apple cider donuts - featured image
Print Recipe

These easy baked apple cider donuts are tender, pillowy, and coated in cinnamon-sugar. Made with reduced apple cider for intense flavor, they’re a quick 30-minute fall treat that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

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 (optional)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup buttermilk (or regular milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 cup apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let it bubble gently, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ¼ cup (12-15 minutes). It should be syrupy and smell intensely of apples. Watch carefully toward the end to avoid burning. Set aside to cool.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 6-cavity donut pan well with butter or non-stick spray.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if using) until evenly distributed.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, oil, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until smooth. Whisk in the cooled reduced apple cider until glossy.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula using gentle strokes. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain. A few small lumps are fine—do not overmix.
  6. Fill the pan: Transfer batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full. Do not overfill.
  7. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until donuts are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  8. Make the coating: While donuts are still warm (but not hot), mix ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in another small bowl.
  9. Coat the donuts: Working one at a time, brush each warm donut all over with melted butter, then dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place back on the cooling rack to set.

Notes

Reducing the apple cider is non-negotiable for deep flavor—do not substitute with apple juice or extract. Coat donuts while warm for best sugar adhesion. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For vegan, use a flax egg, coconut oil, and almond milk with vinegar. Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 3 months; thaw and warm before coating.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked apple cider donuts, easy fall treat, homemade donuts, apple cider recipe, cinnamon sugar donuts, fall baking

Find it online: https://lyrafeast.com/easy-baked-apple-cider-donuts-best-homemade-fall-treat/