Baked Apple Cider Donuts (Print Version)
Soft, warmly spiced donuts infused with apple cider and cinnamon sugar topping, perfect for autumn mornings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Donuts
01 - 1 cup apple cider
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ½ cup granulated sugar
11 - ¼ cup packed brown sugar
12 - ½ cup whole milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Topping
14 - ½ cup granulated sugar
15 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
16 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a standard donut pan.
02 - Simmer apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to ½ cup, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in reduced cider, milk, and vanilla extract.
05 - Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Spoon or pipe batter evenly into donut pan cavities, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
08 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Brush each donut with melted butter, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
10 - Serve donuts warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They're baked, not fried, so you can eat them without the guilt that comes with the deep fryer.
- The apple cider reduction creates this impossible tenderness—dense and moist but not heavy.
- That cinnamon-sugar coat stays crispy even hours later, somehow.
- They taste expensive and complicated but come together faster than you'd think.
02 -
- Reducing the apple cider is non-negotiable—it concentrates the flavor so the apple actually comes through instead of being a background whisper.
- Don't skip the cooling time in the pan, or they'll break apart when you try to move them.
- The coating works best when the donuts are still slightly warm because the butter helps the sugar stick, and warm donuts taste better anyway.
03 -
- Room-temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the batter and create a better overall texture—pull them from the fridge 15 minutes before you start baking.
- If you overmix the batter, a few gentle stirs with a spatula at the very end can sometimes save it—just don't fully incorporate any remaining flour streaks.