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Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

baked apple cider donuts - featured image
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These tender, cakey baked donuts are coated in cinnamon sugar and packed with concentrated apple cider flavor. They come together in one bowl, bake in about ten minutes, and taste like a trip to the orchard without the deep fryer.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup apple cider (fresh or store-bought, not spiced)
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more for greasing the pan)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for coating)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour the 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 (10-12 minutes). It should be syrupy and coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 6-cavity donut pan generously with butter or nonstick spray.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and cooled reduced apple cider until smooth and slightly thick.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few lumps are fine—do not overmix.
  6. Fill the pan: Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about ⅔ full.
  7. Bake: Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  8. Make the coating: While the donuts are still warm, melt the ¼ cup butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk together the ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Dip each warm donut in the melted butter, turning to coat both sides, then dredge in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Shake off excess.
  9. Serve immediately: Best eaten the same day, preferably while still slightly warm.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter—a few lumps are fine. Reduce the cider properly; it can go from syrupy to burnt quickly. Work quickly with the coating while donuts are still warm. If you don’t have a donut pan, bake as muffins for 15-18 minutes. For best texture, use room temperature egg and buttermilk.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked donuts, apple cider donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts, fall donuts, easy donut recipe

Find it online: https://livelybite.com/easy-baked-apple-cider-donuts-with-cinnamon-sugar/