Go Back
Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Golden, fluffy, and infused with real apple cider flavor, these baked apple cider donuts are the ultimate cozy treat. Baked (not fried), then dunked in butter and coated in cinnamon sugar, they're an irresistible taste of fall—anytime you crave it.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Donuts
  • 1½ cups apple cider reduced to ½ cup
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Topping
  • 1 cup granulated sugar for coating
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for dunking

Method
 

  1. In a saucepan, reduce the apple cider over low heat until only ½ cup remains. This takes 15–20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a donut pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt.
  4. In another bowl, whisk melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and the cooled reduced cider until smooth.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Batter should be thick but pourable. Spoon into a zip-top bag, snip a corner, and pipe into greased donut pan cavities—about halfway full.
  6. Bake for 10–11 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
  7. While donuts are still warm, mix coating ingredients in a bowl. Dip each donut in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.

Notes

Use apple juice if needed, but reduce it well to mimic cider depth. To freeze: skip coating and add sugar after reheating. Use a muffin tin if you don’t have a donut pan—just adjust bake time slightly.