These baked apple cider donuts are one of our favorite desserts to whip up when the fall season arrives. Coated in cinnamon sugar and as fluffy as can be, this donut recipe is absolutely irresistible.
Traditionally, carnivals and apple festivals are where you can buy apple cider donuts, warm and freshly made. They’re usually fried apple cider donuts, which makes them different from the baked apple cider donuts showcased here.
While we don’t deny fried donuts are tasty, we prefer baked donuts because of their ease and convenience. Fortunately, with these easy apple cider donuts, you don’t have to shape the dough or deal with the mess of frying food.
Moreover, the fluffy, cake-like texture of these donuts is a major advantage. The cider donuts are tender, moist, and coated in a delightfully sweet, cinnamon-sugar topping that tastes like pure heaven. In our opinion, this recipe makes the best apple cider donuts you can possibly make at home.
For another delicious fall treat to make at home, try our recipe for Caramel Apples!
Summary |
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Cook time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Idle time:
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Level
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Servings:
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Ingredients
- For the donuts:
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups apple cider reduced to 3/4 cup
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- For the sugar topping:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan with cooking spray or softened butter and set aside.
- Set a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the apple cider into the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cider has been reduced to 3/4 cup. Once reduced, set the cider aside to cool.
- Whisk the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and apple cider together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg) to the bowl and gently whisk just until everything is combined; try not to over-mix the batter.
- Use a spoon to fill the donut molds about 3/4 of the way up with the donut batter. You can also fill a ziplock with the donut batter and snip off the corner of the bag as a way to pipe the batter into the donut molds.
- Bake the donuts for about 14 to 15 minutes, just until the donuts look set and spring back slightly when you press on them with your index finger. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip them onto a wire rack.
- While the donuts are cooling in the pan, create your topping by melting the butter in a small bowl, then whisking the cinnamon and sugar together in a separate small bowl.
- When the donuts have cooled to the point where you can handle them, yet they're still warm, dip them in the butter then the sugar mixture to coat.
Additional information
Recipe adapted from sprinklesomesugar.com
