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You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking Recipes / Apple Cider Donuts

Apple Cider Donuts

November 9, 2023 by Mahy 5 Comments

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long pin for apple cider donuts

These Apple Cider Donuts are soft, cakey and rich tasting donuts that are baked and read in 15 minutes. Lightly buttered and coated with cinnamon sugar, these donuts will be your new seasonal treat! They stay moist for days, and you can make them with a bowl and whisk. Be sure to check out the video and step by step below to enjoy these!

cinnamon sugar coating close up on apple cider donuts

If you’ve had Apple Cider Donuts at your local bakery and fell in love with them this season, this is your call. Here’s a recipe for a super cakey, moist and rich tasting one. Not only is it SO GOOD, it’s also so easy that you’ll be making them and sharing them more often than you think!

 

We LOVE seasonal donuts, especially baked ones. Our Pumpkin Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar which even pumpkin haters devour! Along with these Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts : A combo of pumpkin spice donuts with an espresso glaze. Like SERIOUSLY heavenly!

And then we got our very basic Baked Donut Holes with Cinnamon Sugar  and Caramel Chocolate Donut Holes for not so seasonal favorites. 

The base and secret to these phenomenal donuts stems from our Homemade Apple Cider recipe which we shared last year. Why is it so special? Because it’s made with the simplest and purest ingredients, slow cooked with love and infused with orange. It’s a MUST try! We also add a hydration supplement powder which makes it so good for you to enjoy 🧡
an apple cider donut cut in half placed over the stacks of donuts to show how the texture looks

Why You’ll Love Apple Cider Donuts?

  • They are soft, tender, moist, cakey donuts that KEEP for days! 
  • The cinnamon sugar crunch coating adds the right amount of sweetness along with a delicate crunch.
  • It’s rich tasting, thanks to a concentrate of Homemade Apple Cider.
  • You don’t need any fancy machines or mixers to make the batter. 
  • Baking time is about 15 minutes, and your donuts are ready!
  • Unlike the fried ones, these are not greasy and don’t make you feel heavy at all.
  • They make your home smell amazing!
  • It’s a kid friendly recipe, so your little ones can help with this one.

Ingredients for Apple Cider Donuts

ingredients on a board in small bowls to make apple cider donuts including a bowl of egg, a bowl of flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, a bowl of brown sugar, a bowl of white sugar, bowl of oil, bowl of yogurt and a large bowl of apple cider

  • Homemade Apple Cider
  • Egg
  • Sugars (white and light brown)
  • Oil (we love a neutral and healthy avocado oil)
  • Yogurt (or buttermilk)
  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • salt
  • Cinnamon or apple spice

How to Make Apple Cider Donuts

Preparing the Apple Cider

A hand holding the apple cider in a large cup ready to boil it down

  1. The first step, which is the most time consuming is reducing down the Homemade Apple Cider. This means taking in 1 1/2 cups of it and simmering it over medium low heat for about 20 minutes until you’re left with 1/2 cup. 
    the apple cider reduced in a pan after simmering for 30 minutes
  2. Once it’s reduced down like shown above, you’ll need to chill the cider before using. You can place it in a freezer for 10 minutes to flash cool it, or in you fridge for 30 minutes. You may alternatively make this days in advance, and use the reduced Homemade Apple Cider on drinks and desserts. 

    Preparing Donut Batter

    the dry ingredients ready and mixed in a smaller bowl

  3. In a small bowl, whisk in the dry ingredients together. This includes flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, apple spice (or cinnamon, or both). A simple whisk to get rid of any clumps here is all you need. 
    All the wet ingredients are mixed together in a large bowl to make apple cider donuts
  4. In a larger bowl, you’ll mix in the wet ingredients together, including the cooled apple cider. All you need is also a whisk to make the batter smooth. 
  5. Now you’ll add the dry ingredients  bowl into the wet ingredients bowl and use a spatula or a whisk to blend the batter together. Avoid over-mixing the donut batter. 

    Shaping the donuts

    the bater for apple cider donuts is ready in a ziploc bag

  6. Transform the batter into a ziploc bag. This is the EASIEST way to fill our your donut pan. Use a large size ziploc to give some room for the batter. Take the air out and seal the bag really well.
    A hand using a scissors to snip off the corner or the ziploc bag
  7. Push the batter in the sealed bag in ausch a way to make a cone shape where one of the corners of the bag would be used to pipe. Now take a scissor and snip off a small 1/8 inch slit of that corner. 
    The apple cider donut being pumped into the muffin pan
  8. Hold the bag at the top where the seal is, and like a cone shape where the pointing edge is the cut off slit of the bag start pushing the batter out of the bag. Fill the donut pan 2/3 of the way up because the donuts will puff during baking. Depending on the quality of your donut pan, you may choose to spray it with oil or not before piping the batter.
  9. We spray our baking pan with an avocado oil spray to be on the safe side. 

    Baking Apple Cider Donuts

    apple cider donuts recipe in a donut pan ready to bake

  10. Continue piping the batter until you have filled out all the donut pan cavities as shown. The batter will feel relatively thick, which is how the donuts come out SUPER tender! Now you’re all set for baking. 
    baked apple cider donuts out of the oven puffy and gorgeous
  11. Gorgeous baked apple cider donuts! Look how they baked perfectly and filled up til the top of your donut pan, and that’s why we fill the pan only 2/3 of the way. 
  12. It’s best to let the donuts cool slightly in the pan before attempting to remove them. They’re very soft and cakey, and hence can easily break apart if you handle them while still hot. So we wait 8-10 minutes before removing them. 

    Coating the Donuts

    a hand brushing the donut with melted butter

  13. Now one by one, you’ll take the apple cider donut and rush them with melted butter. You can alternatively dip them entirely in the melted butter, however we found that brushing is better. This way, you still get the buttery flavor, the cinnamon sugar still sticks on the donut, yet you don’t get a greasy feel. 
    the buttered donut is now dipped in cinnamon sugar bowl
  14. Now dip the brushed donut right into the bowl of cinnamon sugar and shake the bowl really well to coat the donut. You can likewise brush the donut on the tops only for a cinnamon sugar coating on top. Or you can brush it all over. 
    top view of all apple cider donuts now dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar
  15. Stack the donuts one over the other in piles of 2-3 and they’re ready to enjoy!

    Serving the Donuts

    a hand holding one bit off donut to show how fluffy and soft the donut recipe is

  16. Take a bite of those tasty apple cider donuts and have a LOOK at the cakey texture! SO moist, soft and tender.. SO GOOD!
    a hand holding a the apple cider donut spread with apple butter close up
  17. Another way we LOVE to serve these donuts is with a slather of our homemade Apple Butter !! OMG the apple flavors here are insane! Like imagine a rich. sweet apple butter infused with cinnamon and vanilla, spread over warm apple cider donuts.

Apple Cider Donuts TIPS

  1. Homemade Apple Cider is always better than store bought for this recipe, however you can substitute with your favorite store bought brand if you have one.
  2. Simmering the apple cider down concentrates the flavor and intensifies the apple taste in your donut recipe. 
  3. Make sure to cool down the apple cider before adding it into the batter. You can do so by flash freezing it for 10 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
  4. Have the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and make sure all the powders are whisked.
  5. Place the wet ingredients in a large bowl as this will be the main batter bowl. 
  6. When blending the dry ingredients into the wet bowl, make sure to avoid over-mixing the batter.
  7. A tightly sealed ziplog bag is best for piping out the dough into the donut pan. Make sure you air tight the bag as best as possible for easy piping. Also try to gather all the batter into one side so the bag has the shape of a cone.
  8. Snip off a 1/4 inch size cut to allow for easy pouring of the batter. If you snip off a larger piece you will risk the batter pouring out too fast.
  9. We prefer spraying the donut pan always with a non stick avocado oil spray. 
  10. Fill the donut pan only 2/3 of the way full to allow for expansion in the oven.
  11. Once baked, let the donuts cool off in the pan for at least 6-8 minutes. These apple cider donuts are very tender and may break apart if you handle them while still hot.
  12. You may dip the entire donut in melted butter to coat, however we felt that to be too greasy of an option. We prefer brushing the surface only with the melted butter rather than the dipping option. 
  13. The coating we used is cinnamon sugar, you may also opt for adding apple spice to the coating–so good!

What if you don’t have a Donut Pan?

You can fid these readily available online and in stores. Since they won’t be used except occasionally, you don’t need to invest in an expensive one. 

If you want a more DIY solution, you can use a regular standard size muffin pan. Use regular aluminum foil cut up into a square about 5 inches. fold the foil in half and coil it to make a round. Seal the ends to create the hole in the donut shape.

Now place the rounded aluminum coil in the center of each cavity of the muffin pan to create a donut shape.Spray the pan with avocado oil spray and press down the foil so it sticks to the pan. Pipe the donut batter around the foil as you would  for a donut pan. 

What goes with apple cider donuts?

a spoon spreading some apple butter over the donuts

Our favorite thing to serve with this recipe is our homemade Apple Butter. Be sure to read that post for tips on making your apple butter in the crockpot, stove or instant pot. 

How are Apple Cider Donuts different from regular donuts?

Aside from being cake donuts, they have a rich intense flavor in the batter itself. The apple cider used in the batter is spiced with warm fall spices and this flavors the donuts immensely. 

How to Store Apple Cider Donuts?

Keep the donuts in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can freeze baked donuts without the coating however. Just wrap them and freeze them for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and warm up the donuts on a baking sheet for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush with butter and coat with the cinnamon sugar.
stacks of apple cider donuts surrounded by a stack of apples, a pink kitchen towel and cinnamon sticks

More Apple Recipes: 

Apple Butter
Homemade Apple Cider
Apple Crisp Recipe
Easy Candy Apples
Apple Crumble
Baked Apples
Apple Muffins
Swiss Apple Tart Recipe
Apple Pie Stuffed Apples

a hand holding one bit off donut to show how fluffy and soft the donut recipe is
5 from 5 votes
Print

Apple Cider Donuts

Soft and delicious Apple Cider donuts that are cakey, baked and infused with homemade apple cider. Coated in cinnamon sugar with a touch of apple spice, these will be your favorite donut recipe!

Course baking, Dessert, desserts, Fall Baking, holiday
Cuisine American
Keyword apple cider, apple cider donuts, Apple recipes, baked donuts, donut recipe, donuts, how to make donuts
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 donuts
Calories 309 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Apple Cider

  • 1 1/2 cups homemade apple cider Recipe here , or storebought

Donut Batter

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon apple spice optional
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Coating

  • 1/3 cup melted butter unsalted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon apple spice

Instructions

  1. The first step, which is the most time consuming is reducing down the Homemade Apple Cider. This means simmering it over medium low heat for about 20 minutes until you're left with 1/2 cup.

    the apple cider reduced in a pan after simmering for 30 minutes
  2. Once it's reduced down, you can place it in a freezer for 10 minutes to flash cool it, or in you fridge for 30 minutes. You may alternatively make this days in advance, and use the reduced Homemade Apple Cider on drinks and desserts.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your donut pan with avocado oil spray.

  4. In a small bowl, whisk in the dry ingredients together. This includes flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, apple spice (or cinnamon, or both). A simple whisk to get rid of any clumps here is all you need.
    the dry ingredients ready and mixed in a smaller bowl
  5. In a larger bowl, you'll mix in the wet ingredients together, including the cooled apple cider. All you need is also a whisk to make the batter smooth.
    All the wet ingredients are mixed together in a large bowl to make apple cider donuts
  6. Now you'll add the dry ingredients  bowl into the wet ingredients bowl and use a spatula or a whisk to blend the batter together. Avoid over-mixing the donut batter.
  7. Transform the batter into a ziploc bag. This is the EASIEST way to fill our your donut pan. Use a large size ziploc to give some room for the batter. Take the air out and seal the bag really well.
    the bater for apple cider donuts is ready in a ziploc bag
  8. Push the batter in the sealed bag in ausch a way to make a cone shape where one of the corners of the bag would be used to pipe. Now take a scissor and snip off a small 1/8 inch slit of that corner.
    A hand using a scissors to snip off the corner or the ziploc bag
  9. Hold the bag at the top where the seal is, and like a cone shape where the pointing edge is the cut off slit of the bag start pushing the batter out of the bag.

    Fill the donut pan 2/3 of the way up because the donuts will puff during baking. Depending on the quality of your donut pan, you may choose to spray it with oil or not before piping the batter.

    The apple cider donut being pumped into the muffin pan
  10. Continue piping the batter until you have filled out all the donut pan cavities as shown. The batter will feel relatively thick, which is how the donuts come out SUPER tender! Now you're all set for baking.
    apple cider donuts recipe in a donut pan ready to bake
  11. It's best to let the donuts cool slightly in the pan before attempting to remove them. They're very soft and cakey, and hence can easily break apart if you handle them while still hot. So we wait 8-10 minutes before removing them.
    baked apple cider donuts out of the oven puffy and gorgeous
  12. Now one by one, you'll take the apple cider donut and rush them with melted butter. You can alternatively dip them entirely in the melted butter, however we found that brushing is better. This way, you still get the buttery flavor, the cinnamon sugar still sticks on the donut, yet you don't get a greasy feel.
    a hand brushing the donut with melted butter
  13. Now dip the brushed donut right into the bowl of cinnamon sugar and shake the bowl really well to coat the donut. You can likewise brush the donut on the tops only for a cinnamon sugar coating on top. Or you can brush it all over.
    the buttered donut is now dipped in cinnamon sugar bowl
  14. Stack the donuts one over the other in piles of 2-3 and they're ready to enjoy!
    cinnamon sugar coating close up on apple cider donuts
  15. Another way we LOVE to serve these donuts is with a slather of our homemade Apple Butter !! OMG the apple flavors here are insane! Like imagine a rich. sweet apple butter infused with cinnamon and vanilla, spread over warm apple cider donuts.
    a hand holding a the apple cider donut spread with apple butter close up

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Apple Cider Donuts TIPS

  1. Homemade Apple Cider is always better than store bought for this recipe, however you can substitute with your favorite store bought brand if you have one.
  2. Simmering the apple cider down concentrates the flavor and intensifies the apple taste in your donut recipe. 
  3. Make sure to cool down the apple cider before adding it into the batter. You can do so by flash freezing it for 10 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
  4. Have the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and make sure all the powders are whisked.
  5. Place the wet ingredients in a large bowl as this will be the main batter bowl. 
  6. When blending the dry ingredients into the wet bowl, make sure to avoid over-mixing the batter.
  7. A tightly sealed ziplog bag is best for piping out the dough into the donut pan. Make sure you air tight the bag as best as possible for easy piping. Also try to gather all the batter into one side so the bag has the shape of a cone.
  8. Snip off a 1/4 inch size cut to allow for easy pouring of the batter. If you snip off a larger piece you will risk the batter pouring out too fast.
  9. We prefer spraying the donut pan always with a non stick avocado oil spray. 
  10. Fill the donut pan only 2/3 of the way full to allow for expansion in the oven.
  11. Once baked, let the donuts cool off in the pan for at least 6-8 minutes. These apple cider donuts are very tender and may break apart if you handle them while still hot.
  12. You may dip the entire donut in melted butter to coat, however we felt that to be too greasy of an option. We prefer brushing the surface only with the melted butter rather than the dipping option. 
  13. The coating we used is cinnamon sugar, you may also opt for adding apple spice to the coating--so good!

What if you don't have a Donut Pan?

You can fid these readily available online and in stores. Since they won't be used except occasionally, you don't need to invest in an expensive one. 

If you want a more DIY solution, you can use a regular standard size muffin pan. Use regular aluminum foil cut up into a square about 5 inches. fold the foil in half and coil it to make a round. Seal the ends to create the hole in the donut shape.

Now place the rounded aluminum coil in the center of each cavity of the muffin pan to create a donut shape.Spray the pan with avocado oil spray and press down the foil so it sticks to the pan. Pipe the donut batter around the foil as you would  for a donut pan. 

What goes with apple cider donuts?

Our favorite thing to serve with this recipe is our homemade Apple Butter. Be sure to read that post for tips on making your apple butter in the crockpot, stove or instant pot. 

How are Apple Cider Donuts different from regular donuts?

Aside from being cake donuts, they have a rich intense flavor in the batter itself. The apple cider used in the batter is spiced with warm fall spices and this flavors the donuts immensely. 

How to Store Apple Cider Donuts?

Keep the donuts in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can freeze baked donuts without the coating however. Just wrap them and freeze them for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and warm up the donuts on a baking sheet for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush with butter and coat with the cinnamon sugar.
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cider Donuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 309 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 151mg7%
Potassium 80mg2%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 199IU4%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Filed Under: American Recipes, Baking Recipes, Holidays, Muffins, Parties, Recipes, Videos

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Comments

  1. Renee

    November 9, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    These apple cider donuts are perfect for fall! I love the warm spices, and the cinnamon sugar topping adds just enough sweetness without making them overly sweet. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Elisa

    November 9, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    Look so delicious these apple cider donuts, definitely will making this soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  3. Gianne

    November 9, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    5 stars
    The aroma of the warm cinnamon and apple flavors filled my kitchen, and the donuts turned out moist, fluffy, and oh so flavorful! They were a total hit with my family!

    Reply
  4. veenaazmanov

    November 9, 2023 at 8:05 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipe is surely unique. Love the spice flavors, the avocado oil combination and the perfect cinnamon topping. Perfect for a Tea Time Treat.

    Reply
  5. Holley

    November 9, 2023 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    I am allll about these apple cider donuts! They are absolutely delicious and can’t wait to make these again and again!

    Reply
5 from 5 votes

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Mahy PicHi, I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

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