Baked Apple Cider Donuts
These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are soft, cake-like, and packed with cozy fall flavor. Made with reduced apple cider and warm spices, they deliver classic cider-donut taste without frying—easy, lighter, and perfect for autumn mornings or desserts.
Ingredients
- Donuts
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice or cloves optional
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Reduce cider: Pour apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half (10–15 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional spices.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk sugars, eggs, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and reduced apple cider until smooth.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill pan: Spoon or pipe batter into donut cavities, filling about ¾ full.
- Bake: Bake 10–12 minutes, until donuts spring back lightly when touched.
- Cool: Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Optional topping: Brush warm donuts with melted butter and toss in cinnamon sugar.
Notes
- Reducing the cider is key for bold apple flavor—don’t skip it.
- Avoid overmixing to keep donuts tender.
- Donuts will firm up slightly as they cool.