Baked Apple Cider Donuts will be a Fall favorite. These delicious cake donuts are infused with apple cider in each bite. The entire recipe is easy and bakes in minutes.
It’s time for Fall and baking! This recipe for apple cider donuts is a great way to start. No frying required as this is an oven baked dessert and the entire recipe is super easy.
Once you make them, you will be hooked! We make these every year once apple season rolls around along with Glazed Donuts Recipe and Italian Donuts Recipe.
My family also loves when I make Krispy Kreme Donut Holes, Rainbow Donuts and Krispy Kreme Donut Recipe for even more donut recipes.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
These easy-to-make baked donuts have so much apple cider flavor. If you love apple flavor and Easy Apple Desserts as much as I do, you will enjoy this new recipe. It’s very simple to make the donut batter and each bite is rich and flavor-packed.
Ingredients
Donuts
- Apple Cider. Do not substitute this for apple juice.
- Flour. Remember to always spoon the flour when measuring instead of scooping. This will prevent the flour from being packed into the measuring cup.
- Baking Soda. You can use the Best Baking Soda Substitutes.
- Butter. Always use real butter and not margarine.
- Brown Sugar. Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe is simple to make.
- Milk. Make sure it is room temperature.
Topping
- Sugar. Granulated sugar is used for the topping.
Get the complete ingredients for the recipe in the recipe card.
Topping variations
- Caramel sauce– try drizzling this over the donut. You can do this instead of the cinnamon sugar or with it!
- Glaze- Make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and milk until it is the desired consistency. Drizzle all over the donut.
- Frosting- Cream cheese frosting is my absolute favorite. Try it on the donuts for a decadent treat.
- Ice cream- Yes, you read that right! We love to top the donuts with No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream like a sundae and then drizzle caramel all over. It is SO amazing. It’s a must-try!
How to make baked apple cider donuts
- Step 1. Heat the apple cider in a small saucepan and allow to come to a gentle boil. Let the apple cider simmer until you only have about ½ of a cup left in the saucepan. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
- Step 2. While the mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Also, spray the donut pan with cooking spray.
Step 3. Next, get a large bowl out. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk the flour mixture together.
Step 4. Get out a separate bowl and whisk together the egg, brown sugar and sugar until it is mixed together really good.
Step 5. Next, whisk in the melted unsalted butter. Now, add the apple cider from the saucepan, milk and vanilla extract. Mix the wet ingredients until just combined. You donโt want to over mix it. The batter will be thick, but this is normal.
Step 6. Take the batter and start to pour it evenly into the doughnut pans. You only want to fill each donut section about halfway full.
Step 7. Finally, bake the donuts for 10 to 11 minutes. You should be able to insert a toothpick into the center of the donuts and it comes out clean.
Step 8. The donuts need to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. While they cool, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. After the donuts have cooled slightly, dip the donuts into the melted butter. Then coat them with the cinnamon sugar topping mixture you just made.
Storage
You might not have leftovers but if you do, they will keep between 2 to 5 days depending on how you store them.
Leftovers can be stored at room temperature inside an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can also store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Pro Tips
- Spreading the batter into the pan. You can use a spoon but I find that itโs easiest to use a piping bag to fill the donut pan. If you donโt have a piping bag, you can put the batter in a large ziplock bag and cut the corner off the bag to pipe the batter into the pan.
- Don’t over mix the batter. Mix until the ingredients are just combined being careful not to overmix.
- Only fill halfway. You don’t want the apple cider doughnuts to overflow. It’s important to only fill with batter halfway.
- Add topping while still warm. They should cool on a cooling rack, so they are easy to handle but still be slightly warm.
More easy treats to try
- Air Fryer Donuts
- Easy Canned Biscuit Donuts
- Deep Fried Cookie
- Cake Mix Donuts
- Fried Ice Cream recipe
- Funnel Cake Recipe
More Apple Recipes
Make this for one of the best fall treats. Once you try Apple Cider Donut Recipe, leave a comment please.
Baked Apple Cider Donutsย
Ingredients
- FOR THE DONUTS:
- 1 1/2 cup Apple Cider
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Butter melted
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 milk room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 6 Tbsp Butter melted
Instructions
- FOR THE DONUTS:
- Heat the apple cider in a small saucepan.ย Bring the cider to a gentle boil and let the cider simmer until there is approximately ½ of a cup remaining in the saucepan (this should take approximately 10-20 minutes).ย Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Then preheat an oven to 350 degrees F and spray a donut pan with a non stick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Then in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar and sugar until well combined.ย Next whisk in the melted butter.ย Then add in the apple cider from the saucepan, milk and vanilla extract until just combined (do not over mix).ย The batter will be thick.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the donut pan filling each one about halfway full. I find that itโs easiest to use a piping bag to fill the donut pan or place the batter in a large ziplock bag and cut the corner off the bag to pipe the batter into the pan.
- Then bake for 10-11 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the donuts comes out clean.ย Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
- Once the donuts have cooled slightly and can be handled.ย Dip the donuts in the melted butter and then coat them with the cinnamon sugar topping mixture.
- Serve the donuts immediately while warm and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
