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Baked apple cider donuts flavored with applesauce, apple cider, and rolled in cinnamon sugar are a staple autumn treat. The smell of warm apple cider and spices means that fall is here. Enjoy this easy to mix, bake, and oh so delicious fall donut recipe.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Apple Cider aka non filtered Apple Juice: The trick to getting the best apple flavor for these baked donuts is to reduce the cider over heat before adding it to the batter.
- Test Note: Use store bought or homemade apple cider, just make sure its the non-alcoholic version.
- Applesauce: Adds moisture and extra apple flavor to the donuts.
- Test Note: Homemade Apple butter can be swapped for the applesauce in this recipe.
- Crème Fraîche & Sunflower Oil create a tender donut cake crumb that’s light and fluffy, retaining moisture.
- Test Note: Crème fraîche can be swapped for sour cream.
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
Baked donuts are so easy to make, no mixer, frying, or hot oil required. Allow for time to reduce the apple cider into syrup, which can be made ahead.
- Reduce the apple cider. Using a a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil then reduce to a simmer until it has reached a 1/4 cup. This step takes about 10-15 minutes, but so worth the extra flavor. Allow the cider to cool for 10 minutes before adding it to the batter or store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Whisk together flour, spices, and rising agents in a medium bowl.
- Mix the sugars, oil crème fraîche, egg, applesauce, and reduced apple cider until smooth.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Add 1/2 of the dry mixture into the wet mixture and slowly whisk to combine. Repeat with the second half of the dry mixture.
- Prep and fill the donut pan. Lightly spray the donut pan with non-stick baking spray. Spoon the batter into each donut cup about 2/3-3/4 full.
- Bake the Donuts! These donuts bake fast in about 9-11 minutes.
- Coat donuts in Cinnamon Sugar. coating for the donuts. Lightly brush donuts with melted butter, then gently in the cinnamon sugar for an even coating.
Leftovers & Storage
Apple donuts are best enjoyed the day they are baked. If you have a few left over, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Baked apple cider donuts made with apple cider, applesauce, brown sugar, and a cinnamon sugar coating.
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Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donuts
- 240 grams (1 cup) apple cider | unfiltered apple juice
- 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour, 10-11% protein
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 110 grams (½ cup) light brown sugar
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 60 grams (¼ cup) sunflower oil
- 60 grams (¼ cup) applesauce, *or homemade apple butter
- 60 grams (¼ cup) creme fraiche, *or sour cream, room temperature
- 50 grams (1 large) egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 57 grams (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, *optional
Instructions
Reduce Apple Cider
- Bring apple cider to a boil on a medium saucepan on medium heat. Lower heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, until liquid has been reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove the apple cider syrup from heat and cool completely.240 grams apple cider | unfiltered apple juice
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Prepare the topping to set aside. Stir the granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a shallow medium bowl. Save for coating warm donuts.150 grams granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Apple Cider Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) and prepare two, 6-capacity donut pans with a light coating of baking spray. If you only have one donut pan, bake 6 donuts, wash the pan and bake the rest.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside250 grams all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, creme fraiche, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl, then hand whisk to combine. Stir in the reduced apple cider until distributed evenly.110 grams light brown sugar, 50 grams granulated sugar, 60 grams sunflower oil, 60 grams applesauce, 60 grams creme fraiche, 50 grams egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and slowly whisk to combine. Repeat with the second half of the dry mixture. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a spoon to fill each donut cavity about 2/3-3/4 full.
- Place the donut trays on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the tops spring back with a gently press of your finger tip. Or a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.
- Place trays on wire cooling rack for about 2 minutes. Then, invert pans to release the warm donuts directly onto cooling rack.
Coat Donuts
- Gently brush a thin layer of melted butter with a pastry brush onto the donuts before carefully rolling them in the bowl of cinnamon sugar.57 grams unsalted butter
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
IS THIS RECIPE IN YOUR SOUTHERN baking cookbook?
Apple cider doughnuts
Hi Maria, No, this one is just here on the blog:)