Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Tender baked apple cider donuts, infused with warm spice and lots of apple flavor, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating that’s like a bite of pure fall! 

Is it starting to feel like fall yet for you?  Here in the northeast, the temps have been quite brisk in the mornings and evenings.  You can smell that hint of wood smoke in the air, and the leaves are just beginning to turn.  All this can only mean one thing: cider donuts!

It’s so much fun to take a trip to a local farm, go on a hayride, pick out pumpkins, and eat cider donuts.  It’s become a fall tradition for my family and so many others.

Donuts are notorious for being a pain to make.  Most of us don’t want to have to fuss around with a big heavy pot of boiling hot oil.  That’s why I love my donut pan.  It makes homemade donuts so quick and painless.

More baked donut recipes:

The only down side is, sometimes you don’t get that crispy exterior.  I just love when a crispy exterior gives way to a soft, tender cake donut.  If I can’t have that, then I don’t really want baked apple cider donuts, to be honest.  So here we have a way around it.

After the baked apple cider donuts have cooled a bit, give them a dunk in a thin cinnamon cider glaze.  It reinforces all the flavors, as well as forms a little bit of a hard shell/crust on the outside of the donut.

Then, while the glaze is still sticky, coat them generously in cinnamon sugar.  I like to use sparkling sugar for this- the crystals are larger and crunchier and less likely to dissolve when they hit the wet glaze.  I can find it easily in my supermarket or craft store, and I try to keep it on hand at all times because it’s such a versatile ingredient.  If you have any trouble locating it, here’s a link to buy some online.

Another ingredient I really love for these baked apple cider donuts is boiled cider!  Have you seen it around?  I notice it every fall, in all the kitchen stores.  It looks like a thick, dark brown syrup.  Last year, King Arthur Flour was kind enough to send me a bottle and I just love it.  It imparts SO much apple flavor.  You can buy it here, or make your own by following this easy recipe.

I hope you’ll make it a tradition to mix up a batch of these baked apple cider donuts every year!  They’re quick and simple, so delicious, and perfect for fall!

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Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

32 mins

 

Tender baked apple cider donuts, infused with warm spice and lots of apple flavor, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating that's like a bite of pure fall!

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple, baked, cider, Donuts, doughnuts

Servings: 6 donuts

Calories: 290 kcal

Ingredients

For the donuts

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or a few scratches of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup boiled cider
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg

For the toppings

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon boiled cider
• 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup white sparkling sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and mist a donut pan with non-stick spray.
2. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  
3. Place the boiled cider, oil, Greek yogurt, and egg in a large liquid measuring cup and whisk to combine.  
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and fold together until just barely combined.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a donut comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.  

6. Cool completely.

To top the donuts:

1. Stir the powdered sugar, cinnamon, milk, and boiled cider together in a small bowl.  
2. Dip the donuts in the glaze, then top with cinnamon sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 290 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 33mg 11%

Sodium 204mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 50g 17%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 33g

Protein 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.