Homemade apple cider donuts are cakey, dense, and intensely flavored. Baked, not fried, these fall treats come together quickly and easily—a convenient recipe with no mixer required. The trick for big flavor is to use concentrated apple cider. Make the morning less hectic by reducing the apple cider the night before. Read on for all the tips you need to make this Fall favorite!
I love those delicious donuts that you get at the bakery…they’re rich, dense, and smell absolutely amazing. If you’ve ever tried my chai spice donuts, pumpkin donuts, or cinnamon sugar donuts, you know that those bakery beauties definitely inspired my donut recipes. They are somewhat dense and very muffin-like. These baked apple cider donuts are no exception, though they are a little heavier with a more substantial and moister crumb.
Tell Me About these Apple Cider Donuts
- Texture: If you like cakey, moist, and dense donuts with a crumbly cinnamon-sugar coating, then look no further than this recipe.
- Flavor: Flavor-wise, they’re APPLE and CINNAMON and SPICE all over. They taste like they’re straight from the bakery!
- Ease: A simple mix of wet and dry ingredients plus the apple cider concentrate makes these a snap to prepare for crisp fall mornings. No mixer, rolling pin, or donut cutter required! Simply add the batter to a donut pan—I use and love this one. If you only have 1 pan, just bake a batch at a time.
- Time: In less than an hour, you’ll have an entire plate stacked high with homemade apple cider donuts.
This Trick Changes Everything
The trick to apple cider donuts is to flavor them with concentrated apple cider. Apple cider that has been reduced down on the stove is thick and potent, adding big flavor without excess liquid. Apple cider, either store-bought or this homemade apple cider, is certainly delicious to drink but it won’t add enough flavor to baked goods. Taking 20 minutes to reduce the cider down transforms regular donuts into amazing apple cider donuts. If you like to keep things simple in the morning, reduce the cider the night before. That will save you cooling time, too, because the cider must cool for a few minutes before you add it to the batter.
To reduce your apple cider, simply follow these simple steps:
- Pour 1½ cups apple cider into a small saucepan. We will reduce this to ½ cup.
- Place on low heat and set a timer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Begin checking at 10 minutes, and then every 3-5 minutes after that until you have ½ cup of cider reduction (approximately 20 minutes).
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before using in the batter.
It’s that easy! If you have leftover apple cider, use it in my honeycrisp apple sangria or apple cider sangria—or drink it plain.
Here’s my reduced down apple cider:
Choosing the Right Ingredients: Melted Butter & Apple Pie Spice
- Melted butter. The crown jewel of these donuts is the dip in melted butter, then a dunk in granulated sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Not only is it delicious, but the melted butter helps the sweet coating stick to the donut.
- Apple pie spice. If you don’t have access to store-bought apple pie spice, you can make your own with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
By the way, if you’re a fall baking fanatic like me and love pumpkin treats, you might try making your own pumpkin pie spice blend, too! Use it in pumpkin-inspired favorites like pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bars, mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins, pumpkin coffee creamer, and of course, pumpkin pie.
Overview: How to Make Baked Apple Cider Donuts
These couldn’t be easier to make—no mixer required. Leave yourself enough time (at least a half hour) to reduce down the apple cider before beginning. I like to do this step the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning.
- Reduce the apple cider. In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer the apple cider until you’re left with about 1/2 cup. Begin checking at 10 minutes, then every 3-5 minutes after that until you have 1/2 cup of cider reduction. Mine takes about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes (or complete this step ahead of time).
- Combine the dry ingredients together.
- Combine the wet ingredients together, except for the apple cider.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Add the apple cider. Whisk everything together until smooth and combined. You’ll notice the batter will be slightly thick. We want thick batter for cakey and dense donuts.
- Fill the donut pan. Fill each donut cup about halfway. My trick for this? Use a zipped-top bag. Add the batter to the bag, cut off a corner, and pipe it into the donut pan filling only about halfway. This trick makes transferring the batter neat, quick, and easy.
- Bake. Only about 10 minutes of bake time—told you they were quick. To test doneness, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, they’re done. Once they are out of the oven, let them cool for 2 minutes, then invert the pan to release the donuts. You can then re-grease the donut pan and bake the remaining donut batter. (If you have 2 donut pans, go ahead and bake both trays at once.)
- Coat the donuts. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice together in a medium bowl. Once cool enough to handle, dunk both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then coat generously in the apple spice topping.
Look at this beautiful caramel-colored batter! So much apple flavor hiding in here:
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Baked Apple Cider French Toast
- Apple Bundt Cake & Apple Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
- Apple Turnovers with Salted Caramel
And apple pie, of course!
Print
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12-14 donuts
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Baked, cakey, and delicious apple cider donuts are made with apple cider reduction to intensify its flavor. Warm and dipped in cinnamon sugar and apple pie spices, this fall treat will become your new favorite too.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) apple cider
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, at room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice*
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider: Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about 1/2 cup. Start checking at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have 1/2 cup (120ml). Mine takes about 20 minutes. If there are any spices or solids on top of your reduced apple cider, leave them. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the reduced apple cider, and whisk everything together until smooth and combined. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—for ease, I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling about halfway.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, they’re done. Cool donuts for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.
- Coat the donuts: Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice together in a medium bowl. Once cool enough to handle, dunk both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then generously in the apple spice topping.
- Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can freeze the donuts, coated or not coated in the toppings, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just zap ’em for a couple seconds.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Large Zipped-Top Bag | Cooling Rack
- Apple Pie Spice: Do you have apple pie spice where you live? It’s pretty standard here in the US. If you don’t have access to store-bought apple pie spice, you can make your own with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
- Milk: I usually use buttermilk, but I’ve found that any milk (dairy or nondairy) works pretty well. For a denser crumb, you can use 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream instead.
- No Donut Pan? Make donut muffins in your standard 12-cup muffin pan. Grease your pan or use muffin liners, fill each 3/4 full, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes about 10-12 apple cider donut muffins.
- Minis: Want to make mini donuts or mini apple cider donut holes in a mini muffin pan? Grease your pan, add the batter to the pan only about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 8-9 minutes.
Hi Sally! Made these a few times already and are the best thing we have ever made. I wanted to make a huge batch tomorrow morning. JUST noticed I am just about out of all brown sugar….. Would coconut sugar be an ok substitution before I start bothering the neighbors? Thank you!!!!! If yes, and adjustments?
Hi Christina! Coconut sugar would be an excellent substitution for the brown sugar. So glad you love these apple cider donuts too!
Hi! I am getting ready to buy a donut pan so I can make these 🙂 If I bought a silicone pan noting that these are for large donuts, I assume that is the correct size (vs. small donuts)?
Hi Erica! I’m unsure of the measurements of your pan, but these donuts are NOT mini size. They’re about 3 and 1/2 inches in diameter.
This recipe is AMAZING! I have already made it 2 times! Awesome! This takes me back to when I used to live in NJ and we would go to “Delicious Orchards” and they would have the most amazing apple cider donuts. These remind me of them! And now that I have Celiac’s Disease I made them with Gluten Free Flour- increased the baking soda by a half a teaspoon and they were so delicious! Thanks for the recipe! Jenny
Made these tonight and they were DELICIOUS!!!
Made as per the recipe with the exception of subbing sour cream for the milk and adding about 1/2 cup grated green apple (squeezed of excess moisture). Dipped half the batch in the sugar/spice mix as per the recipe, dipped the other half in a sugar/spice mix with extra fresh-ground cardamom. Major hit with kids and adults alike. My typical experience with baked donuts is that they end up tasting like a muffin with a hole in the middle – these are NOT those typical baked donuts. Another stellar recipe, thank you!
Hi Sally! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I’ve made these mini donuts twice now and all friends who have tried it love it!
One question on the cider: I was really excited to reduce down the cider, but both times I barely taste any apple at all 🙁 The first time I did 1 1/2 cups down to 1/2 cup, the second I did 1 2/3 cups down to 1/2 cup, and both times most people just guessed it was a cinnamon / snickerdoodle donut. Don’t get me wrong, still delicious, but any idea what I might be doing wrong?
I do find it takes me longer than 20 minutes to reduce it down. It also seems like the consistency stays the same – doesn’t really thicken or darken much at all. Maybe it’s the wrong brand? I’m using the Safeway generic brand of 100% juice apple cider.
I also found that for mini donuts, filling the pan to 2/3 made it too puffy (and the donut hole very small!) 1/2 filled worked better for me. Thanks also for the piping tip – made it a lot easier!
Going to make these a third time this weekend for a potluck 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Veronica! Thank you so much for baking my apple cider donuts and your observation about the mini donuts. Some readers have found that added shredded apple (about 1 cup) to the batter helps bring out the apple flavor. If doing so, reduce the milk down to 1/4 cup.
These donuts are seriously AMAZING. I made them last weekend for our team before walking in the Breast Cancer walk in Central Park and had a request to make them again this weekend because they were so good! These just might be a weekend staple around the house! Thank you for the recipe Sally – it’s a big winner!
These are delicious! I reduced the Apple cider last night. I would not say it really thickened, though maybe slightly thicker this morning. I used the mini muffin pan and got 34. Another fall recipe to hold onto. Thanks Sally!
Can you use whole wheat flour or coconut flour as well?
Hi Shompa! I’m unsure about coconut flour, but whole wheat flour works. The donuts taste a little heavier + heartier with it.
I made these this week for work. We decided on apple cider donut holes for a charity kick off event and taste tested 4 different recipes. This one won so we will be making 300 mini donuts later this month. The reduction did take a bit of time but the flavor is so worth it. Next time I will reduce it the night before to speed up the baking the next day.
I’m so happy you decided on this recipe! Yes, you can absolutely make the reduction the day before to save time. Good luck! 🙂
Made these last night for a teacher luncheon today. So so good! Used the KA boiled cider which worked well, and doubled the recipe for about 40 donuts.
Also, used salted butter for the dunking before the sugar/spice coating. Loved that slight salty flavor in the end result.
Absolutely do not try to be healthy and skip the butter/sugar dunk! They actually taste a bit dry without it. Guessing very little butter is used in the actual donut due to the added butter later. Awesome recipe!
These rated five stars. Better than the ones I remember getting after apple picking in Michigan. Will be making them again when I visit the grandkids in a couple of weeks.
Just wanted to compliment you on your blog writing and photo incorporation. I am in the first baby steps of getting my own blog up and running, and yours is one I keep referencing for style and flow. Anyway, I randomly clicked on this post to see a full post, and… I don’t even like “cake” donuts generally, but all your photos and your peppy writing about them have me telling myself maybe I would like These! Haha! I think your website is so lovely. And happy birthday to your baby girl! peace
These turned out great, my family loved them for breakfast! Ours actually made 18 donuts, but no one complained about the extras. Thanks for the great recipe!
I really enjoyed the way these came out. Soft and dense, with a nice sugary coating. I doubled the batch (got 42 donuts out of it using Wilton standard donut pans) and it took around an hour to reduce the cider from 3C to 1C (I think I had the heat too low to start). Get it to a heavy steam, just shy of boiling. I would pour the cider from the pan into a glass measuring bowl every so often to check how much I had until I got to 1C. I was worried while whisking the batter at its final stage that I would mix it too much and cause the crumb to be too dense, but they came out really well balanced. Just a little lighter than a muffin. I had to use around 3 sticks of melted butter and 4 batches of the coating to adequately coat the donuts, which was mildly frustrating. I could do with a stronger apple flavor, but all the spices are about right I think. Maybe using a more flavored cider would help. Glazes would be good, like the brown sugar glaze from Sally’s “Glazed Apple Bundt Cake”, or a straight caramel glaze.
Overall a great recipe. Thanks again Sally!
PS I think in step 4 you mean “Pour into the *dry* ingredients”, right? The dry is in the larger bowl, and historically I’ve added wet to dry in muffins, donuts etc.
I made these yesterday and we had them last night and are eating them for breakfast now! I am trying to find some really good recipes to make for fall and I think this is on my list! They are so yummy and so easy to make! Thank you!