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It’s time to get excited because I am about to teach you how to make perfect apple cider donuts in just 20 minutes at home!
These homemade donuts pack a serious apple cider flavor punch because they’re made with real apple cider. Keep reading for my secret trick that I’m sharing with you below!
These Cider Donuts are the perfect sweet treat to welcome Fall
I am so excited to add apple cider donuts to my donut recipe collection just in time for Fall. Ready for my secret trick?
This recipe uses real apple cider, but we boil it down to make concentrated apple cider so the flavor is more bold! Keep reading to find out just how to do this.
Once you read the easy steps below, you’re just 20 minutes away from the smell of warm apple cider donuts filling your house, so go ahead and prep that cup of coffee to enjoy alongside it and don’t be surprised when the aroma draws your whole family into the kitchen!
Keep reading and let’s make some delicious donuts!
These delicious apple cider donuts have big apple flavor making them the ultimate Fall treat, perfect for family gatherings, parties, or school events. They are also one of my absolute favorite things to surprise my family with on an easy Sunday morning, just because.
What is an Apple Cider Donut?
An apple cider donut is a cake-like donut that gets its flavor from a combination of spices like cinnamon and apple pie spice, sugar, as well as apple cider.
Apple Cider Donuts Recipe Ingredients
Homemade apple cider donuts are the epitome of Fall flavors, and luckily you only need simple ingredients to make these homemade cake donuts. Keep the full recipe with measurements, instructions, and ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Apple cider
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Apple pie spice
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Apple pie spice
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
This apple cider doughnut recipe is easy to make, so you can have a fresh apple cider doughnut the next time you get the craving! Get the full recipe with measurements and ingredients in the recipe card below.
Donuts
- Reduce apple cider. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the apple cider to a boil. Once boiling, turn the temperature down to medium and allow the apple cider to boil down for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and measure, you want ½ cup. Allow the apple cider to cool.
- Prep donut pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray then use a paper towel to evenly coat the entire donut well.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, sugar, baking powder and salt, mix until combined. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple cider, egg, vanilla extract and vegetable oil, use a whisk or spatula to beat. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing by hand with a spatula just until combined.
- Add donut batter to doughnut pans. Transfer the batter to a ziplock bag, then cut off one corner and pipe the batter into the donut wells. Alternatively, use a cookie scoop and drop dollops of batter into the wells. Use a small spatula to smooth the tops of the batter if the batter is uneven. Fill the wells 1/2 to 3/4ths full.
- Bake. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a donut comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool for 10 minutes in the donut pan. Then, turn the donut pan upside down and hit the pan again a counter a few times to release the donuts.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon and apple pie spice in a ziploc bag. Add one donut at a time to the bag, shake to coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat as necessary. If the coating isn’t sticking, very lightly brush the donuts with melted butter, then shake in the bag.
How to make this Cider Donut Recipe without a Donut Pan
While I highly recommend using a donut pan, you can make a makeshift donut pan if you don’t have one and you just can’t wait for these apple cider donuts (I don’t blame you, by the way!)
To make your own makeshift donut pan using aluminum foil, cut a piece of tin foil in a square shape, shove the center of it down into your hand between your thumb and index finger, while molding the rest of the foil around your hand/fingers to make a circular shape that has a center piece that will make the hole in the center of the donut.
You may need to try different sizes with the foil, and they make not be perfectly round donuts like you would get with a donut pan. Place your donut molds into a baking pan or even in a muffin pan if they are small enough to fit. If your donuts are considerably smaller than a regular donut pan, baking times may vary.
Tips for Perfect Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Making the perfect homemade baked apple cider donuts is easy when you follow my simple steps in the recipe card below. Here are my most important tips for cider donut perfection:
- Reduce down the apple cider: The key to the big, bold apple cider flavor in this recipe is the concentrated apple cider. Be sure to reduce it down for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be sure to allow it to cool before adding it to the rest of the recipe.
- Apple Pie Spice: For best results, you cannot skip the apple pie spice! If you don’t have this specific spice, you can make your own apple pie spice by combining 3 tablespoons cinnamon with two tablespoons each of cardamom and nutmeg.
How to Serve Cider Donuts
I love to serve warm donuts fresh out of the oven (once they cool off a bit). You can also decorate a Fall-themed platter and arrange these donuts for a party or family gathering, or add them to a donut box to take to special events or give as a gift.
While they’re delicious on their own, you could also serve them with a drizzle of caramel sauce, a dollop of homemade whipped cream, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I love to have a fresh cider donut with a cup of warm coffee or a cup of apple cider!
How to Store Cider Donuts
Store these donuts in an airtight container at room temperature.
How long do Apple Cider Donuts stay fresh?
This baked apple cider donut recipe lasts 2-3 days in an airtight container on the counter, depending on how many donut lovers are in your house!
Can this Apple Cider Donuts Recipe be frozen?
You can freeze these apple cider donuts. First, allow the donuts to cool completely. Wrap each donut in plastic wrap, then place inside a freezer ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: microwave for 20 seconds or place on the counter for 30 minutes.
More Fall Recipes
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Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, properly measured, 240 grams
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp apple pie spice
Instructions
Donuts
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the apple cider to a boil. Once boiling, turn the temperature down to medium and allow the apple cider to boil down for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and measure, you want ½ cup. Allow the apple cider to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray then use a paper towel to evenly coat the entire donut well.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, sugar, baking powder and salt, mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the apple cider, egg, vanilla extract and vegetable oil, use a whisk or spatula to beat. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing by hand with a spatula just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to a ziplock bag, then cut off one corner and pipe the batter into the donut wells. Alternatively, use a cookie scoop and drop dollops of batter into the wells. Use a small spatula to smooth the tops of the batter if the batter is uneven. Fill the wells 1/2 to 3/4ths full.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a donut comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool for 10 minutes in the donut pan. Then, turn the donut pan upside down and hit the pan again a counter a few times to release the donuts.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon and apple pie spice in a ziploc bag. Add one donut at a time to the bag, shake to coat. Repeat as necessary. If the coating isn’t sticking, very lightly brush the donuts with melted butter, then shake in the bag.
Video
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
can you put these in mini cupcake pan cuz I don’t have a donut pan
Yes, you could! Bake time will be different.
I can’t wait to try these recipes.. can milk ever be substituted for buttermilk?
I would recommend following my DIY buttermilk tutorial if you don’t have store bought buttermilk on hand. Find it here: https://thefirstyearblog.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/
Wonderful recipe!! I substituted gluten free flour and ended up baking them in a mini muffin pan to create donut “holes”. This will become a new fall tradition in our house💕
I want to make these, could you tell me what brand of apple cider you used? I can’t find what I think is real apple cider.
Hi. The ingredients list doesn’t state nutmeg. But you have it in the instructions. Can you please tell me how much nutmeg?
Hi Tina! You would only be using nutmeg to make your own apple pie spice if you don’t use premade apple pie spice.
I made these for Thanksgiving. Found they didn’t store well, any tips? They were completely cooled before storing and transporting but stuck together and lost a lot of the coating.
I am guessing there was too much moisture in the container causing them to stick together and lose their coating. I would recommend not stacking them and don’t put the lid on. You could always bring extra cinnamon/sugar to shake them in before serving.
Yum. How long can these be stored? Fridge? Can they be frozen? With or without sugar topping? Thanks!
Hi Kristi! There is a storage section in the post!
Not only are these super easy to make, they’re DELICIOUS. I will absolutely be making them again in the coming weeks.
I made these donuts and they were so moist and delicious. The batter is so forgiving because I didn’t have a donut pan so I used a pan that had 6 mini springform style pans with the tube insert and it worked beautifully. I have since bought a proper donut pan and can’t wait to try this recipe again.