Because Fall Weekends Deserve Donuts
Nothing says fall quite like a warm batch of freshly baked apple cider donuts. ♡
These cozy, sugar-sparkled donuts capture everything we love about the season — the warm spice of cinnamon and nutmeg, the deep apple cider flavor, and that irresistible buttery sugar coating. They’re baked (not fried!), so they’re a touch lighter but just as delicious as the orchard stand versions we all crave this time of year. And bonus — they’ll make your kitchen smell even better than your favorite fall candle!
If you’re lucky enough to have leftover apple cider on hand, trust me — this recipe is the perfect excuse to use it up. Let’s bake up a batch together!
Tips
Here are a few helpful tips to make your baked apple cider donuts turn out perfectly every time:
- Reduce the cider properly: Simmer until it has reduced and measures ½ cup. This step is essential to concentrate the apple flavor so that you can actually taste it in the donuts!
- Don’t overmix: Mix just until the flour disappears to keep the donuts soft and tender.
- Pipe the batter: I highly recommend transferring the batter to a piping bag (or zip-top bag with a corner snipped) for easy, even filling of the donut pans. Speaking from experience, it’s tricky to fill the donut pan evenly just using a spoon or spatula — much easier to pipe it!
- Coat while warm: Brush with melted butter and toss in cinnamon sugar as soon as the donuts are cool enough to handle — this helps the sugar stick beautifully.
Variations
Want to mix things up a bit? Here are some fun twists to try:
- Add nuts: Stir in finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter before baking for a bit of crunch.
- Add more warming spices: Add a pinch of cardamom or allspice for extra warmth and depth.
- Add a hint of citrus: Stir a bit of orange zest into the batter for a subtle brightness that pairs beautifully with the spices.
- Make them glazed: Skip the cinnamon sugar coating and dip the donuts in a simple cider glaze made with powdered sugar and reduced cider.
- Make “donut holes”: No donut pans? No problem! Bake the batter in mini muffin tins at 350°F for 8-10 minutes and call them apple cider donut holes.
- Serve them warm with ice cream: For a fun fall dessert, top a warm donut (or two) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
FAQ
The batter is best baked right after mixing, but you can prepare the dry and wet ingredients separately a few hours ahead and combine just before baking.
No — store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them (unglazed) for up to 2 months.
Any good-quality store-bought apple cider will work, or here is my favorite recipe if you’d like to make a batch of homemade apple cider. Just avoid apple juice, which doesn’t have the same rich, spiced flavor.
Yes! Pour the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin tin and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
More Apple Recipes To Try!
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 12 donuts
Description
These baked apple cider donuts are perfectly soft, warmly spiced, and coated in buttery cinnamon sugar — the perfect cozy fall treat!
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donuts:
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 3/4 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Reduce the cider. Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cider has reduced to about ½ cup (10–15 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
- Prep pans and oven. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease two 6-cavity donut pans (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the 10 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and the ¼ cup granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
- Combine batter. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the reduced cider and mix until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Fill pans and bake. Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pans, filling each cavity about ⅔ full. Bake 12–15 minutes, rotating halfway, until donuts are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. (For muffins, bake 15–20 minutes.)
- Coat with cinnamon sugar. In one small bowl, melt the 6 tablespoons butter. In another, whisk together the raw sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Let donuts cool in the pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Brush each with melted butter and toss in the sugar mixture while still warm.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the New York Times.
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