Baked Apple Cider Donuts

These homemade Baked Apple Cider Donuts recipe makes 6 doughnuts that are soft, cakey, and tender. Baked not fried, they’re dipped into a cinnamon sugar coating for the slightest bit of fall-spiced crunch. No mixer or yeast required!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts (Small Batch of 6)

Do you know what the best part of going to the apple orchard is?

I’m not talking about picking your own apples to make the best mini apple pies ever.

Nor the freshly-pressed apple cider you can drink hot to warm you up after a chilly fall morning or make apple cider ice cream to cool you down.

No – it’s…apple cider donuts!

They’re soft. They’re cakey. They’re coated in cinnamon sugar.

However, they’re also fried. And although fried is delicious, I hate that it leaves my kitchen smelling like oil.

That’s why I wanted to recreate Baked Apple Cider Donuts at home using my handy dandy donut pan.

I’ve used the pan for my baked chocolate donuts, vanilla baked donuts, and carrot cake donuts.

Now it’s time for baked apple cider doughnuts!

They’re soft and tender, cake-style donuts flavored with concentrated apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little bit of clove then finished with a generous coating of cinnamon sugar.

You don’t even need to glaze them or brush with butter!

I tried brushing with butter but found it only made the donuts soggy. Really they’re “sticky” enough to coat in cinnamon sugar without needing anything else.

Also it’s important to distinguish these are more on the cakey side and not yeast donuts like my apple filled doughnuts.

Both are very delicious fall desserts and you won’t regret making either one, but I want to manage expectations before getting started.

And because they’re best eaten the same day they’re made, this baked apple cider donut recipe makes only 6 donuts so you can enjoy a fresh small batch without having a dozen leftovers tempting you.

Whether you’re craving a cozy fall breakfast to serve with your morning coffee (or cider) or you want to enjoy a sweet treat after a fun day picking apples, these baked apple cider doughnuts are for you!

Why You’ll Love This Baked Apple Cider Donut Recipe

• No yeast required! No yeast means baked donuts can be ready in under an hour because you don’t need to rest the dough.
• Baked, not fried! – No need to deal with your kitchen smelling like fryer oil afterwards (not to mention baking is healthier than frying when it comes to dessert)
• Small batch donuts! – It only makes 6 donuts, which is perfect when baking for yourself or only a few people because they’re best eaten the day they’re made.
• Concentrated apple cider flavor! – Boiling down your apple cider first vs. using it straight from the bottle means your doughnuts will have more apple flavor without adding too much liquid to your batter.
• No mixer needed! Because the butter is melted, you can whisk everything by hand! In fact I highly encourage it so you don’t overbeat the batter and end up with sad, dry donuts.

Ingredients For Baked Apple Cider Donuts

To make your apple cider donuts baked, here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Apple Cider: We’re talking apple cider as in apple juice that you drink, NOT the vinegar. Please please please do not use cider vinegar.
• All-Purpose Flour: Gives the donuts their structure
• Brown sugar: Because of the added molasses in the sugar, it gives your donuts a deeper, caramel-like flavor which feels more fall than using all granulated sugar.
• Granulated sugar: You still want to add some granulated sugar, not only for the cinnamon sugar coating but also it creams well with butter to create tiny air pockets, which contributes to the tender crumb.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove: Popular fall spices to complement the apple cider flavor
• Baking soda and baking powder: Both leaveners are needed for the donuts to rise properly
• Butter: Adds richness and flavor for a tender crumb
• Egg: Helps bind the batter and provides structure when baking
• Vanilla: Enhances the other flavors even more
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out even more flavor

How To Make Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Here’s how to make baked donuts with apple cider:

1. Reduce apple cider by bringing it to a boil in a saucepan and cooking until it’s been reduced.
2. Stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and clove.
3. Whisk in brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, egg, apple cider, and vanilla until a batter forms.
4. Fill a greased donut pan with the batter.
5. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Coat each donut in cinnamon sugar before serving.

Homemade cake donuts are best eaten the day they’re made but can last up to 2 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tips for Tender Baked Apple Cider Donuts

• Measure the reduced cider. Yes, you do need to boil down the apple cider before using. Yes, you do need to measure for accuracy. Everybody’s stovetop cooks differently, so use the provided time as a guideline and measure before turning off the heat.
• Let the cider cool. You don’t want to add boiling cider to your batter or your egg will cook. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes or until no longer hot to the touch (warm is ok).
• Don’t overmix the batter. Whisk only until the flour is moistened and no dry flour remains. Too much mixing can lead to a tougher texture.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts FAQ

More Small Batch Apple Recipes

If you enjoyed your apple cider doughnuts baked, then you’ll enjoy these other homemade apple recipes:

• Apple Pie Filling
• Small Apple Pie
• Apple Hand Pies
• Apple Turnovers
• Apple Crisp For Two
• Apple Crumb Bars
• Apple Upside Down Cake
• Apple Fritter Cake
• Cheesecake Stuffed Apples
• Crockpot Apple Butter