Spiced Apple Cider Donuts (Printable)

Soft donuts infused with apple cider and fall spices, finished with a cinnamon sugar topping.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
08 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 cup apple cider
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar
13 - ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
14 - ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
15 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Topping

16 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
17 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
18 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two standard donut pans (12 cavities total) with nonstick spray.
02 - Pour apple cider into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, to approximately ½ cup. Let cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt.
04 - In another bowl, whisk together the reduced apple cider, melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth.
05 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pans, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
07 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
08 - Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
09 - For the topping, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Brush each warm donut with melted butter, then dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
10 - Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in just over 30 minutes
  • No deep frying required
  • Uses pantry staples and simple ingredients
  • Perfect balance of apple and warm spices
  • Healthier than traditional fried donuts
02 -
  • Contains significantly less fat than traditional fried donuts
  • Can be made ahead for breakfast or brunch gatherings
  • The spice blend can be adjusted to your preference
  • Perfect fall baking project to do with kids
  • Makes your home smell amazing
03 -
  • For the most authentic orchard flavor, use unfiltered, fresh pressed apple cider from a local farm stand or farmers market. The cloudy appearance indicates more apple solids and flavor compounds.
  • When mixing the batter, use a folding motion rather than vigorous stirring to maintain tenderness. The batter should be thicker than cake batter but still easily spoonable.
  • If you don't have donut pans, this recipe works beautifully as muffins too. Just adjust the baking time to about 15-18 minutes for standard sized muffins and fill the cups about 2/3 full.

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