Make a batch of soft baked apple cider donuts for a classic fall breakfast or dessert. This lighter recipe fills the kitchen with warm cinnamon and sugar aromas.
The best baked apple cider donuts
Apple cider donuts are everywhere on social media—from Instagram to Pinterest—and for good reason. I finally tried a batch myself and they turned out moist, soft, and wonderfully fluffy, bursting with apple-cinnamon flavor in every bite.
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A simple fall breakfast recipe
My first taste of apple cider donuts was on an October road trip through Upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. We visited a farm with a pumpkin patch and apple orchard and sampled the most delicious glazed apple cider donuts.
Over the years, apple cider cake donuts have appeared on seasonal menus at local bakeries and national chains. You can now find them at coffee shops, grocery stores, and even wholesale clubs. Still, nothing beats baking them fresh at home.
Healthy apple baked donuts
These baked apple cider donuts use no yeast and are roughly 100 calories each. The recipe offers vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free options, and provides a few grams of fiber and protein per donut.
Because they are baked instead of fried, they can be made low-fat or oil-free, yet still taste as sweet and spiced as a bakery version.
Homemade apple cider donut ingredients
What you need: flour, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, vinegar, optional oil or nut butter, salt, sweetener, baking powder, and apple cider.
Flour – Use all-purpose, spelt, or oat flour. Some gluten-free all-purpose blends also work well. I haven’t tested almond flour, coconut flour, pastry flour, or whole wheat here, so results may vary with those substitutions.
Sweetener – Liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup, honey, or agave work nicely. If using granulated sugar or a granulated sugar substitute, increase the amount to 1/3 cup and add about 3½ tablespoons of water or extra apple cider. For a vegan version, choose maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
Apple cider – Fresh seasonal apple cider is ideal, but apple juice can be substituted in equal measure with excellent results.
Oil – Vegetable or coconut oil are good choices. To make them lower in fat, swap applesauce, canned pumpkin, or sweet potato puree for the oil. Nut butters like almond or cashew butter can also be used for added protein and healthy fats.
How to make baked apple cider donuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan or a mini muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, vanilla, oil (or applesauce), and sweetener. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder until just combined.
Divide the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for about eight minutes, until the donuts have risen and are golden. A toothpick should come out mostly clean. Let them cool, then run a knife around each to release the donuts from the pan.
After cooling, glaze or roll them in cinnamon sugar if you like. The recipe yields six large donuts; double it for more using two pans.
Apple cake donut holes
If you don’t have a donut pan, bake the batter in a mini muffin pan. For smaller munchkins, fill the cups halfway. You can also use a donut hole pan or a cake pop machine if you have one.
Can you use reduced apple cider?
Reducing apple cider concentrates its flavor and is a popular technique. If you reduce the cider, be sure to measure out 1/3 cup of the reduced liquid for the recipe.
Cinnamon sugar apple doughnuts
To coat donuts in cinnamon sugar, mix 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon into 1/2 cup sugar. Use white sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, or a granulated sugar-free substitute. Brush the warm donuts with a little oil or butter (or spray lightly) so the mixture adheres, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
Frosted or glazed apple cider donuts
Alternatively, use store-bought vanilla frosting or make an apple cider glaze: whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons apple cider (or apple juice) and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice until smooth. Dip each donut into the glaze, then let set on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes.
This recipe was adapted from earlier baked and vegan donut recipes.
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp oil or almond butter (or applesauce/pumpkin puree for low fat)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1 cup flour (white, spelt, oat, or some GF blends)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Whisk all liquid ingredients together. Grease a donut pan or mini muffin pan and preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined to form a batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about eight minutes, until the donuts are risen and cooked through. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.
- If desired, finish with a cinnamon-sugar coating or an apple cider glaze (recipes described above).
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Notes
Serve these donuts with a homemade pumpkin spice latte or enjoy them on their own as a seasonal treat.
More Fall Inspired Recipes
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Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
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