These are soft apple cinnamon baked donuts, made with apple cider, cinnamon sugar coating, and apple cider glaze for maximum apple flavor.
BESTIES. Baked apple cider donuts are my not so new favorite thing to make for fall breakfast or Halloween brunch. This is an old fashioned baked apple cider donut recipe, with no mixer, rolling pin, donut cutter, or yeast required, just like Caramel Apple Maple Scones! They're the perfect quick and easy fall treat to make.
After testing this recipe several times, I found the perfect combination of brown sugar and apple cider to make the perfect apple orchard donuts! It takes a little bit to reduce the apple cider down but it's SO worth it. Perfect served alongside easy apple cider punch!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Apple cider, cinnamon, and a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating out the outside.
- Ease: Mixing wet ingredients, then dry ingredients, piping into a pan, baking and glazing. Intermediate level. Still not as hard as frying them though!
- Time: 20ish minutes to reduce the apple cider, and only 10 ish minutes to bake the donuts!
🍏 Apple Cider Donuts - Definition & Variants
- Apple cider donuts (cake style, cider-reduced flavor)
- Baked apple donuts (applesauce/fresh apple, lighter texture)
- Fried apple donuts & fritters (richer, crisp exterior from being fried)
This recipe is an apple cider style donut, with a reduced apple cider batter to bring out the apple flavor more.
TIP: I mix up the other ingredients for the donut batter while the apple cider is reducing to be efficient with time.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Apple cider - make sure it's NOT vinegar. I'm putting it out there multiple places because it happened to a dear reader. You can use apple juice in a pinch too! Cider tastes better though, it's lovely in the donuts!
- Brown sugar - creates the perfect rich flavor needed for these donuts. Delicious!
- Sour cream - or plain (homeade!) greek yogurt make these baked apple donuts taste nice and moist.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Apple juice and greek yogurt are the most common substitutions used for the apple juice and sour cream.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil apple cider for 20-25 minutes until reduced by half, to equal ¾ cup. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Step 2. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Step 3. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients: sour cream, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Add in cooled apple cider and mix well.
- Step 4. Add wet ingredient mixture into dry ingredients, mix until no flour pockets are left and batter is smooth, careful not to overmix.
TIP: Cool down the apple cider quickly by passing it back and forth from measuring cup to pan. The pouring helps it cool quickly, within a minute or two it should be cool enough to pour into the batter.
- Step 5. Transfer to piping bag or plastic bag with tip cut off and pipe batter into prepared donut pans. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 6. Brush donuts with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon. For the Apple cider icing: Mix together powdered sugar, apple cider, and cinnamon. Drizzle over warm donuts.
TIP: Mix in a little bit of spiced apple cider mix to the cinnamon sugar mixture to level up the apple cider taste!
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Storage: Keep glazed donuts in single layer with parchment, 1-2 days at room temp; 3-4 days refrigerated (glaze may weep).
Freezing: flash-freeze unglazed donuts, then bag; thaw at room temp, reheat briefly to refresh.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Before! It's much easier to freeze them then glaze them after thawing when ready to serve.
Yes! Just make sure to reduce it down properly so that the flavor is stronger! Apple juice tends to be more sweet than cider, so I might even add a squeeze of lemon juice for the acidity.
🍎 More Delicious Apple Recipes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 2 cups apple cider, reduce to ¾ cup
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
For the cinnamon sugar:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare 2 donut pans with baking spray.
For the Donuts:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil 2 cups apple cider, reduce to ¾ cup20-25 minutes until reduced to equal ¾ cup or 175 mL . Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile in a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients: ½ cup sour cream , 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled. Add in cooled apple cider and mix well.
- Add wet ingredient mixture into dry ingredients, mix until no flour pockets are left and batter is smooth, careful not to overmix. Transfer to piping bag or plastic bag with tip cut off and pipe batter into oiled donut pans.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- For cinnamon sugar topping:
- Melt 4 Tablespoons butter, set aside. Mix together ⅓ cup white granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a flat plate or container with raised edges. Dip each donut in butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
For the icing:
- Mix together 1½ cups powdered sugar, and 2 Tablespoons apple cider Drizzle over warm donuts. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Jackie says
This recipe did not turn out well for me. First, the apple cider vinegar flavor was too strong. Second, the donut itself was not sweet enough. I think it needed white sugar in the batter in addition to the brown sugar. I made the first batch at 350 degrees F and then the second batch at 400 degrees F. The second batch came out better, but the inside of the donut did not cook well for some reason. I would appreciate insight into what I might have done wrong, but I do not think I will do this again.
Sara says
Poor Jackie! I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out well. Vinegar is not used in this recipe, just regular apple cider, which is similar to apple juice. It is reduced to 3/4 cup to increase the sweet apple flavor in the cider.
Since vinegar has so much acid, it would change the recipe chemistry completely and may cause it to bake differently.
If you do end up trying it again, I hope it turns out better. Just make sure you don’t use vinegar!
Jackie says
Oh my goodness! I can't believe I misread one of the ingredients. Thank you and I apologize for the confusion.
Sara says
No problem! It made me chuckle. Those must have been very interesting donuts! If you do try it again and like it, would you mind updating your star rating?
Analynn Berry says
Ermagersh, these look amazing!
Sara says
Thank you!!