Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Published: Sep 26, 2018 · Modified: Jul 21, 2024 by Eileen Murphy Kelly

Baked Apple Cider Donuts are delicious. These donuts blow away the farm stand donuts and you can make them whenever you want. They are warm and flavorful and covered with cinnamon sugar. You may want to make a double batch.

Pour a glass of milk and enjoy these cider donuts.

Apple Week is in full swing. Sunday I shared Cider Braised Chicken and Cabbage, I hope you do too!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Last fall, after a trip to a local farm where we enjoyed fresh apple cider donuts, I was determined to make homemade cider donuts. Boy, was I glad that I did. These baked donuts are delicious.

These donuts have been a work in progress for some time. I finally had the donuts but then the cinnamon sugar wasn't quite right.

Three Baked Apple Cider Donuts with cinnamon sugar stacked on top of each other on a wire cooling rack with a bag of Imperial Sugar behind the donuts.

The key is to take the donuts out of the oven and pop them onto a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes. Then, brush the donuts with melted butter and then dip them into the cinnamon sugar. Place the cider donuts onto a wire cooling rack and hello delicious!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts FAQs

What type of apple cider is used to make these Cider Donuts Recipe?

Personally, I love making homemade slow cooker apple cider. The house smells amazing also! We know that's not always possible. In the US, apple cider is usually easy to purchase. For my friends outside the US, this is not a hard cider, it is alcohol-free apple cider.

Can Baked Apple Cider Donuts be frozen?

Absolutely! I make a big batch of cider donuts and freeze them. I bake them, add the cinnamon sugar topping. I wrap each donut in plastic wrap and then into a freezer bag. Label the bags with the date and date to use by, 3 months later. To defrost, place in the fridge overnight. Warm at 300 degrees in the oven for a few minutes.

What goes well with Apple Cider Donuts Recipe?

Besides a nice cold glass of milk
A nice cup of hot cocoa
Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider
Cranberry Tea
Lemon Ginger Green Tea.

A Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar cooling on a wire rack

Pro Tips for Apple Cider Donuts

Once baked, let the donuts rest about 2 minutes before covering with the sugar mixture.
Baked apple cider donuts take 10 minutes prep and 15 minutes to bake = 25 minutes to deliciousness!
Bonus: these cider donuts freeze well too! I defrost overnight. Wrap the donuts in foil and heat them up for a few minutes, yum.

Flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices blended together in a glass bowl to prepare for making Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Apple cider, Buttermilk, and vanilla mixed together in a large glass bowl and will be added to a batter to make apple cider baked donuts.

unsalted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in the silber bowl of a stand mixer to make baked apple cider donuts

A silver mixing bowl with creamed butter with brown and white sugar and a raw egg added to the mix to make batter for Baked Apple Cider Donuts

In a large silver mixing bowl, the flour and apple cider batter is being mixed to make baked apple cider donuts.

Batter to make baked apple cider donuts in a large silver mixing bowl

Batter for apple cider donuts in a donut pan and imperial white sugar and imperial brown sugar bags are to the right side of the donut pan

baked apple cider donuts just out of the oven on a black wire cooling rack and melted butter is being brushed on the donut.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts on a cooling rack

Baked apple cider donuts with cinnamon sugar stacked on a cooling rack

How to Make Baked Apple Cider Donuts:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine and stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In another medium bowl mix together the apple cider, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl beat together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
The butter/sugar mixture should be well blended. See photo under #6.
Add in 2 eggs, one at a time to the sugar mixture.
Mix in half the cider mixture and half the flour mix. Gently fold ingredients together.
Add remaining cider mixture then the remaining flour mixture.
Once blended. Use either a piping bag or a large plastic storage bag to put in the apple cider donut batter.
Cut a hole in corner of plastic bag to pipe the batter into the donut tins. If using a piping bag, use a tip with a round hole.
Bake for 15 minutes.

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Topping for the Cider Donuts:

While the donuts are baking.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Can use a microwave.
In a bowl, mix together ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ - ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg.
One the donuts are out of the oven. Let them cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes.
Brush donuts with the melted butter then dip the donuts in the sugar mixture, do both sides of donuts.
Dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Let them cool on a wire rack
Enjoy. They are best the first day. Keep them well covered.

LOVE SEEING AND SHARING YOUR CREATION!

When you make these yummy Baked Apple Cider Donut

tag @everyday_eileen on Instagram

I love any comments or questions below!

I HOPE YOU CONTINUE CONNECTING WITH ME:

FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, TWITTER, BLOGLOVIN

Enjoying Baked Apple Cider Donuts, giving it a 5-star rating and any comments are super helpful for me and very much appreciated!

📖 Recipe

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Baked Apple Cider Donuts are the most amazing treat for a cool fall or winter day! Made with real apple cider, these donuts are just delicious! These donuts blow away any store bought donuts.

5 from 12 votes

Print (Email Required) Pin Rate

Course: Baking, Breakfast/Snack, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fall comfort food, fall/winter snack

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

cooling time: 5

Total Time: 25

Servings: donuts

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Eileen Kelly

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Equipment Needed:

Ingredients

Apple Cider Donuts

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

½ cup apple cider
¼ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature.
½ cup white sugar I use Imperial Sugar
½ cup brown sugar I use Imperial Sugar

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Butter/Sugar/Egg mixture

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, add one at a time
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
non-stick cooking spray

Save the Recipe?

Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox to view anytime. Plus the bonus of regular recipes to you for inspiration!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside
In a medium bowl combine apple cider, buttermilk, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a stand mixer or large bowl blend unsalted butter, white and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time. Blend until well mixed.
At the lowest speed on mixer add ½ flour mix and ½ cider mix. Blend, then remaining flour and cider mix. Fold ingredients to blend.
Use either a large plastic storage bag and place batter into the bag. Cut the corner off and pipe the batter into the donut pan. Or use a piping bag with a circle tip to pipe the batter into the donut pan
Bake for about 15 minutes. A toothpick would be clean after sticking it into the donut. Let donuts cool about 3 minutes on a cooling rack.
While the donuts are baking, melt the butter in a small saute pan. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
While the donuts are warm, brush them with the melted butter and then dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar. Place them back on the cooling rack. The donuts can be eaten when warm.

NOTES

Note 1: The donuts are best the first day. Keep them well covered on day 2.

Note 2: These donuts freeze well. Wrap each donut with plastic wrap then place in a labeled freezer storage bag. They keep well for 3 months.

Note 3: To defrost, place in fridge overnight. I place in a 300-degree oven wrapped in aluminum foil for a few minutes.

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Baked Apple Cider Donuts FAQs