Apple Cider Donuts (Printer-friendly)

Tender cake-style donuts flavored with apple cider and cinnamon sugar, ideal for autumn breakfasts.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup apple cider
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 cup whole milk
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Coating

12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
14 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Directions:

01 - Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a standard donut pan.
03 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk reduced apple cider, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined; avoid overmixing to keep batter tender.
06 - Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared pan cavities, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
08 - Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
09 - Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Brush each warm donut with melted butter and generously dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
10 - Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature for optimal flavor.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in under 20 minutes, so you can have warm donuts before your coffee gets cold.
  • The reduced apple cider gives you that deep, genuine apple flavor without chunks or complications.
  • Cinnamon sugar coating hits differently when the donut is still warm and the butter makes it stick perfectly.
02 -
  • Don't skip the apple cider reduction—using it straight from the bottle makes the flavor thin and watery, but reduced it becomes liquid gold.
  • The warm coating trick is real; apply it while the donuts are still hot so the butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick instead of sliding off.
03 -
  • If you don't have a donut pan, bake the batter in a muffin tin instead—they'll be donut-holes shaped, which honestly some people prefer.
  • Cold batter sometimes gets stubborn about filling the pan cleanly; let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes if it's too thick to work with.
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