Apple Cider Donuts

The first sight of apple cider donuts at farmers’ markets signals the arrival of fall and the best time of year. A warm, freshly baked donut, sweet and well spiced, coated in cinnamon sugar will soon be at the top of your list of favorite things. These apple cider donuts are baked, which yields a soft, dense donut, and once brushed in butter, it’s just as good as any fried donut. It also means you don’t have to use up a big pot of oil or deal with a yeasted dough. These donuts can be ready in an hour, so go ahead and boil down extra apple cider so when you want more tomorrow, the longest step is already done.

How To Make Apple Cider Donuts

INGREDIENTS

• Apple Cider: While you absolutely can use store-bought for ease, our homemade apple cider recipe is truly something special, and surprisingly easy to make. For the best homemade donuts, I suggest making homemade cider.
• Baking Powder: Because there is no yeast in these donuts, they rely on baking powder to give them their light and airy texture.
• Spices: Ground nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon make frequent appearances in most of our fall baking recipes, and work perfectly to bring those cozy, warming flavors to these donuts.
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates the perfect amount of sweetness with a hint of molasses flavor.
• Melted Butter: To get the cinnamon-sugar mixture to stick on the donuts (and to give an extra rich touch), we brush them with melted butter before tossing in the sugar.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, preheat the oven to 350°. Then, grab your donut pans—for baked donuts, the only way to get the donut shape is to use a donut pan. Grease with cooking spray, making sure to coat them well. Then, in a small pot over medium heat, bring apple cider to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup—let cool. If you boil the apple cider too far, just top it off with more apple cider. And be sure to stir in any of the syrupy bits that form on the sides and bottom of the pan. There’s a lot of flavor in there!

Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon until well combined.

Then grab a large bowl, and whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until well combined. Once combined, add the egg and whisk until incorporated. Now, we can add the dry ingredients and the cooled apple cider, and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Whisk until just combined—be careful not to overmix.

Then, transfer the batter to a piping or plastic bag. Snip off a small corner, then pipe into the prepared pans. If you don’t have either, simply spoon the batter into the pans. Fill each mold until about 3/4 full.

Bake the donuts until the tops are dry, then let cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Grab a small bowl, and combine the remaining granulated sugar and cinnamon, mixing together well. While the donuts are still warm (don’t let them cool too much!), brush them with butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Full list of ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What if I don’t have a donut pan? If you don’t have a donut pan and don’t feel like buying it just for this recipe, these make great muffins. The bake time should be about the same, maybe just a minute or two more. Use a tester inserted in the middle to test for doneness. Still coat them in cinnamon sugar just the same as the donuts.
• Do I have to boil the apple cider? Boiling the apple cider is key to the best apple cider donut. By boiling it, you're concentrating the flavor. You get a cup's worth of flavor by only adding 1/2 cup into your batter. This helps keep it more dense and not overly cakey.

Storage

These donuts are best the day they are made and even better when still a little warm. If you have leftovers, make sure they cool completely and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.