Baked Apple Cider Donuts

A stack of apple cider donuts coated in apple pie spice sugar and dripping in caramel sauce.

5 from 20 votes

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Apple Cider Donuts are the ultimate fall treat! Reducing the cider into a concentrated syrup (hands-off time!), and combining this with apple butter produces a deep apple cider flavor in these easy baked donuts. Warm donuts are brushed in a mixture of apple butter & reduced cider, and coated in apple pie spice sugar. Dare I say, they're even better than ones from the apple orchard!

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time38

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Apple Cider Donuts, Baked Donuts

Servings: donuts

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Reduced Apple Cider

7 and 3/4 cups apple cider This is NOT the same as apple cider vinegar - see note.

For the Donut Batter:

1/2 cup salted butter, melted 113 grams, or 8 tablespoons
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp vegetable oil 80 mL
3/4 cup granulated sugar 158 grams
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed 124 grams
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup reduced apple cider 240 mL
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp apple butter, at room temperature 106 grams
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature 60 grams
2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 347 grams
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of ground cloves

For Brushing:

1/4 cup reduced apple cider 80 mL
3 tbsp apple butter 53 grams

For the Apple Pie Spice Sugar

1 cup granulated sugar 210 grams
5 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Optional, for Topping:

1 batch salted caramel sauce recipe linked below

Instructions

Reduce the Apple Cider: Add the apple cider to a pot over medium high heat, letting it come to a rolling bubble. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for 35-50 minutes, until reduced to 1 cup - you'll need 3/4 cup in the donuts, and 1/4 cup for brushing on the baked donuts.
Alternatively - you can purchase boiled cider to save the time of this step! I love this boiled cider from King Arthur Baking (not sponsored). If starting with boiled cider, you'll just need 3/4 cup boiled cider for the donut batter, and 1/4 cup for the topping.
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray your donut pans well with nonstick spray. Set out a couple of cooling racks, placed inside of baking sheets to catch any cinnamon sugar.
NOTE: Give your cooling racks a spray with nonstick spray before inverting the baked donuts onto them. This prevents the donuts from sticking to the racks - trust me on this.
Make the Batter: Melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the the eggs, apple cider, apple butter, vanilla, sour cream, and oil and mix until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices and fold in with a spatula, just until the last streaks of flour disappear.
Add batter to a piping bag or ziploc bag with the tip snipped off.
Bake: Pipe batter into the pans, filling only about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 8-9 minutes. (See next step for while the donuts are baking.) A toothpick inserted will pull out some moist crumbs. Set pans on wire racks, and run a butter knife around the edges of the donuts, then let rest in the pans for 2 minutes before inverting onto the greased wire rack.
Coat the Donuts: While the donuts bake, stir together the apple cider and apple butter for brushing. Stir together the sugar and spices. Let the donuts cool just until you can handle them, but are still warm, then brush with the cider mixture and dunk in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Serve + Store: Enjoy warm! Drizzle with homemade caramel sauce for extra deliciousness! Store cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Caramel sauced donuts need to be kept in the fridge.

Notes

Apple Cider: Please do not use apple cider vinegar, unless you want the most disgusting tasting baked good ever! Apple cider vinegar is just what it's called - vinegar. We're using apple cider - like you get from the apple orchard, or in a big jug at the grocery store. Apple juice is not quite the same but I suppose you could try it in a pinch. Get 100% apple juice if using instead of cider - you can check this at the top of the nutrition label on the bottle.

Nutrition