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Apple Cider Donuts

These baked Apple Cider Donuts are wonderfully cakey, moist, and delightfully dense, finished with a sweet and spiced cinnamon sugar coating. They are simple to prepare and quick to bake, making them a perfect fall treat.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 12
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.67 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
For the Topping
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method
 

Preparation Steps
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare two 6-count donut pans by greasing them with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well with a fork and set aside.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the apple cider, egg, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully blended.
  4. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, along with the softened butter. Mix using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are fully combined.
  5. Transfer the donut batter into a large piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off).
  6. Pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling it approximately 3/4 full.
  7. Bake the donuts for 11-12 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into a donut; if it comes out clean, they are ready.
  8. Allow the donuts to cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack. Let them cool on the wire rack until they reach near room temperature.
  9. While the donuts cool, prepare the topping by combining the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow dish.
  10. Gently brush each cooled donut with the melted butter using a silicone brush, then roll or dunk each donut into the cinnamon sugar topping mixture. The slight tackiness of the donuts will help the topping adhere nicely.
  11. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Notes

If you don’t have a donut pan, you can easily bake these in a muffin pan, filling the batter to the edge, and baking at the same temperature and timing as this recipe. Use parchment paper or tin foil to create the center holes. Your donuts should be about 3 inches round.
You can make the cinnamon sugar topping ahead of time by combining the two sugars and the cinnamon and keeping it covered at room temperature until you are ready to use. Save some cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on waffles, french toast, or any of your other fall favorite treats.