Baked Apple Cider Donuts - Cider Recipes (2024)

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Every fall my dad picks apples to make cider in his fruit press. He loves doing this, and he also loves to share the cider that he makes. Which means I’m always looking for new ways to use the cider! These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are a great way to use his cider.

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(Post modified with new photos on 10/1/23.)

Our oldest daughter lives near the Louisburg Cider Mill, in Louisburg, Kansas, where they make the most fabulous cider donuts. But that’s a 90-minute drive for us. Too far to drive when the donut-craving hits!

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The donuts you buy there are fried and dipped in a cinnamon sugar mixture. These Baked Apple Cider Donuts use my dad’s cider. They’re baked instead of fried, and then dipped in butter and coated in a sugar-cinnamon mixture. We thought they were pretty amazing! Sweet, moist, and full of apple flavor. Try them and see what you think!

More Apple Cider Recipes to Try

  • Apple Cider Pancakes
  • Apple Cider Fritters
  • Apple Cider Scones
  • Sourdough Cider Donuts and Fritters

Ingredients for Baked Apple Cider Donuts

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

  • all-purpose flour
  • brown sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • corn starch
  • baking powder
  • ground cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • salt
  • apple cider
  • buttermilk
  • vegetable oil
  • large egg
  • vanilla extract
  • applesauce
  • Honey Crisp apple (finely shredded)

Instructions for this Recipe

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Lightly grease 2 donut pans, or one donut pan and one miniature muffin pan.

Peel, core and finely grate apple, enough to make 1/2 cup.

Prepare the Batter

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In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn starch, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a glass measuring cup combine the apple cider, buttermilk, vegetable oil, large egg, and vanilla extract.

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Create a hole in the center of the flour mixture, and add the cider mixture. Stir just until combined.

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Gently fold in the applesauce and grated apple to incorporate into the batter.

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Fill the wells of the prepared donut pan about 3/4 full, and a tablespoon into each of the miniature muffin cups.

If you prefer to make donuts instead of donut holes, simply use 2 donut pans, or clean the pan after removing the first batch of donuts.

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Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. The donut holes will require about 12-14 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 5-7 minutes, then transfer donuts from the pan to a cooling rack.

Dress the Donuts

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While the donuts are cooling, prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds until melted.

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix to combine.

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Dip each donut into the melted butter, and then dredge in the cinnamon mixture. Return to the cooling rack.

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Donuts are best eaten while warm, or the day they are made. You may store uneaten donuts in a covered container for 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you freeze the donuts, be sure to allow them to thaw and return to room temperature in the container before opening. This will ensure all of the moisture returns to the donuts.

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This recipe will make 12 donuts, or 6 donuts and 24 donut holes.

View more Cider Recipes Here. Browse Breakfast Ideas Here. See more Quick Breads Here.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are baked instead of fried, and then dipped in butter and coated in a sugar-cinnamon mixture. Sweet, moist, and full of apple flavor.

5 from 2 votes

Print RatePin Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Cider, Applesauce, Buttermilk, Donuts, Honey Crisp Apples

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup Honey Crisp Apple finely grated

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Lightly grease 2 donut pans, or one donut pan and one miniature muffin pan.

  • Peel, core and finely grate apple, enough to make 1/2 cup.

Prepare the Batter

  • In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn starch, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

  • Using a glass measuring cup combine the apple cider, buttermilk, vegetable oil, large egg, and vanilla extract.

  • Create a hole in the center of the flour mixture, and add the cider mixture. Stir just until combined.

  • Gently fold in the applesauce and grated apple to incorporate into the batter.

  • Fill the wells of a donut pan about 3/4 full, and a tablespoon into each of the miniature muffin cups.

  • Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. The donut holes will require about 12-14 minutes.

  • Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 5-7 minutes, then transfer donuts from the pan to a cooling rack.

Dress the Donuts

  • While the donuts are cooling, prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds until melted.

  • In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix to combine.

  • Dip each donut into the melted butter, and then dredge in the cinnamon mixture. Return to the cooling rack.

  • This recipe will make 12 donuts, or 6 donuts and 24 donut holes.

Notes

*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter used on this recipe site is salted.

**Donuts are best eaten while warm, or the day they are made. You may store uneaten donuts in a covered container for 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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Baked Apple Cider Donuts - Cider Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do cider donuts have cider in them? ›

Cider doughnuts are cake doughnuts that get their flavor from cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider used in the batter. They are a harvest tradition in autumn in the northeastern United States and are sometimes sold at cider mills.

What is so special about apple cider donuts? ›

What's So Special About Apple Cider Donuts? Apple cider donuts are a fall tradition in New England. Every year during the apple harvest, cider makers use some of their freshly pressed juice to make soft and tender “cake doughnuts”. Every fall, my dad sends me a delivery of fresh cider donuts from Vermont.

What pairs well with apple cider donuts? ›

Nothing pairs better with our apple cider donuts than a nice, creamy slathering of our Chiles Family Orchards apple butter. If you're looking to branch out into more fall flavors, try our rich and scrumptious pumpkin butter. A good tip for this dessert is to heat up your apple butter and toast your donut.

Do apple cider donuts taste like apple? ›

Note that while apple cider donuts include apple cider, they're actually not designed to TASTE very strongly of apple, per several readers. Fittingly, most of these recipes are basically excellent cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts with a hint of apple.

What is the alcohol in apple cider? ›

The addition of sugar or extra fruit before a second fermentation increases the ethanol content of the resulting beverage. Cider alcohol content varies from 1.2% to 8.5% ABV or more in traditional English ciders, and 3.5% to 12% in continental ciders.

Does real apple cider have alcohol? ›

Fresh apple cider doesn't contain alcohol. It's possible for unpasteurized cider to ferment over time and become alcoholic, creating hard apple cider. If you don't want your cider to become alcoholic, then it's best to drink it within two weeks of making it.

Where do Trader Joe's Apple Cider Donuts come from? ›

How do these donuts come to life? We visited our supplier, based in New England – where Apple Cider Donuts are an autumn tradition – to get the full story, from cider to shelf.

What is the best apple for cider? ›

The apple varieties that we generally find in stores and that are used for the making of modern-style ciders include McIntosh, Golden and Red Delicious, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Idared, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

How do you keep cider donuts fresh? ›

Store donuts in a cool, dry place in your pantry, or on the counter away from direct sunlight. Refrigerator: Wrap individual donuts in aluminum foil and place them in an airtight container (avoid plastic resealable bags). Store the container in the refrigerator.

What makes apple cider donuts different? ›

Baked, cakey, and delicious apple cider donuts are made with apple cider reduction to intensify its flavor. Warm and dipped in cinnamon sugar and apple pie spices, this fall treat will become your new favorite too.

Why are they called apple cider donuts? ›

Cider Donuts are to be eaten with cider, that's where the name comes from. So if you grew up in rural New England, as I did, you have indelible memories of the smell of cider donuts at Apple Orchards this time of year.

Are Aldi apple cider donuts good? ›

I liked the flavor but thought the texture was a little dry.

The doughnuts had a sweet but not overpowering apple-cider flavor. In my opinion, the texture inside was soft but a little too dry. The next time I have one, I'll pair it with hot apple cider or dunk it in coffee.

Why does my apple cider taste weird? ›

Apple Cider may not taste as good after it begins to “turn”. It will become darker in color and start to froth. When those things start to occur, it just means the cider is undergoing fermentation. It will taste more sour like vinegar, but it's by no means harmful.

What are apple cider donuts made of? ›

What Are Apple Cider Doughnuts? Apple cider doughnuts are a New England treat — one of the symbols of fall as the spectacular foliage turns autumnal and the weather starts to feel crisp. They're made with a base of boiled-down apple cider, which turns into a syrup that's sweet and deeply apple-y.

Is apple cider just crushed apples? ›

Apple cider is apple juice that has not been filtered and still contains all the apple pieces, pulp, and sediment. It is the raw, purer version of apple juice. To make an alcoholic cider, yeast is added which converts the sugar into alcohol.

Why are cider donuts called cider donuts? ›

Cider Donuts are to be eaten with cider, that's where the name comes from. So if you grew up in rural New England, as I did, you have indelible memories of the smell of cider donuts at Apple Orchards this time of year. A bunch of folks have been asking me if we can make these more often.

Does cider have beer in it? ›

Cider is a kind of wine. It is not a kind of beer. Just like wine is made from fermenting grape juice, cider is made from fermenting apple juice. A place for making cider is a “cidery” or a “winery” and it is not a “brewery.” Beer is brewed.

Does fermented cider have alcohol? ›

Cider is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from the unfiltered juice of apples. Cider alcohol content varies, generally, between 3% and 8.5%, but some continental cider goes to 12% alcohol. In UK law, it must contain at least 35% apple juice (fresh or from concentrate).

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