Apple Cider Donuts
Apple Cider Donuts are soft, fluffy baked donuts filled with apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, then dipped in melted butter and covered in cinnamon sugar. They’re baked in a donut pan instead of fried, so you can have warm homemade cider donuts without dealing with a pot of hot oil.
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I WAIT ALL YEAR FOR APPLE CIDER DONUTS.
Apple cider donuts are one of my favorite things about fall baking. They’re soft and fluffy with apple cider and warm spices, but let’s be real, the buttery cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside is the best part.
I love that these are baked, too. There’s no yeast, frying oil, or waiting for dough to rise. Just mix the batter, fill the donut pan, and bake.
As soon as they’re cool enough to handle, I dip them in melted butter and then completely coat them in cinnamon sugar. And I mean completely. You want that cinnamon sugar in every bite.
Eat one while it’s still warm. Seriously.
These are so good with coffee in the morning, but they also tend to sit on my counter and slowly disappear throughout the day.
They’re simple, they taste like fall, and they make the whole kitchen smell amazing.
Why You’ll Love Apple Cider Donuts
- Baked, not fried: You get homemade apple cider donuts without heating a big pot of oil. Everything goes right into a donut pan and bakes at 350°F.
- Ready quickly: The donuts only need about 10–13 minutes in the oven, making these an easy fall breakfast or dessert.
- Warm fall spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove give the donuts plenty of warm spice without overpowering the apple cider.
- Buttery cinnamon-sugar coating: While the donuts are still warm, they’re dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. This is what gives the outside that classic cider donut finish.
- Soft and fluffy: Milk, apple cider, melted butter, and brown sugar give these baked donuts a soft, tender texture.
- Easy gluten-free option: You can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour using the same amount.
Ingredients Needed
Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients needed for this recipe.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the baked donuts their soft, tender structure. A 1:1 gluten-free flour can also be used in the same amount.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the donuts rise and give them a light, fluffy texture.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
- Ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg: A simple combination of warm spices that pairs perfectly with the apple cider.
- Apple cider: Adds apple flavor and moisture to the donut batter.
- Milk: Helps create a smooth batter and keeps the donuts soft.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter adds richness to the batter. You’ll also need additional melted butter for coating the baked donuts.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the donut batter and is also used for the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness with a little deeper flavor and helps keep the donuts soft.
- Egg: Adds structure and helps create a soft, tender donut.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and complements the apple cider and warm spices.
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon: Mixed together to create the classic cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Unsalted butter: The baked donuts are dipped in melted butter while they’re still warm so the cinnamon sugar sticks to the outside.
Oven Temperatures
Oven temperatures can vary significantly from one oven to another. To achieve consistent results, it’s crucial to know the exact temperature inside your oven. The safest and most accurate way to determine this is by using an oven thermometer. This simple tool can help you avoid underbaking or overbaking your treats.
How To Make Apple Cider Donuts
- Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan well with nonstick baking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, melted butter, apple cider, milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg until combined.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Don’t keep mixing once the flour has disappeared.
- Fill the donut pan: Divide the batter between the donut cavities, filling each about 3/4 full. Your recipe makes 12 standard-sized donuts
- Bake: Bake for 10–13 minutes, or until the donuts are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool slightly: Turn the donuts out onto a wire rack and let them cool just enough that you can comfortably handle them.
- Coat in cinnamon sugar: Melt the butter in one bowl and combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar in another. Dip each warm donut in the melted butter, then coat it really well in cinnamon sugar
Tips for the Best Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Don’t overmix the batter: Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, stop mixing. Overworking the batter can make baked donuts tougher instead of soft and tender.
- Don’t overfill the donut pan: Fill each cavity about 3/4 full. The donuts need a little room to rise without baking over the center of the pan.
- Make sure your melted butter isn’t piping hot: Let it cool slightly before mixing it with the other wet ingredients, especially since you’re also adding an egg.
- Start checking at 10 minutes: These only bake for 10–13 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick rather than automatically giving them the full 13 minutes.
- Coat them while they’re still warm: Don’t let the donuts cool completely before adding the topping. Dip them in melted butter while they’re still slightly warm, then immediately coat them in cinnamon sugar.
- Be generous with the cinnamon sugar: Roll the entire donut in it rather than sprinkling a little over the top. You want cinnamon sugar all the way around.
Variations & Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour using the same amount.
- Milk: Regular dairy milk works perfectly here. If using a dairy-free milk, I’d choose one with a little more body rather than a very thin milk alternative.
- Apple cider: Apple cider gives these donuts the best flavor. If you only have apple juice, you can use it, but the apple flavor will be lighter.
- Spices: I would keep the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove combination as written. There isn’t a lot of nutmeg or clove in the recipe, but those small amounts add warmth without overpowering the cider. Your batter uses 1 teaspoon cinnamon and just ⅛ teaspoon each of nutmeg and clove.
Storage + Freezing
- Storage: These are best when they’re fresh and that cinnamon-sugar coating is at its best. Once completely cooled, store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing: If you want to freeze them, I would freeze the baked donuts before coating them in butter and cinnamon sugar. Once thawed, warm them slightly and add the coating fresh.
- Reheating: Warm leftover donuts briefly before serving to soften them back up. If they’ve already been coated, keep an eye on them so you don’t melt all of that cinnamon sugar off.
Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (1:1 gluten-free flour can be substituted)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground clove
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
For the Topping
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, melted butter, apple cider, milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and egg until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the donut cavities, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 10–13 minutes, or until the donuts are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Turn the donuts out onto a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool slightly.
- Add the melted butter to one shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix together the cinnamon and granulated sugar.
- While the donuts are still slightly warm, dip each donut in the melted butter, then coat completely in cinnamon sugar.
- Serve warm or allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Apple cider: Use apple cider for the best apple flavor. Apple juice can be substituted in a pinch, but the flavor will be lighter.
- Gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour using the same amount.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until incorporated to keep the baked donuts soft and tender.
- Filling the pan: Fill each donut cavity about 3/4 full so the donuts have room to rise without covering the center.
- Doneness: Start checking the donuts around 10 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Cinnamon sugar: Coat the donuts while they’re still slightly warm. Dip them in melted butter first, then immediately into the cinnamon sugar.
- Storage: Store completely cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re best when fresh, especially once coated in cinnamon sugar.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple cider donuts combine apple cider with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. This recipe uses a donut pan instead of a fryer, then finishes each donut with melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
You can make apple cider donuts either way, but this recipe bakes them at 350°F for 10–13 minutes. You don’t need yeast, a deep fryer, or a pot of hot oil.
These baked Apple Cider Donuts have a lightly sweet apple cider flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The melted butter and cinnamon-sugar coating adds most of that classic sweet, spiced donut flavor on the outside.
Yes, you can substitute apple juice for apple cider. I recommend cider because it gives the donuts a fuller apple flavor. Apple juice will produce a milder result.
I recommend using a donut pan for this recipe. I developed the batter and baking time for 12 standard-sized donuts, so I can’t give you an accurate muffin-pan baking time without testing it first.
Overbaking can dry out these donuts. Start checking them at 10 minutes, and remove them when a toothpick comes out clean. Mix the batter just until the wet and dry ingredients come together, too. Overmixing can make the donuts tougher.
Let the donuts cool just enough to handle them. Dip each warm donut into melted butter, then immediately roll it in cinnamon sugar. The butter helps the sugar stick to the entire outside.
These donuts taste best the day you make them, especially while the cinnamon-sugar coating still has its texture. Let leftovers cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
