Baked And Sugar-Dusted Apple Cider Donuts Recipe

Donuts may not make the list of baked goods you regularly whip up in the kitchen, especially if we're talking about the fried kind — it takes finesse to get the fry right and it's usually easier to just pick up a batch from the local donut shop. But after trying this easy and delicious recipe for baked and sugar-dusted apple cider donuts, you might change your tune. This apple-forward breakfast, snack, or dessert (yes, it has a place at each respective "table") is the perfect complement for chilly fall days, especially if you're looking for a seasonal alternative to your pumpkin spice favorites. 

"For me, as soon as September hits, I just want to eat all the apple things," says recipe developer Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking. "These are the perfect sweets for the fall. And I think these are the best donuts I've ever made, they are so delicious." They also require just 45 minutes to make, with no frying required. In fact, there's only about 10 minutes of hands-on work before you let the oven do the rest.

For this recipe, you'll need ingredients for the apple cider donut dough and also for the sugar coating. For the donuts, gather up apple cider, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, applesauce, unsalted butter, buttermilk, and pure vanilla extract. 

For the topping, the ingredients are similar to some of the dry ingredients in the dough, so you'll just need to make sure you have enough on hand. You'll need more sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and additional melted, unsalted butter. 

You may have noticed there are no eggs in this baked good. That's by design. "A lot of people aren't aware of this, but in baked goods, applesauce is a really great egg replacement. In this recipe, the applesauce serves 2 purposes, to add additional apple flavor to the donuts and also it means you don't have to add eggs to the batter, so it's one less ingredient to deal with," explains Morone.

You'll start by reducing the apple cider to bring out its flavor more. "When you boil the apple cider you are boiling the water out of it, making the apple cider flavor more concentrated. So when you add it to the donut batter the flavor is more pronounced," says Morone. 

Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer over medium heat until it has reduced to ⅓ cup. This will take about 20-25 minutes. Set it aside to let it cool. 

While the apple cider is reducing, you can go ahead and take care of some other prep tasks. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray your donut pans with nonstick cooking spray and set them aside. 

Get started on making your dough by whisking the dry ingredients together. Pull out a large bowl and combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and cardamom. 

In a separate medium bowl whisk together ⅓ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, reduced apple cider, 3 tablespoons melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.

Finish making the dough by combining the wet and dry ingredients together. Whisk the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients until combined.

Pipe or spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans until each cavity is about ½ full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the donuts spring back when you press on them, or a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.

In a small bowl whisk together the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.

Put the remaining 6 teaspoons of melted butter in a separate small bowl. Dip both sides of each cooled donut into the melted butter, then dip generously in the sugar mixture. "The cinnamon-sugar mixture will actually stick to the donuts just fine without the butter, but the butter adds additional flavor and I wouldn't skip it," says Morone. 

The donuts are now ready to serve, and taste equally delicious while warm or at room temperature. "I would serve these with some coffee or even some hot apple cider on the side," Morone suggests. They'll keep well when stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days, but the recipe is very freezer-friendly, too. "You could freeze them for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag and thaw them for a few hours before eating them," Morone says.