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Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Baked apple cider donuts with a deep apple flavor from reduced cider and a tender, cake-style crumb. Finished by brushing with butter and rolling in cinnamon sugar for a golden, cinnamon-coated ring.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Apple cider and sugars
  • 1 cup apple cider reduce to 1/2 cup
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar coating
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 0.33 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 donut pan

Method
 

Reduce the cider and prep the pan
  1. Reduce the apple cider to 1/2 cup over medium heat, then cool completely until no longer warm (cool completely cue).
  2. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a donut pan so the batter releases cleanly.
Mix the batter
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until evenly combined (dry, uniform cue).
  2. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar with the eggs, melted unsalted butter, sour cream, reduced cider, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy (wet, fully blended cue).
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, then spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan (batter thick cue).
Bake and coat
  1. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F until a toothpick comes out clean (tops set cue).
  2. Brush the warm donuts with melted butter, then roll them in cinnamon sugar for a sealed, cinnamon-coated surface (coating sticks cue).

Notes

Cool the reduced cider completely before mixing so the eggs don’t scramble; for best flavor, reduce it until thickened and measure exactly 1/2 cup. Store baked donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and rewarm briefly before serving. Freeze donuts (without coating if possible) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and recoat with cinnamon sugar if needed. For a dairy-reduced option, use lactose-free sour cream and lactose-free butter in the same amounts.