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Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

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These baked apple cider donuts have a tender, cake-like crumb and a crunchy, sparkly cinnamon sugar coating. Made with reduced apple cider for intense flavor, they’re a quick and easy fall treat without the mess of deep frying.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ¼ cup (12-15 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan with non-stick spray or melted butter.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in the cooled reduced apple cider and buttermilk.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Do not overmix.
  6. Transfer batter to a piping bag or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into each donut cavity, filling about ¾ full.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for another 2-3 minutes until warm.
  8. While donuts are warm, brush each generously with melted butter, then dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture (½ cup sugar + 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon) to coat evenly. Shake off excess and place back on the rack.
  9. Serve warm. Best enjoyed the day they are made.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough donuts. Reduce the apple cider properly to concentrate flavor. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Coat donuts while warm for the sugar to stick. For a dairy-free version, use almond milk with apple cider vinegar and plant-based butter.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked donuts, apple cider donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts, fall baking, easy donut recipe

Find it online: https://rowanrecipes.com/easy-baked-apple-cider-donuts-with-cinnamon-sugar/