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Soft, dense baked donuts with concentrated apple cider flavor and warm spices, topped with a cinnamon-sugar butter coating. A cozy fall treat that’s easy to make without frying or fancy equipment.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1½ cups apple cider (reduce to about ½ cup)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (for batter)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom)
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra melted for coating)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 2-4 tablespoons milk or buttermilk (if batter is too thick)
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon neutral oil (for tenderness)
  • For coating: additional granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and apple pie spice mixture

Instructions

  1. Pour 1½ cups apple cider into a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ½ cup (approximately 20 minutes). Remove from heat and cool at least 10 minutes or chill if prepared ahead.
  2. In a bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar (¾ cup), baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and apple pie spice.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, and any optional milk or neutral oil (except the reduced cider).
  4. Stir the cooled apple cider reduction into the wet ingredients. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined into a thick batter, avoiding overmixing.
  5. Grease a donut pan. Transfer batter to a zip-top bag, snip a corner, and pipe batter about halfway into each mold.
  6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 2 minutes in the pan, then flip to release. Re-grease pan between batches or bake two pans at once if available.
  7. In a bowl, mix granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and apple pie spice for the coating.
  8. Dip each warm donut in melted butter, then thoroughly coat with the cinnamon-sugar-spice mixture.

Notes

Melted butter before coating helps the cinnamon-sugar stick and adds richness., If you don’t have apple pie spice, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom as a substitute., You can use apple juice instead of apple cider if reduced properly., Donuts can be made in mini or muffin pans adjusting baking time accordingly., For a vegan or dairy-free option, use plant-based butter, flax egg or commercial binder, and neutral oil instead of butter in the batter., Donuts store best in airtight containers at room temperature for 1–2 days, refrigerate up to 4 days (warm before serving), or freeze up to 2 months (coat after warming if frozen uncoated)., Reheat donuts in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5–8 minutes; microwaving is not recommended for long times.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/baked-apple-cider-donuts/