Apple Cider Donuts (Printable)

Tender cake-style donuts flavored with apple cider and cinnamon sugar coating for a warm, autumn-inspired treat.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup apple cider
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 cup whole milk
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Coating

12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
14 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How To Make:

01 - Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard donut pan thoroughly.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until evenly blended.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk the reduced apple cider, melted unsalted butter, eggs, whole milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined, taking care to avoid overmixing the batter.
06 - Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
08 - Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - In a shallow bowl, mix granulated sugar with ground cinnamon. Brush each warm donut with melted butter and dip generously into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
10 - Serve the donuts warm or at room temperature for best flavor.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in under 20 minutes but taste like you spent hours on them.
  • The reduced apple cider gives you genuine autumn flavor without any artificial taste hanging around.
  • One batch easily feeds a crowd, making them perfect for last-minute gatherings when you need something that feels special.
02 -
  • Don't skip the apple cider reduction—trying to use full-strength cider makes the batter too wet and your donuts turn out gluey and dense.
  • The coating works best when the donuts are still warm but not hot enough to burn your fingers, so timing that moment between pan and coating makes all the difference.
03 -
  • A piping bag with a round tip makes filling the donut pan infinitely cleaner and more controllable than a spoon, and it's worth keeping one around just for this purpose.
  • If your donuts stick stubbornly to the pan, let them cool for an extra minute or two—it seems counterintuitive, but they'll release much more cleanly once they've set up slightly.
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