Spiced and covered by a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating, these doughnuts are baked, soft, easy to make and ready to eat in about 1 hour. And less messy than regular fried ones. The perfect Fall and holiday breakfast fare. And weekend brunch.
The flavor comes from reducing apple cider until it becomes thick and syrupy, which is basically liquid gold for fall baking. It keeps the donuts moist and gives that unmistakable apple-spice aroma. The batter comes together like a quick bread batter and bakes fast in a donut pan.
Fall baking recipe
Baked donuts, made with baking powder, are a quick alternative to old-fashioned fried donuts. They have become extremely popular and won't go away. So let's embrace them. They're worth it!
For purists, they might not be worth calling them doughnuts, just little cakes. It may have been a twist generated by the need to eat less fried foods, who knows. And though I'm a big fan of traditional ones, these still get my vote.
These taste of warm spices and crisp days, with a hint of cinnamon and apple flavor from the apple cider used in the batter.
And the cinnamon-sugar coating? That's the part where you try not to eat three while "taste-testing" (good luck with that).
These bake up soft and tender, and are best on the day they're made. But if you rewarm them for a few seconds, they can bounce back. They're an excellent idea for Christmas morning, as are these gingerbread spice donuts, so you may have to choose.
For now, they're joining the ranks of favorite Fall bakes and holiday breakfast and brunch recipes with this French toast casserole and this stack of festive pancakes.
Testing notes
Don't overmix the batter. The texture should be soft and cakey. Overmixing makes them tough. Stir just until the flour disappears and stop.
Adjust the spice flavor to your liking. I love my apple spice mix linked in the recipe card, as I love nutmeg and allspice for apple recipes. But only ground cinnamon works just fine. Remember that the apple cider has spices.
Pipe the batter into the pans. You can spoon it in, but piping gives you a clean donut shape, and even baking.
Don't overbake them! This is key for softness and a moist crumb. Check early because baked donuts go from done to dry fast. They should spring back lightly when touched. If they bake too long, they lose their tenderness.
Coat while warm but not hot for best adhesion. Warm donuts grab the cinnamon sugar coating beautifully.
Donut pans: they're perfect to get that round shape. Make regular or mini donuts (you can buy a mini donut pan online); the latter is a tad more laborious to fill, and the baking time will be less, so watch them closely.
FAQ
Absolutely! Let the donuts cool completely, then freeze them without the coating in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them individually first, so they don't clump. Thaw at room temperature, warm lightly in a 325°F (170°C) oven and coat with sugar before serving.
Yes, you can make the batter and keep it in the fridge, but the donuts might have slightly less rise than if freshly mixed. Tightly cover the large bowl and refrigerate it for up to 12 hours. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
Process steps
Reduce apple cider
This concentrates the apple flavor, thickens the cider a bit, and is key for flavorful apple cider donuts.
Make brown butter
Stir them until fully integrated, especially the egg whites, but don't beat.
Mix wet ingredients
Stir them until fully integrated, especially the egg whites, but don't beat.
Sift dry ingredients
This is important as some can clump during storage, especially baking soda.
I don't use an electric mixer to integrate the flour mixture, but if you do, beat at the lowest speed.
Fill the donut pan
Using a piping bag (with a plain, round tip) with the dough makes the process easier. But you can use two small spoons to fill each mold.
Baking
They should be dry and puffed, but don't overbake them. When a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, remove them from the oven.
Brush with butter
The warm melted butter adds flavor and creates a finger-licking coating when you roll them in the sugar below.
Cinnamon sugar coating
Have the mixture ready before removing the doughnuts from the oven. Let them cool for a while and coat them while still warm (not hot or it will seep into the donuts). Eat and enjoy!
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Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Ingredients
Apple cider donuts:
- 1 cup fresh apple cider
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice mix
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon grated apple, optional, for extra moisture and apple flavor
Cinnamon sugar coating:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, simmer 1 cup fresh apple cider over medium heat until it reduces to about ⅓ cup, roughly 15-20 min. Let cool.
- In a small pan, brown ¼ cup unsalted butter. Melt it over medium heat until it bubbles, foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn it towards the end! Let it cool until warm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a regular donut pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice mix until evenly colored. Discard impurities.
- In a medium bowl, whisk (don't beat) the brown butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar, 1 large egg, concentrated apple cider, ⅓ cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in 1 tablespoon grated apple if using.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix; batter will be thick.
- Spoon batter into a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe into donut cavities, filling about ⅔ full. You can also use two spoons, but it's usually messier and more irregular.
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until donuts spring back when touched and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake them.
- Make the sugar coating by mixing ½ cup white granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl that can easily accommodate a whole donut.
- Let the donuts cool slightly on a wire rack, and, while still warm, brush them with ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
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