This ultimate Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe is full of flavors of fall and bakes up to a golden brown, then covered in cinnamon sugar made with apple pie spice.
One of my favorite things of fall is apple cider, and with this recipe, you reduce the apple cider to get an even more intense flavor into the donuts. You are going to love making these and our Sugar and Spice Baked Pumpkin Donuts, Vanilla Baked Buttermilk Donuts plus our new Baked Strawberry Donuts too! To fully embrace fall we also love our Apple Pie Smoothies, Baked Cinnamon Apples, Apple Dump Cake, or Apple Pie Macarons!!

Helpful Items For This Recipe
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What is in Apple Cider Donuts?

Ingredients
Simple ingredients that you may already have in the pantry and refrigerator. Using apple pie spice like a pumpkin pie spice is easy and has all the spices already figured out for you. The apple pie spice is perfect in the donut and in the sugar topping.
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Apple pie spice
Apple cider
Milk
Vanilla
Butter
Brown sugar
Eggs
Non-stick baking spray
Sugar Coating
Butter
Granulated sugar
Apple pie spice
How To Make Apple Cider Donuts

This is an easy recipe and one that we have tested many, many times to get it perfect! You don’t even need great piping skills, just a zipped storage bag and your donut pan, and you are off. The donuts are forgiving as they rise and turn out perfectly. Plus you can always clean up the dough a bit with a moistened finger.




- Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and heat until reduced to ½ cup.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice, whisking to combine.
- Add the reduced cider, milk, and vanilla into another medium bowl and stir together.




- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter and mix until creamed, 4-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Continue to mix adding the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the liquid.
- Continue to alternate between the dry ingredients and the liquid until all the ingredients are in the bowl, end with the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the batter is just combined.
Piping, Baking, and Sugaring




Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the batter over in the bowl 2-3 times to ensure it is mixed together. Pipe the batter into the donut molds filling 2/3 full.
Bake the donuts until they spring back and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
Turn the donuts out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. You can store the donuts in an airtight container for 3-4 days on your counter.

Mix the sugar and apple pie spice together in a small bowl. Butter the outsides with the melted butter and roll the donuts in the sugar apple spice mixture before serving.
If you leave the donuts for a day in an airtight container you won’t need to butter before rolling as they become slightly moist.
Do you want some donut holes? Then just pop a bit of batter into a mini muffin pan and you have perfectly poppable bites!!
How do You Freeze Apple Cider Donuts?

There are a number of ways you can freeze donuts if you would like to make them ahead of time.
First off, don’t sugar them; that can happen later. They will be a bit moist when thawed, so you don’t need to butter them if you don’t want to before serving, just like when you store them in an airtight container.
You can lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze them like that and then store them in zipped storage bags.
I like to freeze in airtight containers and layer the donuts in between parchment paper. They should be good for at least 2-3 months.
You can also wrap them in foil and plastic wrap and freeze them that way. The choice is yours.
How Many Calories in an Apple Cider Donut?

Making a baked donut as opposed to a fried donut does reduce the calories and fat and therefore is a healthier option, but they are still considered a treat and not something that should be consumed regularly.
The calories will come from a lot of the sugar that is in the donut too. The calories for our donuts are about 220 compared to a fried donut being about 260 or more depending on the donut and if it is glazed or not.
A large apple fritter donut comes in at 500 calories, so making your own baked donuts at home is not only delicious but less calories. You are going to love this recipe for so many reasons.


Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!


Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe
These baked not fried Apple Cider Donuts are amazing for fall and winter with a cinnamon sugar topping made with apple pie spice. You will want to make them to share!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 ½ tsp. apple pie spice
- 1 ½ cups apple cider, reduced
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Non-stick baking spray, for the pans
Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp apple pie spice
Instructions
Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and heat until reduced to ½ cup.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice, whisking to combine.
In a medium bowl stir together the reduced cider, milk, and vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar and
butter and mix until creamed, 4-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Continue to mix adding the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the liquid. Continue to alternate between the flour and the liquid until all the ingredients are in the
bowl, end with the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the batter is just combined.
Using a spatula, fold the batter over in the bowl 2-3 times to ensure it is mixed together.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a small to medium size piping tip. You can also put the batter into a large zip-close bag and cut off a corner, being careful
not to make too large a cut. You can always cut a little more; you can’t make
the hole small once you have cut it!
Pipe the batter into the donut molds filling 2/3 full.
Bake the donuts until they spring back and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
Turn the donuts out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. You can store the donuts in an airtight container for 3-4 days on your counter.
Mix the sugar and apple pie spice together in a small bowl.
Butter the outsides with the melted butter and roll the donuts in the sugar apple spice mixture before serving. If you leave the donuts for a day in an airtight container you won't need to butter before rolling.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Checkered Chef Cooling Rack Baking Rack. Stainless Steel Oven and Dishwasher Safe. Fits Half Sheet Cookie Pan
-
McCormick Apple Pie Spice, 1.12 oz
-
3-Pack Silicone Donut Baking Pan of 100% Nonstick Silicone. BPA Free Mold Sheet Tray. Makes Perfect 3 Inch Donuts. Tray Measures 10x7 Inches. Easy Clean, Dishwasher Microwave Safe
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 221Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 268mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g
Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
Comments & Reviews
Claudia says
These donuts sound amazing! They have my two favorite fall flavors. I can’t wait to make this.
Brianne says
Donuts with apple cider flavor? You just won the internet for the year! I must have these in my life!
Stacie says
Apple cider. That’s all you had to say. Apple cider. I’m making these this weekend!
melissa chapman says
Those donuts look so good and baked is such a good way to make them. I know that if I made them I would like them too much and eat so many.
Heather says
I’ve been dying to have apple cider donuts for so long. Just printed this recipe out to try it tomorrow!
Kathy says
These look amazing. I’ll be saving this so I can try it later. I’ve been wanting to make some donuts too. I can’t wait to try these ones out.
Monica Simpson says
Everyone freaks out over pumpkin spice things for the fall. For me, it’s all about the apple cider donuts!
Ryan Escat says
Oh wow..😮 these donuts looks great,they are perfect! I’m gonna ask my wife to try this right away!
Stefani Tolson says
These donuts look amazingly delicious. I want one!
Janeane M Davis says
Apple cider is such a fall item. It is great to be able to make apple cider donuts this time of the year.
Gervin Khan says
Oh my goodness, these doughnuts makes my mouthwatering. I am going to make this and hope to turn good as yours.
Wanda Lopez says
What a great idea for fall inspired doughnuts. I have a new doughnut pan that needs to be used. Thanks for the recipe.
Celebrate Woman Today says
Never had this recipe before. I would like to have one, please.
Erin says
I love going to our local apple farm to get freshly just made apple cider donuts! They are the best! Now I need to try to make them at home! These look great!
Natalie says
These donuts look amazing. I never tried apple cider donuts before. I must make them asap.