Apple Cider Donuts
Published 9/19/2024
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These Apple Cider Donuts will make all your autumn dreams come true! With ingredients like cinnamon, Honeycrisp apples, apple cider, and maple syrup, they are the perfect treat for any fall celebration or cozy night in. The brown butter glaze makes them even more irresistible — trust us!
Apples are in full season right now, and for us, that means apple cider everything. From our Instant Pot Apple Cider to our Apple Cider Mimosa, we’ve got beverages galore. BUT, what about dessert? We’ve got our Apple Tart and Apple Cinnamon Muffins, but not an apple cider dessert. Well, get ready cuz these apple cider donuts are here to make their way into your kitchens and your hearts just like they did ours. Gus and Bode have been DEVOURING these, and honestly we don’t blame them.
If you’ve never made donuts before, don’t worry—it’s not rocket science. You mix your dry and wet ingredients and combine them. Then, you pipe the batter into a donut pan. While these puppies are baking, make the brown sugar glaze. Once the donuts are done baking, let them cool for a bit, dip them in the glaze, and EAT UP.
Apple Cider Donuts Recipe – Here’s What You Need
- All-purpose flour: This is the base of our donuts. It gives them the perfect amount of fluffiness and structure.
- Cinnamon: Can’t have apple cider donuts without cinnamon! This warm spice adds the perfect touch of fall flavor.
- Honey crisp apple: A.K.A. the best apple EVER. Did you know they were invented in Minnesota?! This variety is sweet and tart, making it the perfect addition to these donuts.
- Apple cider: This is what makes these donuts apple cider donuts! We recommend using pure apple cider for the best flavor.
- Greek yogurt: We like to use 5% plain Greek yogurt for this recipe, but you can also use a lower fat option.
- Maple syrup: The ultimate fall sweetener. We love the subtle hint of maple in these donuts.
- Butter: We brown our butter in this recipe for an extra nutty and rich flavor. DO NOT SKIP THIS 🤩
- Powdered sugar: Mix the browned butter with powdery sugar for an easy glaze.
- Donut pan: This is what gives the donuts their classic shape!
try it!
Blueberry Protein Donuts
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Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?
Sure! Apple juice can totally be used in place of the apple cider as is. You can also concentrate the flavor by boiling 1 cup of apple juice until it has reduced by half. Cool and use in step 3.
Can I make these apple cider donuts gluten free?
Definitely. Simply swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend of your choice. Our go-to is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a donut pan with cooking spray.
- Mix Dry: Next, place all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Mix Wet: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk together. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and ensure everything has been mixed thoroughly.
- Pipe: Once everything is mixed, transfer the dough to a gallon storage bag. Cut the tip off and pipe it into the donut pan.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Make the Glaze: While the donuts are cooling, place the butter in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium/high to fully melt the butter. When the butter begins to caramelize, turn the heat off and let sit in the pan until all the butter is browned. Place the browned butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider and stir.
- Dip Donuts: Dip each donut into the glaze or spoon on top. Serve and enjoy!
Did your glaze come out too thick?
If the glaze is too thick for dipping, add more apple cider, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Other Tips for Baked Apple Cider Donuts
If your donut mixture is more batter-like than dough-like, add a tablespoon or two of flour to thicken it.
Let your apple cider come to room temperature: If your apple cider in the glaze is cold from the fridge, it will make the butter seize up and yield a very thick glaze, which isn’t what you want. You can either let it come to room temperature before using it or warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds and mix.
How long do homemade donuts last?
Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Apple Cider Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
Dry
- 1.25 all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup shredded honey crisp apple
Wet
- ½ cup apple cider
- ¼ cup 5% plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Brown Butter Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a donut pan with cooking spray.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk together. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and ensure everything has been mixed thoroughly.
- Transfer the dough to a gallon storage bag. Cut the tip off and pipe it into the donut pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. Place the butter in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium/high to fully melt the butter. When the butter begins to caramelize, turn the heat off and let sit in the pan until all the butter is browned.
- Place the browned butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider and stir.
- Dip each donut into the glaze or spoon on top.
- Store leftover donuts in an airtight container.
Tips & Notes
- Apple juice can be used in place of the apple cider as is. Or you can concentrate the flavor by boiling 1 cup of apple juice until it has reduced by half. Cool and use in step 3.
- If the glaze is too thick for dipping, add more apple cider, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Dalya from It’s Raining Flour.
Love Love Love this recipe!!!!!!
These donuts tasted great, but unfortunately my glaze got absorbed into the donut. Any suggestions for next time?
I would add a little more powdered sugar next time to thicken the glaze a bit more — let us know if that helps 🙂
I know these are called apple CIDER donuts, but could you mix applesauce with water in place of the cider? I have delicious homemade applesauce in my fridge, but no cider.
So excited to see a baked dessert that doesn’t require an egg. This looks delicious(!!) and I will be sending it to all my friends who have egg-allergies in their household