• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Bakes by Brown Sugar logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Meet Cheryl
  • Collaborate
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Meet Cheryl
    • Collaborate
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Breakfast Treats » Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

    Published: Sep 28, 2021 · Modified: Oct 12, 2021 by Cheryl Norris · This post may contain affiliate links

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

    Pin485
    Share
    Tweet
    485 Shares
    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These homemade Apples Cider Doughnuts are so addictive. Fresh apple cider is boiled down to a thick syrup and then added to a batter that's fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. These final doughnuts are moist and tender the way a cake doughnut should be and absolutely delicious.

    Stacked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Maple Glaze
    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Maple Glaze
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
    • Apple Cider Doughnut Ingredients
    • How to Make Baked Doughnuts from Scratch
    • How to Bake the Doughnuts
    • How to Glaze the Doughnuts
    • Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
    • Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Apple Treats
    • Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

    Why This Recipe Tastes So Good

    The balance of liquid to dry ingredients ensures a tender and moist doughnut. The apple cider, brown sugar, and apple pie spice (a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom) ensure a doughnut that tastes like apple and cinnamon. The maple glaze is sweet, but flavorful because of the combination of maple syrup and apple cider.

    If you love baked doughnuts check out my recipes for Toasted Coconut Doughnuts and Strawberry Lemon Doughnuts. And if you prefer fried doughnuts then you'll want my recipe for Apple Cider Doughnuts.

    Apple Cider Doughnut Ingredients

    I love baked doughnuts. They are so easy to make and the base recipe can be easily modified. Here are the ingredients for the doughnuts:

    Backed Apple Cider Doughnut Ingredients - Egg, Brown Sugar, Apple Cider, Buttermilk and Butter
    Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Ingredients
    • All-Purpose Flour. The flour provides the structure for the doughnut.
    • Whole Egg. The egg adds structure and fat to the final baked doughnut
    • Baking Powder. The baking powder is the leavening agent and causes the doughnut to rise in the pan.
    • Apple Pie Spice. The Apple Pie Spice is a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and allspice. The recipe is below. You can adjust the amjount of spices according to your tastes, but cinnamon should be the dominate flavor.
    • Light Brown Sugar. The sugar adds moisture, sweetness and slight molasses flavor.
    • Apple Cider. These are apple cider doughnuts, so reduced apple cider is used to bump up the flavor.
    • Unsalted Butter. Adds flavor and richness to the batter.
    • Buttermilk. Helps tenderize the final baked doughnut.

    How to Make Baked Doughnuts from Scratch

    Baked doughnuts, no matter the flavor, are relatively easy and quick to make. The base recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish including allowing the doughnuts to cool before glazing them.

    The recipe for apple cider doughnuts starts with reducing the apple cider from 2 cups to 1/2 cup. Reducing the cider takes about 10 minutes (longer if doubling the recipe) plus time to allow the reduced cider to cool to room temperature. I usually reduce the cider the night before to save time on the day I'm making the doughnuts.

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnut - Dry and Wet Ingredients

    Prep your doughnut pans by lightly brushing them with a little melted butter. You will need about 1 teaspoon in total for this step. Even if the doughnut pans are described as nonstick, still butter them to ensure that the doughnuts come out clean. Don't use nonstick spray because over time the nonstick spray can leave a residue.

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnut - Wet and Dry Ingredients Combined

    Combine the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk for 30 seconds.

    In a second bowl whisk one egg. Add the brown sugar to the egg and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the buttermilk, whisk to combine, and then whisk as you add the melted butter.

    Pour in all the flour-spice mixture all at once and use a spatula to mix it in. Only mix until there are no visible bits of the flour mixture. The batter will still be a little lumpy which is okay.

    Apple Cider Doughnut Batter
    Apple Cider Doughnut Batter

    How to Bake the Doughnuts

    Once the doughnuts are placed in the oven they bake in 10-12 minutes. The easiest and neatest way to fill the wells in the doughnut pan is to place the batter in an 18-inch pastry bag or large sealable Ziploc bag, cut off the tip, and pipe the batter into the pan.

    Doughnut Batter Ready for the Oven
    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts- Fresh from the Oven

    This recipe is designed to fill the doughnut wells up to the edge. The doughnuts are done when you press one with your fingertip and it bounces back. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and immediately turn them out onto a cooling rack. Toss the doughnuts immediately into the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts Arranged on Cooling Rack
    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts - Ready for the glaze

    How to Glaze the Doughnuts

    The maple-apple cider glaze for these doughnuts is so good. It has the richness of maple syrup with the sharp tang from apple cider. This glaze can also be used for fried doughnuts or cookies.

    Maple Glazed Apple Cider Doughnuts
    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Maple Glaze

    Once the doughnuts are cooled, make the glaze. The recipe calls for a specific amount of maple syrup, however, you can use less or more depending on your desired thickness.

    Take each doughnut and dip it into the glaze halfway up the sides of the doughnut. If you want a really thick glaze, it will be easier to use a spoon or offset spatula to spread the glaze over the doughnuts.

    Your doughnuts are now ready for eating.

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Maple Glaze

    Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

    • Don't overmix the batter. If you overmix, the final doughnuts may be chewy instead of tender. It should only take a few turns to incorporate the flour. The batter will be still be lumpy.
    • Sift the powdered sugar with. afine-mesh strainer to ensure the glaze lump free.
    • The buttermilk and egg should be at room temperature. When adding the butter, it should be melted, but barely warm.
    • Lightly coat each doughnut well with oil or melted butter to ensure the doughnuts easily release from the pan.

    Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions

    Can these doughnuts be made dairy-free?

    Yes, the doughnuts can be made dairy-free. Replace the butter with an equal amount of vegetable oil. You can also make it a little special and use a nut oil, like hazelnut oil. Replace the buttermilk with almond milk. Omit the butter from the glaze.

    Can these doughnuts be made gluten-free?

    Yes, the doughnuts can be made gluten-free. Replace the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour.

    Can this doughnut recipe be doubled?

    Yes, this recipe is for 6 doughnuts and can easily be doubled to make 12. If using only one pan to make the doughnuts, make sure it's completely cooled before adding the batter. If making 12 doughnuts start with 3 cups of apple cider and reduce it to 3/4 cup. For 18 doughnuts, reduce 4 cups of cider to 1-1/4 cups.

    I hope you try these doughnuts because they are so good and you deserve a delicious treat. If you've never made baked doughnuts before I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is. Please let me know if you have more questions. If you make these doughnuts and post to Instagram please tag me @bakesbybrownsugar. I would love to see your bake.

    More Apple Treats

    If you're looking for more ideas for apple desserts check out these favorites:

    • Cinnamon Apple Crepes
    • Double Apple Hand Pies
    • Mini Apple Galettes
    • Apple Spice Streusel Muffins

    Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

    These doughnuts are made with apple cider and plenty of spices in the batter so they have sharp spice filled apple taste when you bite into them. A maple-apple cider glaze is the final topping that takes these doughnuts to the next level of goodness.
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Yield: 6
    Author: Cheryl Norris

    Ingredients

    Apple Pie Spice

    • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
    • 1/2 teaspoon allspice

    Apple Cider Doughnuts

    • 2 cups apple cider reduced to 1/2 cup
    • 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple spice
    • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter melted, plus additional to butter pan
    • 1 (50 grams) large egg, room temperature
    • 1/3 cup (63 grams) light brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup buttermilk

    Sugar Topping

    • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) light brown sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

    Maple Syrup Glaze

    • 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar sifted
    • 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
    • 2-3 tablespoons apple cider
    • 6 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    Apple Pie Spice

    • This is the recipe for the apple pie spice called for in the recipe.
      Place all the ground spices in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. It should smell heavenly. This recipe for apple pie spice makes 2-1/2 tablespoons. The leftover can be used for other desserts and recipes.

    Sugar-Cinnamon Topping

    • Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Use your fingers to break up any clumps of brown sugar.

    Apple Cider Doughnuts

    • Place the apple cider in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil the cider until it is reduced to 1/2 cup. As the cider reduces the bubbles will get larger. Once it is reduced pour it into a heatproof measuring cup and cool to room temperature.
    • Once the cider is cool preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter the wells of a doughnut pan with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.
    • Melt 4 tablespoons of butter (for the batter) in a small saucepan until it is just melted. Don’t let it get too hot. You want it just barely warm for this recipe.
    • Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the apple pie spice into a small bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine. Place the egg in a medium-sized bowl and whisk.
    • Add the brown sugar and whisk until the brown sugar is dissolved. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the buttermilk, w 1/4 cup of the reduced apple cider and whisk to incorporate, Continuously whisk as you slowly pour in the melted butter.
    • Add the dry ingredients and use a silicon spatula to gently combine by stirring from the bottom until no bits of flour remain. The batter will be lumpy, which is a good thing.
    • Spoon the batter into an 18-inch pastry bag. Twist the top to close it and cut an 1/2-inch opening in the other end. Pipe the batter into the 6 doughnut wells of the doughnut pan.
    • Bake the doughnuts for 10-12 minutes. Rotating the pan halfway through the baking. The doughnuts are done when the you press them with your finger, and they spring back. Turn the doughnuts out on a wire rack to cool completely.
    • While the doughnuts are still warm toss in the bowl with the sugar cinnamon mixture and allow the doughnuts to cool.

    Maple Syrup Glaze

    • Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the tablespoon of butter and use a spatula to work the butter into the powdered sugar by using the spatula to press and smear the butter. Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining reduced apple cider and 4 tablespoons of maple syrup and stir with a tablespoon. Continue to add maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze is at the desired consistency.
    • Dip the doughnuts in the glaze by holding it on the side and dipping the doughnuts in the glaze until the glaze goes halfway up the side of the doughnut.

    Notes

    This recipe can be easily doubled to make 12 doughnuts.  Reduce 3 cups of apple cider to 3/4 cup.  If you only have 1 doughnut pan, allow it to cool completely before filling with the second batch of dough.
    Be careful not to overmix the batter.  Only mix until there are not bits of flour.  Overmixing the batter will develop gluten and cause the doughnuts to be a little tough and chewy.
    Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free baking flour can used in this recipe for a gluten-free version

    Nutrition

    Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
    PIN IT FOR LATER!If you like this recipe Pin it for later and make it at home. Post a picture and mention @bakesbybrownsugar or tag #bakesbybrownsugar!
    Pin485
    Share
    Tweet
    485 Shares

    More Breakfast Treats

    • Avocado Toast with Tomato
    • A close up image of ricotta toast on a small plate. The ricotta toast is made with toasted bread topped with ricotta, prosciutto, prunes, chopped pistachios, fresh herbs, and a honey balsamic glaze.
      Ricotta Toast with Prunes and Prosciutto
    • 7 breakfast cookies on a wooden board surrounded by rolled oats and dried cranberries
      Breakfast Cookies
    • Sweet Potato Muffin on a board next to other sweet potato muffins
      Sweet Potato Muffins

    About Cheryl Norris

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Thanks for visiting my blog. Let me know what you think. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Sherry Smart says

      October 17, 2021 at 6:57 am

      I look forward to making cider doughnuts every fall. The reduced apple cider is used only in the glaze, none in the doughnuts themselves? It seems most of it should go in with the wet ingrdients?

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 17, 2021 at 10:49 am

        Hi Sherry
        Thank you so much for writing and pointing out that error in the recipe. Yes, 1/4 cup of the reduced cider is added to the batter along with the buttermilk. I have corrected the recipe.

        Reply
    2. Nicola Boram says

      November 17, 2022 at 8:01 am

      I followed the instructions carefully and the overall flavour of these donuts was great but the texture was off. The unbaked batter felt a bit loose. Once baked, rather than a cakey texture they were a bit flat and had a kind of spongy texture with large open holes. The bottoms also got really brown. I wonder if a slightly lower temperature might have helped with that. The glaze was also really thick and I had to add a bit of water. If I did it again I would probably try melting the butter before incorporating it.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        November 19, 2022 at 8:18 am

        Hi Nicole
        First of all, I want to say thank you for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. Now let's troubleshoot. The spongy texture with large holes was most likely caused by overmixing. With regard to the brown bottom, every oven is different (food bakes quicker in my new oven than it did in my old oven), so you're on the right track about lowering the oven temperature. You can try baking the donuts again at 400F, but start checking for doneness after 7-8 minutes, or lower the temperature to 375F to see how the lower temperature works. But even at the lower temperature check for doneness after 7-8 minutes.

        I hope this information helps.

        Reply
    3. Britney says

      November 19, 2022 at 8:15 pm

      Cheryl this recipe was stellar! The doughnuts were delicious and had so much flavor! And that glaze literally had me doing the happy food dance! I can't wait to make these again.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        November 26, 2022 at 10:50 am

        Hi Britney
        Thank you for trying this recipe. I'm so glad you enjoyed them and happy to hear you plan to make them again. And thank you for taking the time to leave this compliment.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Reader's Favorites

    • A stack of 5 lemon shortbread cookies surrounded by cookies and fresh lemon
      Lemon Shortbread Cookies
    • Huckleberry Crumb Bars on a dark background
      Huckleberry Crumb Bars
    • Peach Crumble Pie
    • lime simple syrup in an 8 ounce bottle surrounded by fresh limes
      Lime Simple Syrup
    • Lime Curd
    • shortbread cookies in a single layer on a white surface
      Shortbread Cookies

    Welcome to Bakes by Brown Sugar!

    I'm Cheryl, an engineer by day, and a baker by night. My goal is to be your go-to resource for creating the best versions of your favorite desserts. As a baking science geek, I am passionate about understanding what makes a recipe work and sharing that info with you. I love finding new recipes to share, and I hope you join me on this journey of deliciousness. Read more!

    SIGNUP FOR THE BAKING NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    FALL BAKING RECIPES

    Apple Spice Streusel Muffins

    Apple Streusel Muffins

    Craquelin Choux Buns with Apple Compote

    Craquelin Choux Buns with Apple Compote

    A Slice of Sweet Potato Sour Cream Cake

    Sweet Potato Sour Cream Cake

    Prune Clafoutis

    Prune Clafoutis with Apple Caramel Sauce

    A slice of cranberry apple crumble pie on a dessert plate topped with ice cream. Another slice and the pie are in he background

    Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

    prune bread pudding in a white baking dish with a small container of bourbon whiskey sauce next to the baking dish

    Prune Bread Pudding

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Resources

    • Recipe Index
    • Web Stories
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for the newsletter
    • Follow me on Instagram
    • Follow me on Pinterest

    Contact

    • Contact Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Bakes by Brown Sugar