Apple Cider Donuts Delight (Printable Version)

Soft, cider-flavored cake donuts with cinnamon sugar coating, perfect for chilly mornings or gatherings.

# 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 - Simmer apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a standard donut pan thoroughly.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
04 - In a separate bowl, blend the cooled reduced apple cider, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until homogeneous.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined; avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
06 - Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut cavities, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until donuts are springy to touch.
08 - Cool donuts in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
09 - Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Brush each warm donut with melted butter, then generously dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
10 - Serve donuts warm or at room temperature for best flavor.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • They're impossibly tender and taste like fall in a way that makes you pause between bites.
  • The reduced apple cider gives you genuine deep flavor without any weird processed undertone.
  • Coating them warm in cinnamon sugar is the kind of small ritual that turns a Tuesday into something special.
02 -
  • Reducing the apple cider first is non-negotiable—raw cider will water down your batter and wash away the whole point of making these.
  • Don't overmix once the wet and dry meet; tender donuts live in that moment of deliberate restraint.
03 -
  • Cool the reduced cider completely before mixing it with eggs, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your batter.
  • Don't skip the wire rack; donuts that cool in the pan will steam themselves into a dense, sad texture that's harder to coat.
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