Apple Cider Donuts
These apple cider donuts are a favorite anytime you want a comforting, spiced treat. Moist, tender and full of warm spice with a touch of sweetness from reduced apple cider, they work for breakfast, dessert or a snack. The recipe yields about 15–16 donuts and is simple to make at home using a donut pan or a mini muffin pan for donut holes.
Begin by reducing apple cider on the stove until it concentrates to about 3/4 cup. That reduction intensifies the apple flavor and keeps the batter from becoming too thin. The donuts themselves are a straightforward batter of melted butter, brown and granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and the reduced cider, combined with flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Mix wet ingredients, add dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated so the donuts stay tender.
For easy filling, transfer the batter into a resealable bag, snip a corner, and pipe into the greased donut wells. Fill each well about three-quarters full and bake at 350°F for 14–15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when touched. Let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack until they’re warm to the touch.
The finishing touch is a quick dip of the warm donut tops into melted butter, followed immediately by a toss in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. That coating gives a satisfying crunch and boosts the spice and sweetness. Serve the donuts fresh the same day for the best texture; they’ll stay soft for up to two days stored in an airtight container and can be refreshed with a few seconds in the microwave if needed.
Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
*Donuts*
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups apple cider (reduced to 3/4 cup)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
*Topping*
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Reduce the apple cider: simmer 2 cups of cider in a small saucepan over low–medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until it reduces to about 3/4 cup. Let cool.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine melted butter with both sugars until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, then stir in buttermilk and the reduced apple cider. Mix until smooth.
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the donuts tender.
- Transfer batter to a resealable bag and snip a corner for piping, or use a spoon. Fill each donut well about 3/4 full. Bake 14–15 minutes until tops are firm and spring back slightly. Do not overbake.
- Cool donuts in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until warm to the touch. While cooling, prepare the topping.
- Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
- Dip the warm donut tops into the melted butter, then immediately into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat for the whole batch.
- Serve fresh the same day for best results. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days; reheat briefly to soften if needed.
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