Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Apple Cider Donuts are the quintessential baked good to welcome in fall. They’re fluffy, cakey, coated in sweet cinnamon sugar, and best of all, lightened up. These donuts are baked, not fried, and are oil free. You’ll be munching on these irresistible treats all fall long.

We’re going to go ahead and nominate these Apple Cider Donuts as our favorite fall bake of all time…and that’s saying something because we also love whipping up Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins, Chai Spiced Scones, and Cinnamon Zucchini Bread.

Why You’ll Love These Baked Apple Cider Donuts

• Flavor – these apple cider donuts are brimming with cozy spices, thanks to the concentrated apple cider mixture that forms the base for these donuts. Plus we double down on the apples, using both apple cider and applesauce in these donuts.
• Texture – these donuts are fluffy, cakey, a little dense with a surprisingly moist crumble. Plus the contrast between the gritty cinnamon sugar coating and soft, delicate dough is mouthwatering.
• Lightened up – we use plant-based butter (margarine) and applesauce in place of full fat butter in the dough and we opted for baking over deep frying in oil. The result is a lighter, largely guilt-free sugary treat.
• Fall bake – fall is the best baking season and these donuts will give you a tasty reason to get into the kitchen that doesn’t require pumpkin or pumpkin spice (thank goodness, am I right??)!

Ingredients for Baked Apple Cider Donuts

• Apple cider – the obvious star of the show that is responsible for the spiced, sweet flavor of these donuts. We tried Sally’s Baking Addiction’s tip of boiling down the cider first, and it is a game changer!
• Flour – we used a 50-50 mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour to sneak in a little extra dose of healthy in these donuts.
• Brown sugar – the molasses flavor of brown sugar is the perfect compliment to the cider.
• Applesauce – add a little extra moistness without using heavier oils or tons of butter. Plus it gives an extra apple kick to these donuts.
• Plant-based butter – these donuts are not vegan (we use egg), but we often use plant-based butter in our baking because it is substantially lower in fat than regular butter.
• Spices – cinnamon, cider spices, and vanilla all round out the fall flavors in this bake.

How to Make Baked Apple Cider Donuts

This recipe begins by making a more concentrated apple cider. The result is a much more flavorful and potent cider that really elevates these donuts.

Start by simmering the apple cider in a sauce pot over medium-low heat until the liquid is reduced to about ½ cup of liquid (15 to 20 minutes). You can add aromatics, like cinnamon sticks, orange slices, or whole cloves, if desired to intensify the flavor. Transfer to a small bowl or cup and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a donut tray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with a fork.

In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, almond milk, lemon juice, applesauce, vanilla, and ½ cup reduced apple cider.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. You’ll want to be careful not to over-mix, but you want the flour mixture to be fully incorporated into the wet batter.

Spoon the batter into the donut trays or use a piping bag to pipe the batter into the tray for cleaner, more uniform donuts. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest portion of the donut comes out clean. Cool on an oven rack for 10 minutes. Re-coat the donut tin with cooking spray and repeat these steps for remaining batter, if you were not able to cook all the donuts in one batch.

Melt the 1½ tablespoons of butter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow plate or bowl and mix to combine. Brush the donuts with the butter and dip into the cinnamon sugar, shaking off excess sugar. Repeat for all donuts. Enjoy!

How to Store Baked Donuts

These donuts are fairly moist. We recommend placing a few paper towels in a resealable plastic ziplock bag or airtight container, then layering the donuts on top of the towel. This will help reduce the amount of moisture in the bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

These donuts are best enjoyed fresh and they will become soggier the longer they are stored. Any leftovers should be eaten within 2 to 3 days. We recommend reheating lightly in the microwave (about 15 to 30 seconds) before eating.

Let us know what you think about these Baked Apple Cider Donuts by dropping a comment and/or rating below! Also, please consider sharing on Pinterest or social media if you enjoyed this recipe (we greatly appreciate it)! 💕

Check out our other popular fall bakes:

• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
• Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins
• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread