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.
Servings: 8 donuts
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donuts
- 2 c apple cider
- 1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 c white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg or flax egg
- 2 Tbsp plant-based or unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ c brown sugar
- ½ c vanilla or regular unsweetened almond milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ c unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1½ Tbsp plant-based or unsalted butter, melted
- ½ c granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Simmer 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!