Homemade apple cider donuts are something I look forward to every fall.
So I figured it’s about time I learned how to make them myself! I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make. Instead of going to the the local diner near me (local peeps: Lakeside Diner has the best donuts), I’ll be making my own all season long.
The apple & cinnamon flavor in the these donuts is out of this world. These donuts aren’t too dense either & have a cake like consistency to them. And of course the rolling them in the sugar mixture is the perfect icing on the cake so to speak!
I made a few “healthy” swaps to this recipe.
I baked the donuts instead of frying them & am using almond milk vs. buttermilk. I hate buying buttermilk- you always end up wasting the majority of it. So not worth it. Just use whatever milk you have on hand for this recipe.
Also, don’t skip the first step to this recipe. Definitely reduce the apple cider to get a stronger apple flavor & thicker consistency to the cider. Trust me, it makes such a difference to do this! And with the leftover cider, you can make my apple cider margaritas!
You will need donut pans. I use these pans & love them. If you don’t want to buy donut pans, bake apple cider muffins instead. Just adjust the bake time & you’re good to go.
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 egg
- ½ light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- First, you must reduce the apple cider. Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, lower to a simmer & cook until reduced to about ½ cup apple cider (typically takes about 20-25 min). Stir occasionally. Cool for 10 minutes before adding it to the donut batter.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg & salt in a large bowl.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, sugar, milk & vanilla together.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients & stir until combined. Add the reduced apple cider & stir until smooth.
- Spoon batter into a gallon size Ziplock bag. Cut the tip off of one of the corners of the bag & pipe the donut batter into the pans. I like to fill my donut pans to the top for thicker donuts.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. You will know the donuts are done when you poke the top of the donut & it bounces back. Cool donuts for about 2 minutes before removing them from the trays.
- Combine all ingredients for the topping in a shallow bowl. Once donuts are cooled to the touch, roll in the sugar mixture to coat the entire donut.
- Serve immediately. Donuts will last in an airtight container for 2-3 days (keep in fridge for best results).
You can also freeze these donuts & thaw them one at a time for your enjoyment!
