These cake-like doughnuts are full of fall flavors! Covered in delicious cinnamon sugar and packed with apple flavor, they're the perfect way to start your fall morning.
These baked doughnuts are moist, sweet, and easy to make. They also freeze beautifully, making them perfect for meal prep. With just a few staple ingredients, you can have a plate full of these mouthwatering doughnuts in no time!
For this recipe you'll need:
All-purpose flour
You can absolutely use gluten-free flour for this recipe; however, I used standard, all-purpose. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife.
Apple Cider
For this recipe, you want concentrated apple cider, which is just making an apple cider reduction.
It’s quick and easy to do! Simply simmer two cups of apple cider in a small saucepan over low-medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Your cider should be reduced by half leaving you will approximately 1 cup.
Baking Powder, Baking Soda, & Fine Sea Salt
Apple Pie Spice
You can use a store-bought version or make your own by mixing together in a small jar or bowl:
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Butter
We love the richness real butter adds to baked goods, but you can certainly replace the butter with a neutral oil like olive oil or avocado oil. You’ll want to use 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil for the batter and drizzle a little oil over each baked doughnut prior to adding the topping.
Sugar and Molasses
Why not just use brown sugar? You definitely can! It just isn’t something I buy anymore. If using brown sugar, you will just use the one-cup measurement that is listed for sugar—no need to add more or less.
Eggs & Milk
I used 2% milk for this recipe because that’s what we typically have on hand on a regular basis.
Apple Cinnamon Extract
I have a super easy homemade recipe for this. However, you can find a store-bought version online or just simply use vanilla extract.
Making The Apple Cider Doughnuts
Baked doughnuts are probably one of my absolute favorite breakfasts to make because they come together so quickly and with minimal effort.
While the apple cider is doing its magic of reduction, go ahead and start getting your dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, including cooled cider reduction.
Add dry ingredients a little at a time to wet ingredients, and mix well after each addition.
Lightly grease your doughnut pan and carefully fill each cavity approximately ¾ full. Bake for 17-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow doughnuts to cool in pan for about 3 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Carefully dip each doughnut into melted butter, or drizzle with oil, then coat the doughnut in the prepared topping mixture.
Ingredients
2 cups apple cider, concentrated
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons apple cinnamon extract
Topping
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon apple pie spice
1 teaspoon apple cinnamon extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, simmer apple cider until reduced to approximately 1 cup, approximately 20-25 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt.
In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, molasses, egg, milk, and apple cinnamon extract.
Using mixer on low-medium speed, carefully add dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Lightly grease doughnut pan with nonstick spray, then carefully spoon batter into each cavity, approximately 3⁄4 of the way full.
Bake for approximately 17-20 minutes or until golden brown and inserted toothpick is clean.
Allow doughnuts to cool in pan for 3 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.
In a small shallow bowl, combine sugar, apple pie spice, and apple cinnamon extract.
While doughnuts are warm, but cool enough to handle, begin lightly dipping each in the melted butter. Then carefully coat all sides of each doughnut in the sugar mixture.
Freezing Instructions:
Use parchment or wax paper in between each completely cooled doughnut and store in a gallon-sized freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Did you make these Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts? Let us know in the comments below how they turned out!
Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!
Comments