Apple Cider Donuts Recipe: How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 9, 2023 • 3 min read
Use homemade apple cider from a trip to the apple orchard (store-bought is fine, too) to make apple cider donuts. They have a tender crumb and crispy crust perfect for coating in cinnamon sugar or an apple cider glaze.
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What Are Apple Cider Donuts?
Apple cider donuts (also spelled doughnuts) are a baked good featuring the flavors of fresh apple cider and warm spices. You can bake apple cider donuts in the oven or cook them in a fryer, depending on your personal preference and available equipment. Baked apple cider donuts are soft on the inside with a slightly crispy exterior—coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar or an apple cider glaze for extra flavor.
Apple cider donuts use apple cider, another name for unfiltered and unsweetened (except for the natural sweetness from the apples) apple juice, which is different from hard cider. Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple cider.
3 Steps to Reducing Apple Cider
Reduced apple cider intensifies the apple flavor in an apple cider donut recipe. Here is a step-by-step guide for reducing unfiltered apple cider.
- 1. Select a saucepan. Choose a small saucepan, medium saucepan, or pot, depending on the volume of apple cider you want to reduce. The pot should be large enough to fit all of your cider comfortably. Choose a pot or pan with a heavy bottom to prevent burning.
- 2. Add the apple cider. Carefully pour the apple cider into the saucepan. Starting at medium-low heat, slowly increase the heat to high, bringing the cider to a boil.
- 3. Boil the apple cider. Once the apple cider comes to a boil, maintain a simmer until it reduces by about half. The reduction time varies depending on how much cider is in the pan, but one gallon should take about forty-five minutes to reduce to two cups. Increase or decrease the heat as needed to keep the cider at a simmer and avoid burning.
3 Tips for Making Apple Cider Donuts
Follow the tips below for making soft and sweet homemade apple cider doughnuts.
- 1. Chill the dough before baking. Refrigerating the dough helps the donuts keep their shape when baking. Chilling the dough for one hour before baking also lets the spices and apple cider flavor strengthen.
- 2. Use a donut pan. Instead of using a sheet pan or muffin pan, use a nonstick pan specifically designed for making baked donuts. Pipe or spoon the batter into the donut cavities, which already have space for the donut hole.
- 3. Glaze or coat while the donuts are still warm. Make a glaze with powdered sugar and apple cider or a cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the donuts after baking. Glazing or coating while the donuts are warm helps the topping adhere and creates a nice crust as the donuts cool.
Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe
makes
About 12 donutsprep time
15 mintotal time
30 mincook time
15 minIngredients
For the dough:
For the spiced sugar mixture and assembly:
Note: The total time does not include 1 hour of inactive time.
Make the dough:
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom.
- 2
Set the flour mixture aside.
- 3
In a glass measuring cup, combine the apple cider and vanilla extract.
- 4
Set the cider mixture aside.
- 5
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat a ½ cup of the butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- 6
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar, one egg at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- 7
Beat the butter, sugar, and egg mixture for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- 8
Add the flour mixture and cider mixture alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- 9
Cover and chill the donut batter for 1 hour.
Make the spiced sugar mixture and assemble the donuts:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Grease a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- 3
In a large shallow bowl, combine the apple pie spice and granulated sugar.
- 4
With a spoon, fill each cavity of the donut pan with batter.
- 5
Bake the donuts until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the side of one comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
- 6
While the donuts bake, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
- 7
Remove the donuts from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack.
- 8
Brush melted butter on both sides of each donut.
- 9
Coat the warm donuts in the spiced sugar mixture.
- 10
Serve the donuts warm.
- 11
Store leftover apple cider donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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