A donut recipe that I can make in under a half hour? Sign me up! Apple Cider Donuts are a must-have fall treat and now you can make them right in your own oven!

Apple Cider Donut Recipe 

Whenever fall comes around I can’t wait to grab myself some apple cider donuts! Whether from my favorite donut shop or at a festival, I just can’t get enough of their tasty flavor. 

But don’t you just hate waiting around all year for seasonal treats? I’m so glad I found this recipe for apple cider donuts that I can enjoy alongside some Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate so it can feel like fall all year long!

If you haven’t had apple cider donut before, this recipe is a must-try! They are a sweet cake-donut that is made with apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg to combine for the perfect comforting treat.

And unlike most donut recipes, these are so simple to make and can be ready in less than an hour! You don’t want to miss this recipe!

Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Makes: 18 donuts

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Total time: 20-22 minutes

Ingredients for Apple Cider Donuts

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 3 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt

For Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For Glaze Coating

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider

Donut pans

Mixing bowls

saucepan

How to Make this Apple Cider Donut Recipe

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• To make your apple cider donuts, you’ll first need to reduce your apple cider. Add the apple cider to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Continue cooking over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the apple cider is reduced to ¼ cup.
• Let the apple cider cool completely.
• While the apple cider cools, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat your donut pans with non-stick cooking spray.
• Now you can make your batter! Start by adding the sugar and butter into a large bowl. 
• Beat the mixture until it’s well combined. 
• Crack the eggs into a separate small bowl and beat slightly before adding them to the sugar mixture.
• Add the buttermilk and reduce apple cider to the batter and mix until it’s well combined. 
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to get rid of any lumps.
• Gently add the dry ingredients into the batter and stir until it’s just combined.

• Fill your donut pans by adding enough batter so each donut is about half full. 
• Bake the donuts in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are a perfect light golden brown.
• When the donuts are finished cooking, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.
• While they cool, you can start working on your coatings. To make the cinnamon-sugar coating just mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a medium bowl. 
• Melt some butter in a microwave-safe bowl and dip each donut in the butter before covering in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• To make the glaze-coated donuts, add the powdered sugar, milk, and juice to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth. If it’s too thick you can add a bit more juice or milk to your preference.
• Dip the top of each donut in the glaze and place on a rack to cool.
• Enjoy your cinnamon-sugar or glazed donuts warm or room temperature!

Tips Tricks and FAQs

• Don’t have any buttermilk? Here’s an easy trick to do as a substitute. Take some plain milk, whatever you have around, and add a tablespoon of vinegar. The milk will curdle up after a few minutes. Add the contents to your batter and it’ll act just as buttermilk would. 
• If you want to use apple pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg you definitely can! It’s a great mix of spices and I always love to keep some in my pantry. I substitute 1 ½ tsp apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg and my donuts turn out great!

How can I make filling my donut pan easier? 

It can be a little bit tricky to get the batter into the donut mold without making a huge mess.

Try filling your donut pan with a piping bag or a plain old ziploc bag. Just snip the end of the bag, fill with your donut batter, and pipe out the batter into the donut mold. 

So much easier than trying to use a spoon!

Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?

Though apple juice and apple cider are similar, they aren’t the same. 

Essentially, apple cider is a less filtered version of apple juice. Apple juice goes through a lot of processing to extend the shelf life and in that process, it loses a lot of that fresh apple. 

Apple cider doesn’t go through all the processing, so it’s more apple-y! So you definitely want to use real apple cider for the best flavor in these donuts.

Storage

Counter

Store the donuts in an airtight container right on your counter. They should stay fresh and delicious for about 2-3 days. 

Check out these other great treat recipes:

• Peach Streusel Bread
• Lemon Raspberry Stack Cakes
• Chocolate Toffee Popcorn

Love what you see? Leave a comment and don’t forget to rate it below! We always love knowing how your recipe turns out! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @micheletripple to show me your finished product!