Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts

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If you live in New England, there are a few, irrefutable signs of Fall.

Our favorite? The appearance of the apple cider donut.

If you’re like us, you wait for this moment all year. And when it arrives, it’s glorious.

Up our way, around Salem, MA, the best way to get apple cider donuts is hot out of the fryer or oven at a local apple orchard, as a tasty reward after you’ve picked a few pecks of apples.

The second best way?

Bake them yourself at home.

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It’s ridiculously easy, and the fresh flavor can’t be beat.

Every time I’ve made these, the whole batch has disappeared within hours of emerging from the oven. They’re just that good.

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These donuts are light and cake-y, and fragrant with all our favorite autumn spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

After they’re baked, they get a quick dip in a buttery apple cider glaze before getting tossed in cinnamon sugar.

They make an amazing treat for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.

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For the best flavor, use fresh apple cider, which in New England, you can find at most local grocery stores.

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If you can’t find fresh cider around your house, try substituting the best apple juice you can find…or juicing your own.

(Just be sure to remove any apple seeds BEFORE juicing. Apple seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide compounds which activate when heated, so you don’t want to mess with that.)

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Bake ahead. Coat right before serving.

A tip for glazing these. These are best served hot and fresh.

That said, you can bake these a day ahead, but wait to coat them until just before serving. (They can sog up if you cover them too heavily.)

Are you ready? To the ovens!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Donuts
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup fresh apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 large egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. clove
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Coating
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Makes about 8 donuts

Do a little prep

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two donut pans lightly with oil and set aside.
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Note: If you don’t have special donut pans, don’t fret.
You can totally make these in a muffin pan, you’ll just have to monkey around with the timing (leave them in longer and check them frequently) to get them to bake through.

Make the donut batter

Put the sugar, butter, and honey in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand).

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Beat well, until fluffy and well combined in a thick, uniform paste.
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Toss in the egg.
This egg had a double yolk, so this batch of donuts was particularly lucky! (And for you bean counters out there, yes, I left the extra yolk in, and yes, the donuts turned out just fine! 😉 )
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Beat well until uniform.
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Add the apple cider and beat until incorporated.
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The batter at this point will be a little gross and gloppy. That’s just fine.
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Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

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Beat until just uniform.
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Bake the apple cider donuts

Spoon the batter into your greased donut pans.
Aim to fill them about 2/3 full with batter.
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Pop the pans into your preheated, 400-degree F oven.
Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the tops are nice and springy when pressed lightly with a finger and a toothpick comes out clean.
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Make the coating

While the donuts are in the oven, make the coating. (Unless you’re going to serve them later, see my note above.)
Put the butter and the apple cider in a small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer, give it a quick whisk to combine, and remove from the heat.
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Put the cinnamon and sugar in a zip top bag.
Shake to combine. Set aside.
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Coat the donuts

When the donuts are done, remove them from the oven.
Let them cool in the pans for about 2 minutes, then turn them out on a rack.
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Quickly dip each donut in the butter mixture, then toss in the sugar mixture to coat.
Serve immediately!
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Enjoy!

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Nutrition

Calories

261 cal

Fat

9 g

Carbs

41 g

Protein

4 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Yields About 8 donuts

These donuts are light and cake-y, and fragrant with all our favorite autumn spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

Save RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

Donuts
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup fresh apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 large egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. clove
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Coating
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two donut pans lightly with oil and set aside.
  2. Put the sugar, butter, and honey in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand). Beat well, until fluffy and well combined in a thick, uniform paste.
  3. Beat in the egg.
  4. Add the apple cider and beat until incorporated.
  5. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Beat until just uniform.
  6. Spoon the batter into your greased donut pans. Aim to fill them about 2/3 full with batter.
  7. Pop the pans into your preheated, 400-degree F oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the tops are nice and springy when pressed lightly with a finger and a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Make the coating: Put the butter and the apple cider in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, give it a quick whisk to combine, and remove from the heat and set aside. Put the cinnamon and sugar in a zip top bag. Shake to combine. Set aside.
  9. When the donuts are done, remove them from the oven. Let them cool in the pans for about 2 minutes, then turn them out on a rack.
  10. Quickly dip each donut in the butter mixture, then toss in the sugar mixture to coat. Serve immediately!
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https://www.thehungrymouse.com/2015/11/19/easy-baked-apple-cider-donuts/



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Jessie Cross is a cookbook author and creator of The Hungry Mouse, a monster online food blog w/500+ recipes. When she's not shopping for cheese or baking pies, Jessie works as an advertising copywriter in Boston. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and two small, fluffy wolves.

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