Apple Cider Donut Delight (Printer-Friendly)

Tender cake-style donuts bursting with apple cider flavor and cinnamon sugar coating for cozy mornings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup apple cider
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 cup whole milk
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Coating

12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
14 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How-To Steps:

01 - Simmer apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a standard donut pan thoroughly.
03 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk reduced apple cider, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix.
06 - Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut cavities, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
08 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
09 - Brush each warm donut with melted butter, then dip generously in cinnamon sugar mixture.
10 - Enjoy donuts warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a bakery trip but bake in your own oven in under an hour.
  • Tender and cake-like, never dry—even if you forget about them for a few hours.
  • The reduced apple cider gives you genuine deep flavor without fussing with extracts.
02 -
  • Reducing the apple cider isn't optional—it concentrates the flavor so you taste autumn in every bite instead of just a hint of it.
  • Cold batter is your enemy here; if your wet ingredients sit too long, the baking powder loses its power and your donuts come out dense.
03 -
  • If you can't find good apple cider, use half unsweetened apple juice and half apple cider vinegar, simmered down—it's not the same, but it's close.
  • Toast your dry spices in a hot skillet for two minutes before whisking them together; it wakes them up and makes the donuts taste more intentional.
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