This is a cozy homemade donut has alllll the flavors of fall! Old-fashioned baked apple cider donuts are a staple on our homestead when apples are in season during the early autumn.
These donuts don't require frying, either! No messy kitchen for us. Oh and did I forget the best part?! They come together in less than 30 minutes! No drippy glaze necessary.
Am I biased? Probably. But this is hands down the best apple cider donuts recipe you'll find. Gather up your ingredients and you can have a dozen homemade apple cider donuts ready just in time for breakfast!
Cozy up with a batch of fresh donuts on a slow weekend morning with your coffee or hot chocolate. If you have kiddos, these donuts won't last long!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
If you are anything like me, you always like to keep the donuts on the counter as an easy grab and go in the morning or for when you are craving a sugary pick-me-up during your day.
Homemade donuts are easy to make, a fun baking activity to include young children, and come together so fast!
We get all 'cool weather crazy' and by the middle of September I'm serving up fall flavors like these old-fashioned baked apple cider donuts. Oh, and leaves are turning? Say no more, count me in! Or maybe it's just barely spring, but who says we can’t eat donuts all year long? I can definitely get behind this trend!
If you are absolutely in love with fresh apple cider doughnuts, you need to try a couple of my other donut recipes. Start with the Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts and then jump to the Baked Chocolate Cake Donuts! Any excuse to eat chocolate cake doughnuts first thing in the morning!
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- HOW TO MAKE BAKED APPLE CIDER FLAVOR DONUTS
- 📖 Recipe
- HOW TO STORE/FREEZE OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CIDER DONUTS
- HELPFUL EQUIPMENT
- Tips for making this apple cider donut recipe
- HOW TO STORE/FREEZE OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CIDER DONUTS
- Substitutions
- Top tip
- FAQ
- More donut recipes you will love!
- Other breakfast recipes
- 💬 Comments
Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- All-purpose flour | You can use a gluten-free flour blend such as Bobs 1:1 if you need them to be gf donuts. I have also made them using whole wheat flour, but the texture was a little grainy. Next time I will only use ½ whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour and ½ all-purpose so that the texture is unchanged.
- Brown sugar | The rich molasses flavor of brown sugar really makes the flavor of these donuts sooo insanely good. I like using dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar is fine, too.
- Granulated Sugar | For a lower sugar donut, you can reduce the sugar amount or substitute coconut sugar. I think it's just right as written, though.
- Baking soda | Doughnuts need baking soda because it encourages the dense batter to fill the donut mold while baking. It raises the doughs pH, which slows the protein coagulation and works hand in hand with the ACV to create a lofty structure.
- Ground cinnamon | I prefer simple cinnamon for this recipe, but you can also use an apple pie spice blend if you want!
- Salt
- Apple Sauce | You can substitute apple butter for a deeper flavor.
- Avocado oil | I recommend using avocado oil for this recipe. It is the most neutral tasting. If you do not have avocado oil, the next best substitute is olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Apple Cider Vinegar | Instead of using the egg white and egg yolk, this recipe uses apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar helps the batter of the donut rise. It is acidic just like an egg, so it will not change the flavor of the donut. NOTE: This is different than apple cider!
- Milk | Whole milk will be the best choice, but 2% or a milk alternative will work.
- Apple | Gotta love that apple flavor! If you want to make it even more of an intense flavor, soak the apple pieces in apple juice or apple cider for 30 minutes and then strain before adding to the batter. You can use a paring knife to peel and slice the apple, but I am using my chopper to get the tiny, uniform pieces.
See recipe card for quantities.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED APPLE CIDER FLAVOR DONUTS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Prepare the donut pan by coating with nonstick spray and set it on a baking sheet for extra stability. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mixture: flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and, salt until well combined.
2. Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: apple sauce, oil, apple cider vinegar, and milk.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined. Then fold in the chopped apples.
4. Using a spoon, plastic bag with a corner snipped off, or a pastry bag to fill the greased donut trays with batter. Place trays on a baking sheet and then in the oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes until done.
5. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. When the donuts are cool enough to handle, but not completely cooled to room temperature, brush a thin layer of butter on them and dip them into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. NOTE: If you heavily grease your donut pan, you might not need to brush the donuts with melted butter to get the sugar mixture to stick!
6. Serve immediately! Warm baked apple cider donuts are super moist. I know, cringe. But the "M" word is really necessary here. These donuts are PERFECT on day one, but the next morning you'll notice they have really started to get sticky.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
📖 Recipe
Old-fashioned Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- donut pan for 12 donuts
- Mixing bowl
- whisk & spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar granulated
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 apple peeled and cored
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup white sugar granulated
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, stir together the wet ingredients: milk, oil, vinegar, and applesauce.
- Stir the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Fold in the peeled and cubed apple pieces. Lightly butter or spray the donut baking pan before spooning the batter in.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes. Remove the donuts from the oven and allow to cool in the pan and then turn onto a cooling rack.
- Stir together the cinnamon sugar topping in a shallow bowl. While the freshly baked donuts are still warm, dip the tops into the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating well.
Notes
HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOUR BAKED DONUT IS COOKED ALL THE WAY?
- If you insert a toothpick into the donut and a few wet crumbs stick to the toothpick, it is perfectly baked. If a lot of wet dough sticks to it, then it needs to be baked longer. Lastly, if no dough sticks to it, there is a chance they may be over baked. If the donuts are over baked, they tend to be more dry.
HOW TO STORE/FREEZE OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CIDER DONUTS
Homemade cake donuts won’t store for long. They are best eaten the same day they are made. Store any leftovers in an airtight container or single layer in a ziplock bag for up to two days. Just note that the sugar coating will begin to dissolve from the moisture of the donut, so consider not dipping the donuts until just before serving. Doughnuts can also be frozen for up to three months. Be aware that the sugar coating will break down when frozen and thawed, but the flavor will still be just fine. One way to get around this is by not coating them with sugar before freezing. Simply thaw and then apply the cinnamon sugar coating.Nutrition
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HELPFUL EQUIPMENT
Silicon doughnut pans are a game changer! They allow the donuts to gently be popped out after cooling and are easy to clean. I recommend baking them on a baking pan (aka cookie sheet) to add a rigid and stable base.
If you do not have a donut pan, you can use a muffin tin and place rolled up tinfoil in the center to create the donut hole. It won’t be as uniform, but it will get the job done!
A few of my other favorite baking tools include a measuring cup set, measuring spoons, a wire rack for cooling, a sturdy whisk and a large bowl for mixing the donut batter. I also really like using my veggie chopper with the small setting to get my apples cut into uniform itty bitty pieces.
Tips for making this apple cider donut recipe
Why is sugar not sticking to my donuts?
- If you let your donuts cool to room temperature they will become dry to touch, causing the sugar to not have anything to stick to. I have found that a heavily greased donut pan allows for the sugar to stick without being brushed with butter, but otherwise just use a pastry brush to give the donut a light buttering and then the sugar will stick without any issues.
Why are my donuts dense?
- The most common cause for Old-Fashioned Baked Apple Cider donuts to be dry is because the dough didn't rise enough. Having under proofed dough will result in less air bubbles throughout the donut dough, causing more dense donuts. The other reason donuts might be dense is over mixing the batter.
How do you tell if your baked donut is cooked all the way?
- If you insert a toothpick into the donut and a few wet crumbs stick to the toothpick, it is perfectly baked. If a lot of wet dough sticks to it, then it needs to be baked longer. Lastly, if no dough sticks to it, there is a chance they may be over baked. If the donuts are over baked, they tend to be more dry.
HOW TO STORE/FREEZE OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CIDER DONUTS
Homemade cake donuts won’t store for long. They are best eaten the same day they are made.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or single layer in a ziplock bag for up to two days. Just note that the sugar coating will begin to dissolve from the moisture of the donut, so consider not dipping the donuts until just before serving.
Doughnuts can also be frozen for up to three months. Be aware that the sugar coating will break down when frozen and thawed, but the flavor will still be just fine. One way to get around this is by not coating them with sugar before freezing. Simply thaw and then apply the cinnamon sugar coating.
Substitutions
This donut recipe can be changed depending on your diet or preferences.
- Gluten free apple donuts - instead of using all-purpose flour, you can use a gluten free flour blend such as Bob's 1:1 or King Arthur GF flour.
- Nuts - fold in ½ cup of crushed pecans or walnuts to the batter.
Top tip
Do not over mix the batter, or your donuts will be tough. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined so that your donuts are soft.
FAQ
The apple cider donut originated with the American colonialists. During the fall there tended to be a lot of excess animal fat as a result of hunting. The colonialists combined apples and fried dough which eventually evolved into the classic apple cider donut. This baked version is a spinoff of their old-fashioned donut recipe!
A baked donut is an easier option because the donuts don't require frying grease. Baking donuts also results in a lighter more fluffy donut being the grease absorption doesn't absorb into them.
Old-fashion Apple Cider Donuts have a distinct texture that sets them apart: the soft dough and the slight chunky texture of apple bits. They usually are a little more dense with a cake batter consistency and ultra moist.
More donut recipes you will love!
If donuts are your jam (wow, I'm really showing my age with that one!), you will love my Baked Chocolate Donuts with Ganache. They are fudgy and taste just like a hostess snack cake!
At the time of writing this post, the most popular recipe this site are my Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts. They are easy to make, can be made ahead of time and come together in less than 30 minutes!
No donut pan, no problem! Try making my Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes.
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