That fruity fall flavor is baked right into these delicious donuts.
One of my family’s favorite things to do in the fall is go apple picking. The air is crisp and clean, we’re finally able to wear our jackets and sweaters after the hot summer, and it just feels so good to be moving around outside and collecting our most loved fruit. After, we stroll over to the part of the orchard where they serve and sell apple cider, the best fall drink. We sip some, and we buy some, so when we get home we can make apple cider donuts, the superstar of autumn’s sweet treats.
You don’t have to go to an orchard to buy apple cider (though it is fun!). Grocery stores begin to carry it in late summer, and it usually remains available until the New Year, so while you can buy hard cider—the alcoholic version—year-round, fresh apple cider has a limited window. But it is the essential ingredient in these donuts.
If you’ve never made donuts before, apple cider donuts are the best place to start. While your apple cider is reducing (which has to happen in order to give your donuts their concentrated apple flavor), you’ll be doing things you do whenever you bake: whisking together your dry ingredients and, once the reduced cider has cooled, mixing your wet ingredients with the sugars and then gently combining the two, being careful not to overmix. That’s it. The donuts bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, and when they are done and coated in cinnamon sugar, you have these moist, tender treats with the perfect crumb that taste of tart-sweet apples flavored with those wonderful warm spices we associate with fall.
What Is Apple Cider?
Apple cider is a drink made from the juice of pressed apples. Cider can be made from all kinds of apples, and the flavors differ depending on the type of apple. The juice from the apples is unfiltered, which is what gives cider its cloudy appearance. Beyond the natural sugars, apple cider is unsweetened. It’s also unpasteurized, which is why it needs to be refrigerated. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered (so it is clear), pasteurized, and sometimes processed with added sugar to enhance its sweetness.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Apple cider donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. But they are best eaten within 48 hours of making them.
Serving Suggestions
When we have people over during the fall and winter holidays, my favorite thing to serve is apple cider donuts alongside The Perfect Cheese Plate With Caramel Apple Butter. Not only is the cheese a perfect complement to these donuts, but the caramel apple butter is just spectacular spread on the donuts!
Apple cider donuts aren’t just for entertaining, though. They are a great weeknight family dessert dipped in Salted Spiced Caramel Sauce, crumbled over Vanilla Ice Cream or Brown Sugar Ice Cream, or made into a parfait with layers of Homemade Whipped Cream and Oven-Dried Apples.
Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups apple cider
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup granulated sugar for coating
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for coating
Instructions
- Simmer apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup, approximately 20-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the reduced apple cider, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan. Fill each donut well about three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
- Mix 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a shallow dish. While donuts are still warm, coat them in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
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