Baked Apple Cider Donuts

With a quiet shift in the seasons, the world exhales. Cool, crisp mornings beckon us to the kitchen to bake, to fill our homes with the scent of Autumn. There is something soothing about baking, like a ritual that calms the heart and centers us upon what really matters. Something transpires when you take a moment to snuggle in your favorite chair, cuddling a cup of cozy and a sweet treat. Baked Apple Cider Donuts are the perfect fall treat. Perfect for dunking. Healthier than their fried cousins. Destined to make their way into your seasonal favorites!

Apple Cider Donut Memories

Apple cider donuts have been a family tradition for over twenty years. Ultimately, if you live in the north, it is hard not to make it a tradition. Cider mills invite friends and family to their doors every September, where the smell of baked treats and cider fills the air. As long as I live in an area where there are cider mills, I will be present with my family…donut in hand. But for those who do not have the pleasure of a local cider mill (grocery stores don’t count), baking your own at home is the next best thing.

Below are a few of the many memories with family and friends holding a donut in our hands and warm smiles on our faces.

Mary Ellen’s Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Now, these donuts may not taste exactly like the Cider Mill’s donuts, but they do actually taste like apples. Most cider mills fry their donuts, and that is totally yummy. On the other hand, Mary Ellen bakes her donuts and loads them with a secret ingredient…Carr’s Cider Syrup. Apple cider is boiled down into a syrup and leaves nothing but a concentrated apple flavor that creates the most delicious apple taste…naturally!

Unquestionably, Mary Ellen is one of our most special friends and has become part of our family. Eating at the Hatcher’s home is like coming home, and EVERYTHING is delicious. With utmost hospitality, Mary Ellen served us these donuts with a cup of tea by the crackling fire. There is no place like home. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe, Mary Ellen, and for always welcoming our family into your home.

Yield: 12 Donuts

Apple Cider Donuts

Print

Cook Time 12 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 17 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup room-temperature butter (2 sticks or 16 Tbs.)
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I use Just Panela Organic Unrefined Cane Sugar)
• 1/4 cup cider syrup (I use Carr's Cider Syrup)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup organic white sugar (plus the divided tsp. of cinnamon)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter or spray two donut pans with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flour, powder, salt, nutmeg, and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon.

Beat 10 Tablespoons (of the 16) butter with brown sugar and cider syrup in a standing mixer.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix in dry ingredients on low setting.

Slowly, add apple cider and mix on low until fully incorporated.

Spoon into prepared donut pans.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking.

Test with a toothpick until it comes out clean.

Whisk together white sugar and the remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon.

Melt the remaining 6 Tbs. of butter.

Cool donuts in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, unmold and brush with melted butter.

Dredge in the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm.

Serve immediately with your favorite cup of cozy!

The Secret Ingredient…Carr’s Cider Syrup

If you are a regular on the blog, you know how much I’m a fan of Carr’s Cider Syrup. Sweet and tangy, and made from 100% organic apple cider in a similar process to that of maple syrup. Seriously, when I discovered cider syrup, which is made with only one ingredient — boiled-down, organic apples — my recipes exploded. I literally use this on everything —from grilled pork loin to drizzled over pumpkin pie ice cream, mixed into zero-proof cocktails and salad dressings, in my Celebration Steak Sauce, and on anything apple to intensify and concentrate the flavor. Carr’s Ciderhouse is a family-owned business in Hadley, Massachusetts, and their cider syrup is truly amazing!

Apple Cider Donut Process

Creating Your Own Apple Cider Donut Traditions

In summary, I hope you are convinced that Apple Cider Donuts need to be a part of your seasonal traditions. If for no other reason, they look amazing stacked in a glass dome on the counter. Ultimately, it is one of those treats that demands its own tradition. You know, like baking these on the first day of fall or as an alternative to Halloween treats. These donuts boast big flavor and are incredibly soft. Additionally, they are best eaten right away, but they can be frozen and warmed later. Prepare a double batch and freeze them so you are always prepared with something amazing should company pop over. Blessings over your family as you enJOY all that God has given us to savor this Autumn season!

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Donut Pans

Carr’s Cider Syrup

Just Panela Organic Unrefined Cane Sugar

Apple Pie Spice (if you are feeling more adventurous and want to swap out the cinnamon and nutmeg)

Check Out My Other Apple Posts

In everything you do -eat, play, and love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!