This recipe is meant to mimic the apple cider donuts popular during apple season. My family recently visited an apple farm in North Carolina and on the way home, I started thinking about how to make them even better. And voila, these babies were born. These delectable treats capture the essence of autumn, featuring a perfect blend of warm spices, apple cider-infused dough, and a cinnamon-sugar coating.
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Craving more apple-inspired goodness? 🍏 Dive into our Apple Fritter Bread and discover a bounty of cozy fall recipes that'll warm your kitchen and your soul! Looking for some spring flavored goodness? Then check out our amazing refreshing, zesty Lemon Curd. One of my favorite breakfast recipes - that my kids ask for weekly, are my Perfect Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls with Cream recipe.

🧂 Spices are Key for These Apple Cider Donuts
The key to apple cider donuts are in the spices. My mom always increases the spices called for in her recipes. This apple didn't fall far from the tree (sorry, yes that pun was entirely on purpose)! I typically double, if not triple the spices called for in any baked good. If I'm adding spices to something I want to taste it in every bite. I suppose it is possible to add too much spice to something, but I haven't hit that limit in my baking endeavors yet!
🔪 Instructions for Perfect Donuts
- Reduce the apple cider/juice. I was out of cider the day I made these and chose to use apple juice rather than making a trip to the store. It worked fine. Reduce the cider over medium/high heat until reduced by ⅔ volume. You should be left with approximately ½ cup of cider.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray donut pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate small mixing bowl mix together wet ingredients, egg, milk, butter, sugars, vanilla and reduced apple cider.
- Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and gently fold together with spatula just until mixed.
- Pour batter into zip top bag and seal. Cut off a small corner of the zip top to use like a piping bag. This is the easiest method for filling your donut pan. Fill each cavity no more than ½ full in order to maintain the whole for the center of your donut. Overfilling will result in more of a muffin top shape.
- Need a recommendation on a donut pan? Check out my favorite! Wilton 6-Cavity Doughnut Baking Pan, Makes Individual Full-Sized 3 ¾" Donuts.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. I always set my timer for the low end of the time range and start checking.
- Turn donuts out onto a wire cooling rack and as soon as they are cool enough to handle coat each donut in melted butter followed by cinnamon/sugar coating.
- Serve right away.

🍩 Rolling Donuts in Cinnamon and Sugar
Rolling & dusting these in apple cinnamon donuts in cinnamon and sugar while still warm is crucial to the finished product. You could do a simple cinnamon glaze like donuts often have. But the traditional cinnamon sugar coating gives all the cozy, fall vibes! Bring on the sweater weather, I'm ready!

📖 Recipe

Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 measuring cup/spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 heavy spatula
- 1 zip top bag with corner cut off for filling pan
- 1 donut pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup apple juice or cider
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider/juice. I was out of cider the day I made these and chose to use apple juice rather than making a trip to the store. It worked fine. Reduce the cider over medium/high heat until reduced by ⅔ volume. You should be left with approximately ½ cup of cider.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray donut pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate small mixing bowl mix together wet ingredients, egg, milk, butter, sugars, vanilla and reduced apple cider.
- Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and gently fold together with spatula just until mixed.
- Pour batter into zip top bag and seal. Cut off a small corner of the zip top to use like a piping bag. This is the easiest method for filling your donut pan. Fill each cavity no more than ½ full in order to maintain the whole for the center of your donut. Overfilling will result in more of a muffin top shape.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. I always set my timer for the low end of the time range and start checking.
- Turn donuts out onto wire rack and as soon as they are cool enough to handle coat each donut in melted butter followed by cinnamon/sugar coating. Serve right away.
Nutrition
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☕ Best With a Good Cup of Coffee
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Leah Smith says
This is so
Cool!!! Proud of you friend. Sure do miss y’all and think of you often. We need to plan a visit!