Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts Recipe That Actually Taste Like Cider
These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are my family’s favorite fall treat. They actually taste like cider, not just cinnamon and sugar with cider in the name. Reducing the cider before it goes into the batter is the step that makes the difference, and it’s the one most mini donut recipes skip.
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I make these on a Saturday morning when the weather finally turns, and they’re gone before the coffee’s done brewing. They come together in one bowl, one saucepan, and a mini donut pan, no fryer and no yeast dough to wait on.
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My other secret is to use salted butter. Ok, hear me out. Sugar loves a touch of salt to balance it and keep it from tasting cloyingly sweet. If you dunk these into salted butter and THEN into the cinnamon-sugar, they taste just that much better. It’s a real secret – you won’t see other recipes calling for salted butter. Just don’t add more salt to the batter.
These are best fresh from the oven, but the batter comes together so quickly that I’ll keep reduced cider in the fridge and bake these up fresh whenever we want a sweet bite.
Chef Jenn’s Take on Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts
Most cider donut recipes are cake donuts that only call themselves apple cider donuts. I skip using cider straight from the jug for that reason. A thin liquid waters down the batter and gets lost next to the spices. But simmering two cups of cider down to about a third of a cup concentrates the apple flavor enough that it actually holds up against the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice instead of getting buried by them.
Don’t rush the reduction step; you can even do it the day before. Everything else, the mixing, the piping, the baking, is fast. Give the cider 20 to 30 minutes to reduce, and you can even make it ahead of time. I love the reduced syrup and want to try it on pancakes or French toast. Yum!
What You’ll Love About These Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts
- I reduce the cider first, and it’s the difference between a donut that tastes like apple cider and one that just tastes like cinnamon sugar with a fall label on it.
- These bake in eight to ten minutes and get dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm, so there’s no fryer, no oil to deal with, and no waiting around.
- Twenty-four mini donuts from one batch means this covers a crowd for weekend brunch without turning into an all-morning production.
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- Apple cider – Use real apple cider, not apple juice. Juice is thinner and sweeter and won’t reduce the same way.
- All-purpose flour Spoon into the measuring cup and level off. Packed flour makes these dense.
- Baking powder – Check the date. Old baking powder is the top reason bars don’t rise.
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon – Standard ground cinnamon, no need for anything specialty.
- Ground nutmeg – No allspice on hand? Use a little extra cinnamon plus a pinch of ground cloves.
- Ground allspice – If you don’t have allspice, use a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg instead.
- Large egg – Room temperature blends into the batter faster.
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar – Light brown sugar works too, dark just gives a deeper molasses note.
- Unsalted butter, melted – Let it cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the egg when you whisk it in.
- Milk – Whole milk gives the richest crumb, but lower-fat milk works fine.
- Pure vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract here, not imitation.
For the Topping
- Salted butter, melted – For dipping. Unsalted works if that’s what you have.
- Granulated sugar – Standard white sugar, this carries the cinnamon on top.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg – Optional, skip it if you’d rather keep the topping simple.
How to Make Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start the cider reducing before anything else. Bring it to a gentle boil, then drop it to a simmer and let it cook down to about a third of a cup. This takes twenty to thirty minutes, so get it going first and prep everything else while it works.
While the cider reduces, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two mini donut pans. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together in a large bowl so the leaveners and spices are evenly distributed before the wet ingredients go in.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the granulated and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, the cooled reduced cider, the milk, and the vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently with a spatula just until combined. A few streaks of flour are fine. Overmixing here is what makes donuts tough instead of tender.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, then pipe it into the donut cavities, filling each one about halfway.
Bake for eight to ten minutes, until the donuts spring back when you touch them lightly and a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
While the donuts bake, stir the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a shallow bowl for the topping.
While the donuts are still slightly warm, dip both sides in the melted salted butter, then coat generously in the cinnamon sugar.
Make It A Meal
I don’t serve these alone. Build them into a real fall brunch spread with something savory alongside, since a plate of just donuts gets old by the second one. A Croissant Breakfast Casserole or a Cowboy Breakfast Casserole covers the savory side of the table without much extra morning-of work.
If you want something lighter to go with the donuts, try Cottage Cheese Toast with Bacon & Poached Egg. And since there’s already a batch of reduced cider going, a pitcher of Cider Sangria keeps the apple theme going if the brunch turns into an afternoon.
Storage
Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’re best the day they’re made, before the sugar coating softens. Warm them for a few seconds in the microwave if you want that fresh-baked texture back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though you’ll get fewer donuts and need to add a few minutes to the bake time. Check for doneness with a toothpick rather than relying on the time in the recipe card, since regular-size cavities take longer than mini ones.
Yes. Freeze the un-topped donuts in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and dip them in the butter and cinnamon sugar fresh, since the topping doesn’t hold up well in the freezer.
The most common cause is overmixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients meet. Fold just until the flour disappears. A few lumps are fine and better than a tough donut.
No. A zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works the same way and is what I use most of the time. A small cookie scoop also works if you don’t mind a slightly messier fill.
Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Bring the apple cider to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to ⅓ cup, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two mini donut pans with butter or nonstick spray, or work in batches.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk the egg, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar in a separate bowl until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, reduced cider, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities, filling each about halfway.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the donuts spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a shallow bowl.
- While the donuts are still slightly warm, dip both sides in the salted melted butter, then generously coat with the cinnamon sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Reduce the cider until it’s thick and syrupy, about a third of a cup. Stop too early and the donuts taste like a plain spiced cake donut instead of a cider one.
- Fill the cavities only halfway. These rise a lot in the oven, and overfilled cavities turn into mushroom-topped donuts that stick to the pan edges.
- Dip and coat while the donuts are still warm. Once they cool and firm up, the butter and sugar won’t stick the same way.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.