I love apple cider donut this time of year. But who has time and heart health to eat fried donuts? Not me. I opted for baking my apple cider donuts using a donut pan. I know, I know, another specialized kitchen tool you will use at most once a year. But let me tell you these pans are relatively inexpensive and will give you years worth of use. And are much better than trying to make donuts in a muffin tin, since the muffin tins do not retain the donut shape. Plus I’m hoping to get as much use out of this pan as I can. Gingerbread donuts? Stay tuned…. its happening.
Two quick tips for this recipe:
Amp up the apple taste by reducing the apple cider on the stove. Let the water content evaporate so the volume is reduced by 2/3 so its more concentrated. Plain apple cider will work fine if you don’t have the time or means to do so.
Fill a piping bag with batter in order to fill the donut pan. This will keep the donut pan neat and tidy so you don’t get those drip crusts on the sides of the donuts or on the pan.
Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ Cup Flour
- 1 ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 10 TBSP butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup granulated Sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup Apple Cider
- Sugar coating
- 3 TBSP Butter
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 TBSP Cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat the apple cider in a small saucepan until it is reduced by 1/3, resulting in ½ cup. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350, grease a donut pan.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, seasalt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, set aside.
- In a large mixer, combine the brown sugar, sugar and butter. Whip for 3-4 mins, until the color turns light brown. Add in the eggs one at a time, mix until combined, then add in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the mixing bowl at low speed. Once combined, slowly add in the room temperature apple cider until the batter is homogenous.
- Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe the batter into the donut pan to be ⅔ full.
- Bake for 10-15 mins in the oven, rotating the pan halfway through.
- While the donuts are baking, prepare the sugar coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside. Melt the butter in a separate container. Set aside.
- Once the Donuts are done baking, Let it cool for 5 min then transfer donuts to a wire rack.
- Once the donuts are cool, brush on the melted butter and dredge in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Eat and Enjoy
