We are obsessed with these apple cider donuts and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you! The apple orchard we go to makes similar ones on the weekends and they are one of the highlights of going there. The orchard is a tad out of the way for us though, so I wanted to try and recreate something similar at home. While these aren’t exactly the same, they taste just as good and I imagine are a bit healthier as I don’t fry them.

The blend of apple and cinnamon make these donuts the perfect fall treat. They’re incredible warm, but still taste great a couple days later. I have been making these for a few years now and they are hands down my favourite treat for the season. They’re perfectly sweet, easy to make, and so delicious.

I feel like the ingredient list seems a little bit much, but don’t let that deter you! These donuts are actually really easy to make and well worth the effort. You’ll need some butter, sugar, applesauce, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. And, if you want to top them with cinnamon sugar (which I highly recommend you’ll need some additional melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

Ingredients

For the Donuts

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups apple cider
2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Grease a donut pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Next, mix in the applesauce, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
Add in the baking soda, baking powder, and apple cider vinegar. It will froth a bit, but stir until well combined.
Stir in the flour and apple cider until well combined.
Evenly distribute the batter into the greased donut pan and bake 10-12 minutes.
Let cool at least 10 minutes before transferring the donuts to a wire rack to finish cooling.
After at least 30 minutes the donuts can be topped with cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well combined. In another small bowl, melt the butter.
Dip each donut into the butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Let stand at least 5 minutes and enjoy!

These donuts really are incredible. They pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee as an afternoon treat! They’re impressive to serve when you have guests over, but they also make a nice addition to any packed lunches as well.

These apple cider donuts are one of my favourite-ever creations and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do if you decide to give them a try!

Hello! I'm Elisabeth.

Apple Cider Donuts