Baked Apple Cider Donuts
These baked apple cider donuts are a soft, fluffy, and flavorful fall treat made with warm spices, natural sweeteners, and simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy dessert, they are dairy-free, easy to make, and customizable with applesauce, pumpkin puree, or almond butter.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup apple cider
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Fat & Sweetener Options
- 3 tbsp oil, almond butter, applesauce, or pumpkin puree Choose based on desired texture
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave Alternative: granulated sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup flour white, spelt, oat, or gluten-free blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
Prepare Wet Ingredients
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a donut pan or mini muffin tin.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider, vinegar, vanilla, and your chosen fat. Stir in the maple syrup, honey, or agave.
Prepare Dry Ingredients & Mix
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Gently fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Avoid over-mixing to keep donuts tender.
Bake & Finish
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until donuts are risen and spring back lightly when touched.
- Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Optionally, dust with cinnamon sugar or drizzle with an apple cider glaze.
Notes
- Do not overmix batter to keep donuts tender.
- Grease the pan well to prevent sticking.