These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are the essence of fall! With their heavenly aromatic notes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet apple cider, it will have your kitchen smelling so warm and inviting.
Fall is just around the corner, which means apples, pumpkins, pears, and cranberries will be the highlight of the season. I love baking with these ingredients during the autumn season.
Don’t you just love the feeling of autumn in the air? Cooler weather, longer nights, and all the comfort foods you can eat. Donuts are comfort food, right? I think so.
These baked apple cider donuts are a healthier option compared to their fellow fried friends. They have less calories, carbs, and fat per donut…which means you can have a couple…I won’t tell!
These make a great addition to any breakfast or as a dessert paired with a mug of hot apple cider. Yummy!
I can’t eat the fried kind served at the donut shop because those are made with wheat flour, which contains gluten. No worries though, I set forth to make this recipe a gluten-free one.
Note: You can still make this recipe with regular all-purpose flour and it will still taste the same. I just wanted to make this available for those who have gluten sensitivities/allergies to be able to enjoy as well.
Let’s Make Some Apple Cider Donuts!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
First, pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and reduce down to about 1/2 cup. This should take anywhere from 15-20 minutes. This step helps to give the apple cider a more potent flavor.
Meanwhile, add the gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour) into a medium size bowl.
Next, add in the following: baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the following ingredients: large egg, oil, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and warm apple cider.
Next, combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix everything thoroughly. Do not over mix or the dough could become tough.
Grease a donut pan and pour batter in about 1/2 full. For best results, use a sandwich baggie or a piping bag and cut tip of bag so it’s easier to pipe dough into donut pan. This method keeps things cleaner.
Lastly, bake donuts in oven at 350 degrees F. for approximately 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when you press lightly on top of donut and it springs back nicely.
Once out of oven, allow donuts to cool down for a few minutes before trying to remove them out of the pan.
Topping For Donuts:
In a shallow dish, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. To coat donuts, brush melted butter all over donut and roll around in sugar mixture. Tap off extra sugar.
Makes about 12-14 donuts.
Enjoy these for breakfast or dessert. These would be great enjoyed with a warm mug of apple cider.
Enjoy!
Baked Apple Cider Donuts (gluten-free)
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Donut Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill brand Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, in blue bag
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Topping
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pour 2 cups apple cider into a small saucepan and reduce down to 1/2 cup. This should take about 15 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, add 2 cups of gluten-free flour into your mixing bowl.
- Then, mix into your flour the following: 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp of salt.
- In separate bowl, mix the following ingredients together: 1 large egg, 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup warm apple cider.
- Next, combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix everything thoroughly. Do not over mix or the dough could become tough.
- Grease a donut pan and pour batter in about 1/2 way full. For best results, use a sandwich baggie or piping bag and cut tip of bag so it's easier to pipe dough into donut pan. This method keeps things cleaner.
- Lastly, bake donuts in oven at 350 degrees F. for approximately 10 minutes. You'll know they're done when you press lightly on top of donut and it springs back nicely.
- Once out of oven, allow donuts to cool down for a few minutes before trying to remove them out of the pan.
- In a shallow dish, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. To coat donuts, brush melted butter all over donut and roll around in sugar mixture. Tap off extra sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
For more delicious apple desserts, check out our Apple-Pear Galette and Apple Harvest Snack Cake (Gluten-Free). Both are great fall desserts.
Did you make these delicious baked donuts? Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, make sure to tag us on Instagram and Pinterest @thetickledtastebud so we can see your pics!
Thanks for stopping by and…Happy Eating!
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Just the thing for when you want something a little sweet! Can’t wait to try them!
Exactly! These are such a good fall breakfast or sweet treat. Hope you’ll try them soon!
Can you make these into donut holes if you don’t have a donut pan?
Hello, Brittany,
The donut pan has a ring mold that helps them to bake in that circular shape, so it would be hard to make donut holes. The only thing that may come close, perhaps, is using a mini muffin pan and trying to replicate donut holes that way? They would be like mini “muffin holes.” Good luck, and let me know if you do find a way that comes closer to looking like a donut hole. 🙂
Let me first say this recipe with regular AP flour is amazing and beloved in our household and by our friends. It always takes me far longer to reduce the cider so I’ve taken to reducing two or three times the cider indicated so I have it on hand for other projects. Sadly, when I finally tried baking with AP GF Flour as the recipe specifies I was left with a complete mess in my donut pans. I marginally saved them by pulling the crumbly mess out and rolling them into donut holes then in the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture. I’m not sure what went wrong but was super bummed!
Hello Rhonda,
Im glad to hear the regular AP flour has been successful for you. I’m going to admit, I made a mistake. When looking at the flour I used, it’s the same brand (Bob’s Red Mill) however, I do notice that its the “Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour” that I used in this recipe. It’s the Bob’s Red Mill GF flour in the blue bag. I use this flour in most everything that calls for flour, so it’s kind of my AP flour. I apologize for the confusion and will edit my post to reflect the exact product I used. I truly believe if you use this particular GF baking flour, that the results will turn out good for you. 😁👍🏼
Marcie
You do not mention if the apple cider needs to be cooled before adding with the other wet ingredients. And I assume the vanilla is added to the wet as well??
Hello Alexis,
Thanks for reaching out! You can add the apple cider in while its warm (not hot). Also, yes, add the vanilla in with the rest of the wet ingredients! Hope that help 😉
I loved the recipe!
So glad you liked them! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Glad you loved them! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Such a good recipe! I don’t normally go for donuts but these are so much better. Thanks!
I made these as muffins instead of donuts. I cooked them for about 5-10 mins more. They are good but I put too much cinnamon sugar on the outside. The actual donut (or in my case muffin) was not too sweet and my husband even liked it. Such a fun thing to make!
Marybeth,
Oh awesome! I love this idea! 😁👍🏼 I am SO glad to hear that the muffin idea worked out for you and even more happier to hear you and the hubby enjoyed them! Thank you for letting us know ❤️
Marcie
hi there, wanting to make these. I’ve never reduced apple cider. Am I cooking over high or med or low? Do we want it boiling or simmering? Thanks for more clarification with this.
Hello Hannah,
I would definitely cook (reduce cider) somewhere between medium/high heat. You want it more of a simmer…not necessarily a rolling boil or anything. It should take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to reduce down to the 1/2 cup. It may take a tad longer if you have it set to just medium heat. Hope that was helpful 🙂
Marcie
Delicious donut recipie, everyone loves them!!
Hello Laura,
Oh, I’m beyond thrilled to hear this! They are definitely one of our favs around here 😉👍🏼 Thank you for sharing with us!
Marcie