Fall can only mean one thing – apple cider donuts! These baked donuts have the sweet tartness of apple cider with a coating of cinnamon sugar. They’re soft, moist, tender, and so fun to make.
WHAT YOU NEED apple cider cinnamon stick all purpose flour or gluten free flour salt baking powder baking soda ground cinnamon ground ginger ground nutmeg light brown sugar granulated sugar large egg vanilla extract melted coconut oil or vegetable oil almond milk or regular milk unsweetened apple sauce unsalted butter
1. Pour the apple cider into a saucepan with the cinnamon stick. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. 2. Simmer until it reduces down to 1/3 cup. Pour into a measuring glass to ensure you have exactly 1/3 cup. If you’re just a hair short, top it off with a bit more fresh apple cider.
3. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Set aside. 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, egg, vanilla, melted oil, and warm cider. The cider can be warm to the touch, but not hot. Then whisk in the almond milk and apple sauce. 5. Pour in the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
6. Pour the batter into a piping bag, or a large zip lock bag, and snip off the tip or corner. 7. Lightly spray the donut pans with nonstick spray and pipe the batter into each cavity, filling each about 3/4 full and using up all of the batter. 8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
9. Allow the donuts to cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan and place on to a cooling rack. 10. For the coating, melt the butter in the microwave and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a separate dish. 11. Coat the donuts by dunking in the butter, allowing any excess to drip off, and then toss in the cinnamon sugar.