These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are fluffy, loaded with cinnamon, delicious and sweet! They're perfect for any time of the year, not just autumn. Best yet, they're gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan). Not apple cider season? No worries, they can be made with store bought apple juice instead!
Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about ½ cup. Start checking after 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have ½ cup. Mine takes around 25 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan with vegetable oil. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Measure out ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk of choice. Add the ½ tablespoon white vinegar to the milk of choice. Stir and let sit 5-10 min. Stir again. The end result will be slightly chunky.
In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
In the medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch water mixture, the homemade buttermilk, the cooled melted butter, the vanilla and the cooled reduced apple cider until combined. Make sure the melted butter isn't hot because if you pour hot butter into the cold milk, it will be chunky.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a whisk to combine. If it gets too thick, switch to using a spatula.
Either spoon the batter into the greased donut pans and fill halfway or put all the batter into a piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner snipped off and pipe the batter into the donut pans. Fill each well about halfway. Smooth the batter with a tiny knife or the back of a small spoon.
Bake the donuts in the center rack of the 350 degree oven for 11 minutes. The donuts should be risen and spring back at you when gently touched.If you gently poke the donuts and a dent forms, they're not done baking. You can also insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
Let the donuts cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes before taking them out. If you try to take them out too soon, they will stick and break apart into a giant mess.Once 5 minutes is up, use a small spatula to loosen them from the pan. Place the donuts on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath. The next part is a bit messy.
Put the 12 tablespoons of butter or vegan baking stick in a medium heat safe bowl.Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each time, until the butter is melted.
Place the 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Take one donut and dip it in the melted butter or vegan baking stick. Do it quickly, you don't want it submerged too long but you do want the entire donut coated. Both sides.Immediately put the donut into the bowl of cinnamon sugar and coat all over. Repeat these two steps with the rest of the donuts.
Place each finished donut on the cooling rack with the baking sheet underneath (to prevent a big mess). Let them dry a bit.
You don't have to do this step, but I like my donuts loaded with cinnamon sugar. Dip each donut again in just the cinnamon sugar. NOT the melted butter.
Video
Notes
Storing
Once the donuts are cool, individually wrap them each in aluminum foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the cinnamon sugar as much.Store them wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature for up to two days.
Freezing
Once the donuts are cool, individually wrap them each in aluminum foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the cinnamon sugar as much. Pop them in a zip top bag and freeze the donuts for up to 30 days.To defrost, take out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours.
For Vegan
Use a gluten free flour free from dairy, vegan baking sticks instead of butter and use a non dairy milk.
For Regular AP Flour
I cannot test this recipe due to celiac disease but these are the changes I would make: