Baked Apple Cider Donuts

A plate of donuts sit covered in cinnamon sugar.

5 from 12 votes

These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are soft and fluffy, delicious and sweet and of course loaded with cinnamon! They're perfect for any time of the year, not just autumn. Best yet, they are gluten fee apple cider donuts that are also nut free, eggless and can easily be vegan! Not apple cider season? No worries! These apple cinnamon donuts can be made with store bought natural apple juice instead like in my Apple Tea Cake!

Prep Time40

Cook Time11

Cool Time20

Total Time1 11

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: Donuts

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

For The Donuts

1.5 cups apple cider or natural style apple juice
2 cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
½ cup light brown sugar , packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted and cooled
2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
½ tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For The Topping

12 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Stirring occasionally, simmer the 1.5 cups apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about ½ cup.
Start checking after 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.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups gluten free flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt until combined. Set aside.
Measure out ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk. Add in the ½ tablespoon white vinegar, 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 2 rounded cornstarch and 3 tablespoons 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 2 tablespoons melted butter, the 1 teaspoon 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. 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

For Vegan: Use a gluten free flour free from dairy, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks instead of butter and use a non-dairy milk.

All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 2 packed cups of regular flour (336 grams) and 1 ¼ cups of milk.

Storing: Once the donuts have cooled, 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. Keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Freezing: Once the donuts have cooled completely, individually wrap them each in aluminum foil and the pop in a zip top bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. To defrost, place wrapped donuts at room temperature until soft. About 2 hours.

Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Nutrition