It’s Fall, So You Need Easy Cider Donuts

We had the quintessential fall day on Sunday - apple picking followed by cider donuts. I think a lot of people get scared to make cider donuts because they don’t have the right pan or they don’t want to fry them, but I have a secret: if you bake them and eat them warm, then the rest of it doesn’t matter at all. Easiest recipe below - all you need is a muffin tin and a dream!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature unsalted butter, divided
¾ cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup apple cider

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut pan (if you don’t have one you can use a muffin tin, but you won’t have the donut shape, which I promise doesn’t change the flavor).. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a stand mixer, cream 10 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the sugar. When the butter mixture is fluffy add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla and apple cider, beating and scraping the sides as you go. Carefully incorporate the flour. Add the batter to the pans (filling them up about 2/3 of the way full).

Put in the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. The donuts are done when you can stick a toothpick in the center of the donut and it comes out clean. Let them sit for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Melt the remaining butter and then brush it on the donuts. Sprinkle the remaining sugar (or however much additional sugar you want) on top.

You can also add some more cinnamon or other spices like allspice, nutmeg or cardamom to add even more flavor if you want. Serve warm.