Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnuts

Soft, fluffy, coated in cinnamon sugar, and bursting with fall flavors, these baked apple cider doughnuts bake up in minutes and are a delicious way to celebrate the season. Guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Weekend breakfast on the front porch is one of my favorite fall activities. I mean, breakfast on the front porch is a favorite activity of mine all the time, but it seems like fall is just about the only time of year that it really works for me. I get so excited about the cool weather and the prospect of wrapping myself up in a cozy sweater with a hot cup of coffee!

So I try to make breakfast extra special on those occasions when my husband an I can actually enjoy it on the porch. Like, maybe as in so special that there’s dessert involved. Donuts work great for that because, somehow or another, they became the dessert that it’s socially acceptable to eat for breakfast.

I don’t question it. I just eat healthy most of the time and enjoy my porch doughnuts for a few months late in the year.

Maybe that explains why the majority of the doughnut recipes on this blog are fall-ish. Gingerbread, apple crumble, salted caramel. And now apple cider!

This is the first time I’ve shared a sugar-coated doughnut recipe on the blog. I usually go for frosted, but this time around a sugar coating seemed like a good chance to work some extra cinnamony goodness into my doughnuts.

These doughnuts start with a simple batter you can mix up by hand. Start with your dry ingredients, then add the wet and stir just until mixed. Next, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled doughnut pan. You can use a pastry bag or a zippy bag with the corner snipped, or you can be lazy like me and just spoon it in. :)

Bake the doughnuts, then let them cool a bit while you melt some vegan butter and mix up some cinnamon sugar.

When the doughnuts are cool, brush them with the melted butter then dip them in your cinnamon sugar.

Head on out to the cool fall air and enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Tips for Making Delicious Apple Cider Doughnuts

• What’s vegan butter, you ask? Some people ask this! Is it just margarine? Sort of. Some margarine has dairy in it. Look for products labeled vegan, like Earth Balance and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (It’s Vegan!).
• These doughnuts are best eaten as soon as possible, but if you can’t swing that they’ll keep for a day or two at room temperature in a sealed bag or container.
• Can these be made gluten-free? I haven’t tried, so I can’t be sure, but I’ve had luck with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour in similar recipes.

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5 from 2 votes

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Apple Cider Doughnuts

Soft, fluffy, coated in cinnamon sugar, and bursting with fall flavors, these baked apple cider doughnuts bake up in minutes and are a delicious way to celebrate the season. Guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple cider, doughnuts, fall

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Calories 320 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup canola oil (or your favorite baking oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Coating

• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Lightly oil a 6-cavity doughnut pan.

3. To make the batter, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.

4. Stir the cider, oil, and vanilla together in a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup.

5. Add the cider mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until mixed.

6. Spoon (or pipe, using a pastry bag) the batter into the doughnut cavities

7. Bake for about 13 minutes, until the doughnuts spring back when lightly touched.

8. Transfer the doughnut pan to a cooling rack and allow the doughnuts to cool.

9. While the doughnuts cool, stir the sugar and cinnamon for the coating together in a small bowl.

10. When the doughnuts are cool, remove them from the pan.

11. Brush each doughnut with melted butter, then dip it in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

12. Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Amount Per Serving (1 doughnut)

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.3g 20%

Saturated Fat 1.9g 10%

Sodium 440mg 18%

Potassium 139mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 46.8g 16%

Dietary Fiber 3.6g 14%

Sugars 23.2g

Protein 3.1g 6%

Calcium 5%

Iron 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.