This baked apple cider donut recipe couldn’t be easier to make! There’s no frying needed, and boxed spice cake mix means you don’t even have to measure out flour and sugar. Dip the donuts in cinnamon sugar and enjoy them warm out of the oven for the perfect fall breakfast.
Deep-frying isn’t exactly hard, but it is a hassle. You have to keep an eye on the oil temperature because if it’s too hot, your donuts will be raw in the middle, but if it’s too cool, your donuts will be a greasy mess.
You have to drain the donuts on layers of paper towels. Then, when you’re done with it all, you have a pot full of oil to discard, which kind of feels like a waste. This is why I love making baked apple cider donuts instead. No muss, no fuss!
Thanks to the baking and my secret of using spice cake mix as a base, this apple cider donut recipe is so stinkin’ easy. You’ll get the same apple cider flavor you expect from an apple cider donut. Then, you also get the bonus of being able to eat them fresh out of the oven, when they taste the best! Pair them with pumpkin spice cold brew and get ready for the cozy season!
Easy Apple Cider Donut Recipe
If you haven’t tried making your own donuts before, this is a great recipe to begin. You don’t even need a donut pan! You can pipe donut shapes onto a baking sheet instead.
I think you’ll find that baked donuts really aren’t lacking anything that fried donuts have, except some extra calories. They’re softer on the outside when you bake them, but I like them better that way!
Recipe Ingredients
For the entire recipe and ingredient amounts – see the recipe card below.
Apple Cider Donuts:
- Spice Cake Mix – I’m pretty partial to Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker, but use your favorite brand here.
- Apple Cider – For the best flavor, grab a gallon from your local orchard or farmer’s market. Or, opt for the refrigerated varieties at your local grocery store. Shelf-stable apple ciders, which are sold next to apple juice, don’t have the same flavor as fresh varieties.
- Butter – Real butter. Always.
- Whole milk – The fat in the milk really helps the flavor and texture of the cake.
- Eggs – Take the eggs out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before you start the recipe. This gives baked goods like these apple cider donuts a fluffier texture.
Topping:
- Melted butter
- Granulated sugar – Feel free to use brown sugar instead.
- Cinnamon
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider Donuts
- Repeat: Continue the process, coating all the donuts. Enjoy!
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients and dry ingredients to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or whisk by hand to combine, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pipe: Transfer the donut batter to a large piping bag, and clip off the end. You can also just spoon the mixture into a donut pan, or use a Ziploc bag to pipe. Pipe the batter into a greased donut pan.
- Bake: Transfer the donuts to the oven, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the batter rises and springs back to the touch.
- Cool: Allow the donuts to cool in the pan slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers.
- Top: Dip the entire donut into melted butter. Then, dip them in the cinnamon sugar coating. Tap off any excess, and transfer the donut to a wire rack. Place a baking sheet under your wire rack to catch any excess cinnamon sugar!
Quick Tip
If you don’t have a donut pan, you can use a greased cookie sheet instead. Just pipe the dough into circles, and bake as normal. You can use this method to create fun shapes like donut holes and hearts, too!
Storage
- Store leftover apple cider donuts in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Freeze the donuts for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Serve leftovers cold, at room temperature, or warm them in the microwave!
FAQs
You’ll taste the apple cider flavors, but you also taste the spices from the cake mix and cinnamon sugar. Basically, this baked apple cider donut recipe tastes like apples and warming fall spices.
No, don’t use apple juice instead of apple cider. It doesn’t have the same intense apple flavor as cider, meaning it will be overpowered by the spices in the cake mix.
More Apple Recipes for Fall
Quick & Easy Desserts
Apple Blondies
Quick & Easy Desserts
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Quick & Easy Desserts
Easy Apple Crumble
Cake
Apple Dump Cake
Pies
Apple Slab Pie
Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Donut Pan
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 1 (13.25 ounce) box Spice Cake Mix
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/3 cup milk whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup apple cider
Topping
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup sugar granulated
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the cake mix, butter, milk, eggs, and apple cider.1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup milk whole milk, 3 eggs, 1 (13.25 ounce) box Spice Cake Mix, 2/3 cup apple cider
- Using a hand mixer (or whisk by hand) beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through, until batter is light and thoroughly combined.
- Add the mixture to a large piping bag. Clip off the end of the bag where you have a larger opening for the thick batter to come out. (Alternatively, you could just spoon the mixture into your donut pan instead of piping) A Ziploc bag works well if you don’t have a piping bag.
- Pipe the donut batter into a greased donut pan. If you don’t have a donut pan, you can just make little circles onto a greased cookie sheet. That will work, too!
- Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 325-degree oven – when the dough springs back when touched, they are done.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. and then dip the entire donut into melted butter and then into cinnamon and sugar mixture. Tap off excess and add to the wire rack.1/4 cup sugar granulated, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Notes
- Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Freeze cooled donuts for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Share With Us!
I hope you enjoy these incredible Baked Apple Cider Donuts! If you give it a try, please share your experience in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag me on social media @allthingsmamma and use the hashtag #allthingsmamma.
The topping for the Apple Cider DOnuts does not mention butter.
How much butter do you need to dip the donuts in?
Updated — 1/2 cup of melted butter for the topping. Hope this helps!