Best Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

I want a donut. Not just any donut — a warm, cakey, cinnamon-scented donut that tastes like the first weekend of October. And I want it now, without deep-frying, without yeast, without waiting for dough to rise. That’s the kind of craving that either ends in disappointment or, if you’re lucky, a recipe that actually delivers. This one delivers.

I remember the first time I tried to make apple cider donuts at home. I had this romantic vision of a cozy kitchen, the smell of cinnamon filling every corner, and a perfect little ring of fried dough in my hand. Reality? A greasy mess and a lot of burnt sugar. I gave up on the deep-fried version pretty quickly. But the flavor — that concentrated, tangy-sweet apple cider flavor — I couldn’t let that go.

So I started experimenting with baked versions. I tried apple sauce, apple butter, even reduced apple juice. Nothing hit the mark. Then I thought about reducing actual apple cider down to a syrup, concentrating all that apple flavor into something powerful enough to carry a baked donut. That was the turning point. These Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar are the result of that kitchen experiment, and honestly, they taste better than any fried version I ever attempted.

The texture is tender but sturdy enough to hold that cinnamon sugar coating. The flavor is pure fall, with a tangy apple backbone that doesn’t get lost in the sugar. And the best part? You can make them in under 30 minutes, start to finish. No standing over a pot of hot oil, no waiting for dough to double in size. Just mix, bake, and roll in cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. That’s my kind of baking.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These aren’t just another baked donut recipe. I tested this about six times before I got the texture right — too dry, too dense, too flat. The final version hits that perfect spot between a muffin and a cake donut, with a tender crumb that holds up to the cinnamon sugar coating without falling apart.

• Quick & Easy : From start to finish, these donuts take about 25 minutes. No yeast, no rising time, no deep-frying. Just mix, bake, and coat.
• Simple Ingredients : You probably have most of these in your pantry right now. The only special item is apple cider, which is everywhere in the fall.
• Perfect for Fall Mornings : These are made for cozy weekends, apple picking aftermath, or when you just want the house to smell like autumn.
• Crowd-Pleaser : I brought these to a brunch and watched them disappear in about 10 minutes. Kids and adults both go for them.
• Unbelievably Delicious : The reduced apple cider gives a concentrated flavor that tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.

What makes this recipe different from the dozens of other baked donut recipes out there? It comes down to the cider reduction. Most recipes just use apple cider straight from the jug, which gives a subtle flavor at best. By simmering the cider down to a syrup, you’re packing in about four times the apple flavor. That’s the secret. That’s what makes these taste like the real thing.

This is the kind of recipe that makes you close your eyes after the first bite. It’s comfort food without the guilt of deep-frying, and it comes together so fast you’ll be making them on random Tuesday mornings just because you can.

What Ingredients You Will Need

This recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients that work together to create that classic apple cider donut flavor. The key is the reduced cider, so don’t skip that step. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Donut Batter

• Apple cider – 1 cup (240 ml). You’ll reduce this to about ¼ cup, so don’t use the expensive stuff. Regular refrigerated apple cider works perfectly.
• All-purpose flour – 1 ¾ cups (220 g). Spoon and level for accuracy. Too much flour makes dense donuts.
• Granulated sugar – ½ cup (100 g). Adds sweetness and helps with browning.
• Light brown sugar – ¼ cup (50 g), packed. Adds moisture and a hint of molasses flavor that pairs beautifully with apple.
• Baking powder – 1 ½ teaspoons. Make sure it’s fresh — old baking powder won’t give you that nice rise.
• Baking soda – ¼ teaspoon. Helps balance the acidity from the cider and buttermilk.
• Salt – ½ teaspoon. Don’t skip this — it balances the sweetness.
• Ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon. Use a good quality cinnamon. I prefer Ceylon for its milder, sweeter flavor.
• Ground nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon. Freshly grated if you have it, but pre-ground works fine.
• Buttermilk – ¼ cup (60 ml). Adds tang and tenderness. No buttermilk? Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Unsalted butter – 4 tablespoons (57 g), melted and slightly cooled. Butter gives better flavor than oil here.
• Large egg – 1, room temperature. A cold egg can seize the melted butter.
• Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon. Pure, not imitation, if you can swing it.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Granulated sugar – ½ cup (100 g)
• Ground cinnamon – 1 ½ teaspoons
• Unsalted butter – 3 tablespoons (42 g), melted, for brushing

I recommend using a good quality apple cider here — not apple juice, not apple juice concentrate. Real apple cider has that slight tang and cloudy appearance that gives these donuts their signature flavor. If you can find fresh-pressed cider at a local orchard, even better.

For the buttermilk, I’ve used both store-bought and homemade versions. Store-bought gives a slightly thicker batter, but homemade works perfectly fine. Just don’t skip it entirely — the acidity is important for the texture.

Equipment Needed

You don’t need much for this recipe, which is one of the reasons I love it. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Donut pan – This is non-negotiable. You need a standard 6-cavity donut pan. I use a Wilton non-stick pan and it works beautifully. If you only have one pan, you can bake in batches.
• Small saucepan – For reducing the apple cider. A 1-quart saucepan works well.
• Two mixing bowls – One medium, one large. Nothing fancy.
• Whisk – For combining dry ingredients.
• Rubber spatula – For folding the wet into the dry. A wooden spoon works too.
• Piping bag or zip-top bag – For filling the donut cavities. Much less messy than spooning the batter in.
• Cooling rack – Placed over a baking sheet to catch the cinnamon sugar drips.
• Pastry brush – For brushing the melted butter onto the warm donuts. A silicone one works great.
• Shallow bowl – For the cinnamon sugar mixture.

If you don’t have a donut pan, you can make these as muffins. Bake them in a standard muffin tin for about 12-14 minutes, and you’ll have apple cider muffin tops. Not quite the same shape, but the flavor is identical. I’ve done it when I forgot my donut pan at a friend’s house, and they were still delicious.

A note on the piping bag situation: I use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. It’s cheaper, easier to clean, and works just as well. Just don’t cut too big of an opening or the batter will flow out too fast.

Preparation Method

Let’s get to the good part. Here’s how to make these donuts step by step.

Step 1: Reduce the Apple Cider

Pour 1 cup of apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer. You want to reduce it down to about ¼ cup, which takes about 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. The cider will thicken slightly and become darker and more aromatic. When it’s done, pour it into a small bowl and let it cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It should be warm but not hot when you add it to the batter.

Don’t walk away from the pan during this step. I’ve scorched cider more times than I care to admit. Keep an eye on it, especially in the last few minutes when the reduction happens quickly.

Step 2: Preheat and Prep the Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease your donut pan with butter or non-stick spray. I use a baking spray with flour in it for extra insurance, but regular non-stick spray works fine. Make sure you get into all the crevices — nothing worse than a donut that sticks to the pan.

Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk for about 20 seconds to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Breaking up any brown sugar clumps with your fingers is worth the extra 10 seconds.

Step 4: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and the cooled reduced apple cider. Whisk until smooth. The mixture will look a little separated at first but keep whisking until it comes together. It should be a uniform, pale brown color.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold them together gently. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour. A few lumps are fine — overmixing will make the donuts tough. The batter will be thick but scoopable, like a muffin batter.

Step 6: Fill the Donut Pan

Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities, filling each one about ¾ full. Don’t overfill — they will rise. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a small spoon, but it’s messier and harder to get even results.

Step 7: Bake

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the donuts are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Mine are usually perfect at 10 minutes. The donuts should spring back when lightly touched. Let them cool in the pan for exactly 2 minutes — no longer, or they’ll stick.

Step 8: Coat in Cinnamon Sugar

While the donuts are cooling slightly, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. After the 2-minute cooling period, turn the donuts out onto a cooling rack. While they’re still warm, brush each donut generously with melted butter, then immediately dip it into the cinnamon sugar mixture, turning to coat both sides. Shake off any excess.

The butter helps the sugar stick, so don’t skip this step. And work quickly while the donuts are warm. Cold donuts don’t hold the coating as well.

Step 9: Repeat with Remaining Batter

If you only have one donut pan, let it cool for about 5 minutes, wipe it clean, re-grease, and repeat the process with the remaining batter. This recipe makes about 10-12 donuts, so you’ll need to do two batches.

Cooking Tips & Techniques

I’ve made this recipe enough times to learn a few things the hard way. Here are the tips that actually make a difference.

Don’t skip the cider reduction. I know it adds an extra step, but this is what gives the donuts their intense apple flavor. Using unreduced cider will result in a very mild apple taste that gets lost in the cinnamon sugar. The reduction concentrates the flavor and removes some of the water, which helps the texture too.

Weigh your flour if you can. Measuring flour by volume is notoriously inconsistent. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour down and can add up to 25% more flour than you need, resulting in dry, dense donuts.

Let the reduced cider cool. If you add hot cider to the batter, it can partially cook the egg and give you a weird texture. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes. It should be warm to the touch, not hot.

Don’t overbake. These donuts go from perfect to dry very quickly. Start checking at 9 minutes. The toothpick test is your friend. A slightly underbaked donut is better than an overbaked one — it will be more tender.

Work in batches for the coating. Don’t try to coat all the donuts at once. Brush and coat each donut individually as you take them out of the pan. The sugar sticks best when the butter is fresh and the donut is warm. If you let them cool completely, the coating won’t adhere as well.

Use a cooling rack over a baking sheet. When you’re coating the donuts, place the cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch the excess cinnamon sugar. You can reuse that sugar for the next batch. Waste not, want not.

Variations & Adaptations

This recipe is pretty forgiving, and I’ve tried a few variations over the years. Here are some that actually work.

Gluten-Free Version

Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. I’ve used King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 with good results. Add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t already include it. The texture will be slightly more delicate, so handle them gently when coating.

Dairy-Free Version

Use a plant-based buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to ¼ cup of unsweetened almond or oat milk. Substitute the melted butter with melted coconut oil or a plant-based butter. The flavor changes slightly but they’re still delicious.

Spiced Apple Version

Add ½ cup of finely diced fresh apple to the batter. Toss the diced apple in a tablespoon of flour before folding it in to prevent it from sinking to the bottom. I like using Honeycrisp or Fuji apples for this. It adds little pockets of apple throughout the donut.

Maple Glaze Variation

Instead of the cinnamon sugar coating, make a simple maple glaze. Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze and let them set on a cooling rack. This version is sweeter and more decadent.

Baked Donut Holes

Use a mini donut pan or a mini muffin tin to make donut holes. Reduce the baking time to 6-8 minutes. Coat them the same way with cinnamon sugar. These are perfect for snacking and portion control. Or not — I’ve definitely eaten six in one sitting.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

These donuts are best served warm, within an hour of baking. The cinnamon sugar coating is at its peak when it’s fresh and the donut is still slightly warm from the oven. That’s when the texture is most tender and the coating is perfectly crunchy.

For serving, I like to arrange them on a wooden board or a simple white platter. A cup of hot coffee or a homemade pumpkin spice latte is the perfect companion. They’re also great with a cold glass of apple cider or a warm mug of chai. If you’re serving them for brunch, add a bowl of fresh fruit and some scrambled eggs for balance.

For storage, place the cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay good for about 2 days, but the coating will soften over time. After day one, the texture changes — still delicious, but not as crisp. If you want to restore some of that crunch, pop them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3-4 minutes.

These donuts freeze surprisingly well. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature and warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. The coating won’t be as perfect as fresh, but they’re still a solid breakfast option when you’re craving something sweet.

One thing to note: these donuts don’t get better with time. The magic is in that first day. So make them when you know you’ll have people to share them with, or be prepared to eat more than you planned. I won’t judge.

Nutritional Information & Benefits

Let’s be honest — these are donuts. They’re a treat, not a health food. But here’s the approximate nutritional breakdown per donut based on a yield of 12 donuts:

Nutrient	Amount Per Donut
Calories	215
Total Fat	9g
Saturated Fat	5g
Cholesterol	35mg
Sodium	210mg
Total Carbohydrates	32g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugars	20g
Protein	3g

On the plus side, these donuts are baked, not fried, so they have significantly less fat than traditional yeast donuts. The apple cider does provide a small amount of vitamin C and antioxidants, though let’s not pretend this is a health food. It’s a treat, and that’s okay.

For dietary considerations, this recipe contains gluten, dairy, and eggs. For the gluten-free version, use a quality 1:1 flour blend. For dairy-free, use plant-based butter and buttermilk substitute. These donuts are not suitable for vegan diets in their current form, but a vegan version is possible with egg replacer and plant-based dairy alternatives.

If you’re watching your sugar intake, you can reduce the sugar in the batter by about 25% and use a lighter coating of cinnamon sugar. The donuts won’t be as sweet, but they’ll still have good flavor.

Conclusion

These Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar are the kind of recipe that makes you look forward to fall all year. They’re quick enough for a weekday morning, special enough for a weekend brunch, and simple enough that you don’t need any fancy equipment or skills to pull them off.

What I love most about this recipe is how it delivers on flavor without the hassle of deep-frying. The reduced apple cider gives you that authentic, tangy apple taste that makes these taste like they came from a farm stand. And the cinnamon sugar coating? It’s the perfect crunchy, sweet finish that makes every bite satisfying.

I’d love to hear how these turn out for you. Did you try any of the variations? Did you double the batch because one wasn’t enough? Drop a comment below and let me know. And if you’re looking for more fall baking inspiration, check out these baked pumpkin donuts or this pumpkin cream cheese muffins recipe for more seasonal treats.

Happy baking, and don’t forget to save that extra cinnamon sugar — you’ll want it for everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?

You can, but the flavor will be noticeably different. Apple juice is clearer and sweeter, without the tangy, fermented notes that make apple cider distinctive. If you use apple juice, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the batter to mimic some of that acidity. The donuts will still be good, just not as authentic tasting.

Why did my donuts turn out dry?

Overbaking is the most common culprit. Check your donuts at 9 minutes and pull them out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Another possibility is overmeasuring your flour. Use the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale for accuracy. Finally, make sure you’re using the full amount of reduced cider — if you reduce it too much, you’ll have less liquid in the batter.

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

I don’t recommend it. The baking powder and baking soda start reacting as soon as they hit the wet ingredients, so the batter loses its lift over time. If you need to prep ahead, you can reduce the cider and mix the dry ingredients the night before. Then combine everything right before baking. The donuts are best fresh from the oven anyway.

How do I keep the cinnamon sugar from falling off?

The key is brushing the donuts with melted butter while they’re still warm, then immediately coating them in the cinnamon sugar. The butter acts as a glue. Don’t let the donuts cool completely before coating, and don’t skimp on the butter. Also, make sure your cinnamon sugar mixture is well combined — clumps of cinnamon won’t stick as well.

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. The recipe doubles beautifully. Just make sure you have two donut pans, or be prepared to bake in batches. If you’re doubling, use a larger saucepan for the cider reduction — the surface area helps it reduce faster. The batter will hold for about 20-30 minutes while you bake in batches, but don’t push it much longer than that.

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