Description
These cake-style donuts soak up a concentrated apple-cider syrup, bake in under 30 minutes, and finish with a warmly spiced sugar coating. Soft, moist, and oh-so-tender—no fryer needed!
Ingredients
Scale
Cider Syrup
- 1½ cups apple cider
Donuts
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil)
- ½ cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
Cinnamon-Spice Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Make the Cider Reduction
- In a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, simmer the apple cider (uncovered) until it thickens to about ⅓ cup. This takes around 15–20 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely.
- Whisk the Wet Ingredients
- In a large bowl, beat together the egg, both sugars, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth and uniform.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a second bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Form the Batter
- Pour the dry mix and the cooled cider syrup into the wet ingredients. Stir gently until just blended—don’t overwork the batter.
- Fill the Pan & Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan (or donut-hole pan).
- Spoon or pipe batter into each cavity, filling them about halfway.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
- Prepare the Spice Sugar
- While the donuts rest for 5 minutes in the pan, mix 1 cup granulated sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in a wide bowl.
- Coat the Donuts
- Gently remove donuts to a cooling rack. Brush each one with melted butter, then roll in the spiced sugar blend to coat completely.
- Serve
- Enjoy your donuts warm, straight from the pan!
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Spice Swap: Try ginger or allspice in your sugar topping for a different twist.
- Alternative Coatings: Use powdered sugar, a simple glaze, or melted chocolate instead of the spiced sugar.
- No Donut Pan?: Pour the batter into lined muffin tins for “apple cider muffins” – bake 18–20 minutes.
- Make-Ahead: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat for 10–15 seconds in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
Nutrition
- Calories: 223kcal
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 119mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 31mg