What could be better than sitting around a morning fire, listening to the pop and crackle, while dunking an apple cider donut into a mug of spiced tea? Not much in my book. It's the simple act of sharing a special treat with friends that makes this time of year just precious—especially when you're tucking into something so quintessentially "Fall" like an apple cider donut! Here's an easy recipe for a seasonal favorite. No fryer required.

These doughnuts are baked instead of fried. Some purists may argue that these aren't "donuts" at all, merely cupcakes dressed in a ring–shaped form and I wouldn't entirely disagree. However, they are so much fun to eat and very reminiscent of a traditional, fried apple cider donut, that I say bake on!
When considering the preparation of a big batch of fried foods at home, the task just seems too messy and inconvenient for an impromptu morning project. By layering the apple cider flavors into a quick bread and baking them in donut form, you really get a similar effect without the fuss of large quantities of oil. These donuts are also much lighter, yet still packed with spice and apple flavor. After eating them I don't feel heavy and stomach achey as I do after the real thing.

Have you ever worked with a donut pan? Usually found in non-stick, they come in two sizes - mini and regular, they are handy to have on hand for occasions such as this. I used the regular size this time, but I find the mini donut pan to be pretty darn cute. You can pour any type of cake or quick bread batter into one of these and bake according to your original instructions and voila, a round of donuts is born!
Whether you are tired of cupcakes or just want to add some humor and fun to your baking repertoire, I highly recommend experimenting with a donut pan. A tray of these apple cider donuts make for great conversation and delight!

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts
makes about 8 donuts, depending on size of your donut pan
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola oil (plus a little extra for greasing your donut pan)
powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a donut pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (these are all your wet ingredients). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Don't over-mix! A few lumps are okay; they won't show in the final product.
Spoon the batter into each donut mold until about 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea, cider or black coffee.

• Related: Why Not? Let's Make Homemade Donuts!
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
Kart Serving Tray b...

Comments (22)
These are definitely not doughnuts. I'm sure they're very delicious mini bundt cakes, but they are not doughnuts. Cakes are baked, doughnuts are fried, end of story.
Just having a hole in something doesn't make it a doughnut any more than serving a sweet fruity cocktail in a 'martini' glass makes it a martini.
/end rant/
I would have thought the first rant to be on the dough v. batter issue
so if they're not really donuts, does that means it's ok to make them in a normal muffin pan?
Whatever, as long as it tastes good! I wonder if you could modify this to make pumpkin donuts. Perhaps using pumpkin butter instead of apple butter?
i love this idea- frying gets a bit tedious- the pictures are lovely. ah, Fall.
as for RoseCampion's comment- i think the writer made it very clear that she is treading cautiously by calling these 'doughnuts' - so why attack her?
Briony, you can absolutely make these in a muffin pan w/great results and Bee79, I've tried this recipe w/pumpkin butter and they were insanely good. totally addictive!
by the way, Leela, a fave deli of mine in Toronto makes their own version of 'baked dougnuts'- so others are doing them, too :) she calls them strawberry jammies: here's a lovely pic : http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/4152403727/
Beautiful! Absolutely scared of frying things so this is very intriguing. Leela, did you get your doughnut pan in Portland or online?
got that pan at a thrift store in Portland, but have seen it online for under 15 dollars, Sur La Table also carries some version of this pan.
Must try these!
These look delicious - they're so cute as donuts. I believe this is how Baby Cakes makes their donuts as well - I can't really eat fried foods, so this recipe works for me!
Oh, this is wonderful - my husband and I LOOOVE apple cider donuts, but they're hard to find here without driving an hour to an orchard, and we're trying to eat healthier these days too. Plus with being pregnant anything fried makes me very, very sorry I ate if for hours and hours, so having a substitute would be awesome!
I think if you're willing to sacrifice some healthiness, instead of powdered sugar I would roll them in the traditional cinnamon and sugar mix. :D
yummm...the best of both world...donuts but not fried....i let others debate the definitions...just give me the goodies!
So are these dense & moist the way a good donut normally is, or airy & cakey like a muffin? I have no issue with them being baked vs fried, I just want to know what the texture is like before I make them (I've been LOOKING for a baked cider donut recipe!)
Ditto to Charlotte's question. I love CAKE donuts but cannot eat the fried version due to a weird reaction. So any time I can get my hands on a recipe that has the same texture as a tradition cake donut I am ecstatic!
Hey these look delish! Any substitutes for a donut pan though because I don't own one and am not planning to acquire one, but would love to make these!
zozozebra - I'm going to make them as mini muffins - roll them in sugar/cinnamon and serve them hot as mini muffins. I think they'd work as regular muffins, too.
Lack a doughnut pan so I made these in my Madeleine Pan (one rounded tablespoon batter each). Yum. They were better, more "apple-y" the second day.
Oh thx, those are great ideas, or I have a cakepop pan so I could use that and make donut holes too but the mini muffin idea would work out well and seem healthier (in a sense)
I just made these and they are delicious!! I made a few changes though because I didn’t have all of the ingredients. Instead of apple butter I used regular butter, instead of apple cider and yogurt I used 2/3 cup applesauce (they were slightly overflowing), and I only used 1 tablespoon of oil. I also added an extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the wet ingredients before I mixed the two together.
Just made these with a mini donut maker, and they were gone by the afternoon. 5 kids ate them all. I got 1.
I am making these in a mini-doughnut pan ($8 at JCP) for a cute addition to my other Rosh Hashannah dessert (my usual Italian plum tart or cake). Do try to get no sugar apple butter; it's made with cider instead of sugar, so it's not too sweet. (This is not the same as "sugar free," which usually has artificial sweetener.) I think this tastes much fresher. I like to add a spoonful when I'm filling the pans for apple or pumpkin muffins so there's a surprise filling when they're eaten.