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Baked Caramel Apple Cider Donuts – Easy Fall Recipe

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These baked caramel apple cider donuts are soft, tender, and full of concentrated apple flavor, topped with a rich caramel glaze. They come together in about 30 minutes with no deep frying, making them the perfect cozy fall breakfast or treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (240 ml) fresh apple cider
  • 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • For the Caramel Glaze:
  • 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Flaky sea salt (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 cup of fresh apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about ¼ cup, roughly 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch closely towards the end. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Preheat and prep the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 6-cavity donut pan generously with butter or non-stick spray.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and cooled reduced apple cider until smooth and uniform.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
  6. Fill the donut pan: Transfer batter to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
  7. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the caramel glaze: In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  9. Glaze the donuts: Once donuts are completely cool, dip the top of each into the warm caramel glaze. Let excess drip off. Place glazed donuts back on the cooling rack. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt while glaze is still wet. Let glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Do not skip the apple cider reduction; it concentrates the flavor. Use room temperature egg and buttermilk to prevent butter from seizing. Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough donuts. Glaze should be warm but not hot when dipping. For best results, serve the day they are made.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked donuts, apple cider donuts, caramel glaze, fall recipe, easy donuts, baked caramel apple cider donuts

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/baked-caramel-apple-cider-donuts-easy-fall-recipe/