Go Back
baked apple cider donuts with caramel drizzle
Print Recipe

Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Caramel Drizzle

Easy mini apple cider donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with salted caramel sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cider donuts, apple donuts
Servings: 22 donuts
Calories: 200kcal
Cost: $30

Equipment

  • 1 6 well donut pan
  • 1 electric mixer or hand mixer
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 piping bag optional
  • 1 large bowl to mix our ingredients
  • measuring cups
  • cooling rack
  • 2 small bowls for the cinnamon sugar
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 small saucepan if you want to make the caramel

Ingredients

For the donuts

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 2 tbsp bourbon

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp apple cider

Caramel Sauce

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • a pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  • Start with the caramel sauce (if you are making it). In a saucepan, heat the granulated sugar over high heat. It will begin to melt and bubble - stir frequently to prevent burning. Once the sugar is liquid and amber in color, remove it from the heat and drop the butter in. Stir until melted. Add in the cream and salt and stir until homogenous. Pour it into a separate container to cool. It will thicken as the temperature lowers. Put it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
    ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 5 tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ cup heavy cream, a pinch of sea salt
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for about one minute until creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat together for an additional minute. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat together until well combined, about another minute. The batter will have lightened in color a bit and appear creamy.
    1 cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Then add the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold the batter together until well incorporated.
    1¾ cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp salt
  • Slowly add the the cider to the batter in three incremements, mixing the batter until combined each time. Then add the bourbon last and mix one more time until just incorporated.
    ½ cup apple cider, 2 tbsp bourbon
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. If you have a piping bag, fill it with the batter (no tip needed). Grease the donut pan with some butter or oil before piping each well about ¾ths full with batter.
    If you don't have a piping bag, carefully spoon the batter into each well.
  • Bake the pan in the center rack for 10-12 minutes, until the batter looks just set and appears slightly darker, golden brown. Let the pan cool for 5 minutes before removing each donut and placing them on a cooling rack. Gently wiggle them out with a knife if they get stuck.
    Repeat the baking process until you run out of batter.
  • In the meantime, make the cinnamon sugar. In one small bowl add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 tbsp apple cider. Place it in the microwave for 20 seconds the butter will be melted. Give it a stir.
    In the other bowl, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together.
    ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp apple cider, ½ tsp nutmeg
  • Once the donuts have cooled completely, brush each one with the butter/cider mixture and dip into the cinnamon sugar so each one is well coated.
  • Drizzle the caramel on the donuts. Or just dip some in there! Enjoy.