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Three words: Apple Cider Doughnuts.
Last week, I drastically improved the quality of my life by ordering these doughnut pans. Seriously, where have they been all my life?! The day after they arrived, I whipped up these scrumptious little circles of apple cider goodness. One week and several batches later, and I think I’m hooked on baked doughnuts for life (I may or may not have just finished eating two). It’s okay, though, because they’re baked—so they’re healthier than fried doughnuts, right? Right. 😉
Apple cider definitely makes it onto my list of favorite fall treats. It’s sweet, yet tart. It’s good cold, and it reaches whole new dimensions of yumminess when it’s hot. All in all, it practically begs for a marriage with other warm and cozy autumn spices.
These baked apple cider doughnuts do just that.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves create the perfect backdrop for the cider to shine. A bit of applesauce joins forces as well, boosting the apple flavor while also providing a sweetness that complements the tang of the cider. When all of these elements come together, you get perfection.
Oh, and I almost forgot! When the doughnuts come out of the oven, they get dunked in melted butter and then generously dusted in cinnamon sugar. You obviously can’t achieve doughnut perfection without warm, buttery goodness coated in cinnamon sugar! I love how the cinnamon sugar provides a contrast of texture to the softness of the doughnuts.
Best enjoyed fresh out of the oven while snuggled up next to a fire, sipping on a cup of coffee. It’s the ultimate autumn treat! Who needs Krispy Kreme’s “hot now,” anyway?
I hope you make these apple cider doughnuts this fall, but fair warning: they may be addicting. 😉
What is your favorite doughnut flavor? Something tells me I’ll be making a lot more doughnuts in the future, and I’d love some suggestions!
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnut Batter
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 ⅔ cup flour
- 1 cup apple cider
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, applesauce, and sugars until creamy.
- Add eggs and beat well to incorporate.
- Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Alternate adding the flour and the cider, mixing well after each addition. Start and end with the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl before the final mix. The batter will be quite thick!
- Pipe the batter into lightly greased doughnut pans. Fill the wells almost all the way to the top, but not quite. You want a bit of room for the doughnuts to rise!
- Bake for 9 minutes, then turn out of pan immediately. Dip the doughnuts into melted butter, then toss in cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!