Baked instead of fried and packed full of juicy cranberries, these cranberry baked apple cider donuts are a breeze to bake up at home this fall!
Apple cider donut season for the WIN! Let’s get ready to eat our weight in the baked version.
Why not throw a few handfuls of fresh cranberries in the batter too while we’re at it? Some cinnamon sugar too? Twist my arm why dontcha.
These baked apple cider donuts are nothing less than a fall dream. Ready to join my donut movement?
A tall stack of these donuts + a hot cup of apple cider and we’re living the fall dream.
These baked apple cider donuts include…
- The BEST donut texture. They’re not as heavy as standard fried donuts since they’re baked. Instead they’re light, airy, and super soft.
- Prominent apple cider flavor thanks to an easy little trick
- TONS of tangy, juicy fresh cranberries
- A generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
Prepping the Apple Cider
A quick little trick for getting the most flavor out of the apple cider is reducing it so we end up with a more concentrated apple cider flavor.
Pour out the apple cider into a saucepan and let it cook on the stove for about 10 minutes until reduced down to a half cup. Let it cool off a bit while you work on the batter.
Donut Batter
We’re just making a basic muffin-like batter. Brown sugar + regular for sweetness, a few eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a few pinches of fall spices.
Finish off the batter by folding in the reduced apple cider and finely chopped fresh cranberries.
Tip for filling the donut pan cavities: Spoon the batter into a ziplock bag and pipe it into prepared donut pans. Easy and mess-free!
The donuts are done when they spring back lightly when touched. Brush them with melted butter and dunk them in cinnamon sugar while they’re still hot.
Literally soft as clouds and LOADED with sweet apple cider and tangy cranberries.
It would be a crime not to consume these warm from the oven with more apple cider. SO GOOD.
Meet your new fall addiction and make sure you stash some away from the fam for yourself!!
MORE baked donuts that you’re going to love!
Cranberry Baked Apple Cider Donuts
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Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, finely chopped into 1/2-in pieces
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Donuts
- Lightly spray two 6-count donut pans. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Pour apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until apple cider is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk melted butter with sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and cooled apple cider. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gently fold flour mixture into liquid until batter is just combined. Fold in cranberries.
- Scrape batter into a ziplock bag (or pastry bag) and pipe in an even circle in donut pan cavities. Bake donuts at 350F 15-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl, whisk sugar and cinnamon. Let donuts cool in pan 5 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack. Brush donuts with melted butter and immediately dredge them in cinnamon sugar until coated. Enjoy donuts warm or at room temperature.
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