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Homemade Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes. Made with boiled-down spiced cider, apple butter, maple, and a mix of warming cozy autumn spices. Toss each doughnut in brown butter and sweet cinnamon sugar. There’s really nothing not to love about these cinnamon sugar cider doughnuts. There are two secrets to this recipe. The first is to boil down the apple cider to really concentrate its flavor. The second is spiced apple butter, it provides even more delicious apple flavor! The coziest treats to enjoy with a steaming mug of hot chocolate or your favorite latte.
Happiest Friday from New York! What a special time to be here in the city, it’s just beautiful and so full of color right now. Very much what I am all about – so happy to be here!
And I have the most perfect recipe to celebrate the weekend, it screams, “Autumn in New York!”. As I walk around the city and take in all of the fall sights, I’m reminded of just how wonderful the season is. The other fun thing I’ve noticed is the major presence of pumpkin spice anything and apple anything. Pumpkin and apple are all throughout the city.
Every corner you turn there’s some kind of bakery serving up pumpkin spice lattes or sweet apple pastries. It really is the season!
I made these fun doughnut holes last week and we’ve been enjoying them throughout the day. They’re so simple to bake up and the flavor is just beyond delicious.
I’ve been so excited to share the recipe!
Here are the details
Start by boiling down the cider. I’ve been doing this for pretty much every sweet apple recipe I’ve shared. Boiling the cider gives you an even more concentrated flavor that really comes through in the end.
When the cider has boiled and reduced, I mix in the butter for the batter and let it melt.
Next, make the batter. It’s a simple muffin-style batter made with vanilla, eggs, apple butter, and, of course, apple cider. Then, I love to mix in whole wheat flour and a combination of warm autumn spices. The whole wheat flour gives these doughnut holes a nice bite and heartiness. But you can also use all-purpose flour. Either is a great option.
Now bake the batter into mini muffins or just make regular muffin “doughnuts”.
The final step is fun. Brown the butter and then dip each doughnut through the nutty, vanilla-infused butter. And then, just like a classic apple cider doughnut, dredge through sweet cinnamon sugar.
Is there anything more wonderful in the fall? Perfection.
Serve these with coffee or hot cocoa or even a steaming mug of cider for the quintessential fall treat!
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Servings: 24 doughnut holes
Calories Per Serving: 148 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Spiced Doughnuts
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan or 12-cup regular pan.2. Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, until reduce to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and and stir in the melted butter. Let cool. 3. In a large bowl, stir together the boiled cider, eggs, apple butter, maple, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until just combined. 4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pan, filling 1/2-2/3 the way full. Bake 10-12 minutes for mini doughnuts or 18-20 for regular muffins, until just set. Remove and let cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release.5. Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Allow the butter to brown until it smells toasted, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla.6. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Brush each doughnut with butter, then roll through the cinnamon sugar. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Made these today using my mini Bundt cake pan. Yummy!
Hey Kate,
Great idea to use a mini bundt pan!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out! xT
Do you think these could be made in advance and frozen until needed?
Hey Kristi,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
These did freeze well! Great snack for kids straight from the freezer or bake ahead and just thaw for event.
I used 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat and they were fluffy!
Awesome!! So glad to hear this:)
Súper delicioso! I would recommend adding a bit more time for the cider to reduce and do not over fill your muffin pan. They will not cook right if you do and they will look more like muffins rather than holes.
I love these recipes! They’re delicious, simple and quick!
Hi Dania,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Can I add diced apples to this recipe? Trying to use up all the apples from apple picking! Would this change cook time or are there any adjustments that would need to be made? Thanks!
Hey Erika,
Sure, I don’t see why not, I would dice them pretty small, but you should be able to keep the recipe the same:) Let me know how it turns out! xx
Wow, these were delicious. I do agree with previous comments that it takes a little longer for the apple cider to reduce, so just plan accordingly. Also- do not ignore Tieghan’s instructions to only fill the mini muffin tins halfway. I overloaded on my first batch and ended up with strange shaped muffins that were raw inside. I adjusted on my next batch and they were perfect and gone in minutes.
Hi Lizabeth,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xx
SO good!! I should’ve doubled the recipe.
Thanks so much Abby! So glad to hear that these were enjoyed:) Thanks for making the recipe! xT
I made these for my kids and their friends, and they gobbled them up in no time! Thank you for always posting the best seasonal recipes!
I forgot to give them 5 stars!!
Thanks again Laura:)
Hi Laura,
Thanks so much for giving these a try, so glad to hear that they were a hit!! Happy Monday! 🍎
Omgosh these were delicious. So yummy, moist, and very flavorful. This recipe will definitely be made many times.
Hey Michelle,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
These were delicious. I made them as written and they were perfectly spiced. I would definitely make these again!!
Hey Sarah,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for giving these a try, I am so glad to hear they turned out well for you! xTieghan
These were amazing and sooo addictive! Loved the mini size and I have to go hide them so my husband doesn’t eat them all. Super easy to make, will be making them again.
Hi Cyndy,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
I split the batter and used a regular doughnut pan as well as a mini-muffin pan. I used Trader Joe’s organic cane sugar for the dipping sugar and the larger granules added a nice crunch. Quite addictive and easy to make 🙂
Great apple cider taste! Easy to make. They were delicious 😋
Thanks so much Norma!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xx
Hey Lisa,
Great idea!! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was a hit! xT
These were great! Super easy to make (for a novice baker like myself). My son had fun “painting” on the butter and dipping them in cinnamon sugar. I loved the combo with whole wheat flour– made for a nice texture. All the flavors came through nicely. Another lovely autumn morning treat!
Hey Andrea,
So fun!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad it was enjoyed! xT
I saw these on your insta and knew I had to make them!! They are amazing!!! I cant get enough. I might have to make a second batch today. 18 mins was a perfect cook time. These are my new favorite recipe! Just perfect.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Very blah flavor and dry. Would not use whole wheat flour. Change to all regular flour. Add something for flavor and moisture, apple sauce, maybe a little more apple butter? Shorten baking time on regular muffins (check at 15 min).
Hi Judy,
Happy Sunday! So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! Did you adjust anything in the recipe? Let me know! xx
US standard are IMPERIAL, not metric. Europe and the UK is Metric.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you love the recipe!!