Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Recipe from Sally McKenney · original post · full recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com

Soft, cakey baked donuts flavored with reduced apple cider and rolled in apple-spiced sugar, no fryer required.

Serves 12 60 minKid-friendly
veggiebake
More from @sallysbakeblog

Ingredients

  • apple cider360 ml
  • all-purpose flour250 g
  • baking soda — 1 tsp4.5 g
  • baking powder — ¾ tsp3.4 g
  • ground cinnamon — 1 tsp2.5 g
  • apple pie spice1 tsp
  • salt — ¼ tsp1.5 g
  • unsalted butter — melted28 g
  • large egg — at room temperature1 ea
  • brown sugar100 g
  • granulated sugar100 g
  • milk — at room temperature120 ml
  • vanilla extract — 1 tsp5 ml
  • granulated sugar — for the topping200 g
  • ground cinnamon — ¾ tsp; for the topping1.9 g
  • apple pie spice — for the topping0.75 tsp
  • unsalted butter — melted, for the topping85 g

Method

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 120 ml (1/2 cup), about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray.
  3. Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the reduced apple cider, and whisk until smooth. The batter will be slightly thick.
  5. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities using a zipped-top bag with a corner cut off, filling each about halfway.
  6. Bake for 10–11 minutes, until the edges and tops are lightly browned and spring back when gently pressed. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining batter.
  7. Coat the donuts: Combine the topping sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Once cool enough to handle, dip both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then generously in the spiced sugar. Best served immediately; store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cooking for a different diet?

Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.

  • Vegan

    • 113 g Dairy-free butter instead of unsalted butter
    • 60 g Unsweetened apple sauce instead of large egg
    • 120 ml Oat milk instead of milk

    Whisk the melted dairy-free butter, apple sauce and oat milk with the sugars as the wet mix; bake the same 10–11 minutes but let them cool a minute longer before unmoulding.

  • Dairy-free

    • 113 g Dairy-free butter instead of unsalted butter
    • 120 ml Oat milk instead of milk

    Use the melted dairy-free butter and oat milk exactly as written; baking time is unchanged.

Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.

Watch it on Instagram

What it costs, and where to buy it

Each item at whichever of your shops sells it cheapest.

Shops to compare

List price at each shop

  • Missing items

    These totals leave part of the list out, so a lower one isn't a cheaper shop.

  • Aldi UK

    you pay £11.67 · 80% spare

    £2.36

    missing 3 items

  • Sainsbury's

    you pay £9.49 · 74% spare

    £2.44

    missing 6 items

  • Tesco

    you pay £17.09 · 43% spare

    £9.70

    missing 6 items

  • Asda

    you pay £8.34 · 75% spare

    £2.05

    missing 7 items

  • Morrisons

    you pay £8.03 · 82% spare

    £1.47

    missing 9 items

£0.20a serve

from £0.20 a serve at Aldi UK · 10 of 13 ingredients priced

About £2.36 of ingredients used for 12 serves.

£22.76 across 4 shops · all 13 items priced · £0.69 more for bigger packs, 54% spare for later

Aldi UK

£2.36

missing 3 items

you'll pay £11.67 · 80% of it spare

Sainsbury's

£2.44

missing 6 items

you'll pay £9.49 · 74% of it spare

Tesco

£9.70

missing 6 items

you'll pay £17.09 · 43% of it spare

Asda

£2.05

missing 7 items

you'll pay £8.34 · 75% of it spare

Morrisons

£1.47

missing 9 items

you'll pay £8.03 · 82% of it spare

Buy at Aldi UK£11.67

apple cider

£2.13/1L

need 360 mlIsland's Premium Apple Cider 4 Pack 1.76L£3.75

Aldi UKAldi UK£2.13/1L£3.75·AsdaAsda£2.05/1L£9.00·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

all-purpose flour

£0.47/1kg

need 250 gThe Pantry Plain Flour 1.5kg£0.70closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£0.47/1kg£0.70·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£0.90/1kg£0.45·MorrisonsMorrisons£0.53·TescoTesco£0.53/1kg£0.80·AsdaAsdaN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

baking soda

£3.25/1kg

need 4.5 gThe Pantry Bicarbonate Of Soda 0.2kg£0.65

Aldi UKAldi UK£3.25/1kg£0.65·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

baking powder

£3.25/1kg

need 3.4 gThe Pantry Baking Powder 0.2kg£0.65

Aldi UKAldi UK£3.25/1kg£0.65·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

ground cinnamon

£0.22/10g

need 4.4 gReady, Set…cook! Ground Cinnamon 40g£0.89closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£0.22/10g£0.89·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£25.00/1kg£0.95·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

salt

£0.01/10g

need 1.5 gReady, Set…cook! British Table Salt 750g£0.65closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£0.01/10g£0.65·AsdaAsda£4.00/1kg£0.80·TescoTesco£19.13/1kg£2.20·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

granulated sugar

£1.09/1kg

need 300 gThe Pantry Granulated Sugar 1kg£1.09closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£1.09/1kg£1.09·TescoTesco£2.00/1kg£1.00·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£1.09/1kg£1.09·AsdaAsda£1.09/1kg£1.09·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

vanilla extract

£2.08/100ml

need 5 mlThe Pantry Madagascan Vanilla Extract 38ml£0.79

Aldi UKAldi UK£2.08/100ml£0.79·MorrisonsMorrisons£4.45·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Asda£1.50

brown sugar

£3.00/1kg

need 100 gGem Soft Dark Brown Sugar 500g£1.50closest match

AsdaAsda£3.00/1kg£1.50·TescoTesco£4.00/1kg£2.00·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£4.10/1kg£2.05·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Sainsbury's£2.10

large egg

£0.35/1 ea

need 1 itemSainsbury's Standard£2.10closest match

Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£0.35/1 ea£2.10·Aldi UKAldi UK£0.28/1 ea£1.69·AsdaAsda£0.35/1 ea£2.10·TescoTesco£0.48/1 ea£2.90·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Tesco£7.49

apple pie spice

£7.49/1 ea

need 1.75 tspStandard£7.49

TescoTesco£7.49/1 ea£7.49·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A