Brown butter apple cider donuts taste like autumn in a bite! Enjoy it with a cup of coffee or a mug of cider.
When I don’t have the energy to fry donuts, baked donuts come to my rescue.
As soon a cooler weather hits Los Angeles, I’m all about these brown butter apple cider baked donuts with cider glaze.
Every fall, I try to visit Oak Glen to go apple picking. Before I leave the orchards I stock up on fresh cider and bags full of mini cider donuts.
Snow-Line Orchards makes my favorite cider donuts. They have this nifty machine that pumps out the freshly made treats.
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Drink your apple cider, and eat it, too!
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg
- brown sugar
- brown butter
- apple cider
- shredded apples
Small Batch Donut Recipe
The great thing about this recipe, it only makes 6 donuts!
Use a standard size donut baking pan.
No stand mixer or hand held mixer needed.
A sturdy spatula will suffice!
Use a pastry bag or a spoon to full the donut cavities with batter.
I love everything about this donut.
It smells like the apple orchards. It tastes like autumn.
Enjoy it with a cup of coffee, a mug of cider, or a cinnamon dolce latte!
Brown Butter Apple Cider Donuts with Cider Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, (130 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, (67 g), packed
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, , (28 g) browned and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup apple cider
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup shredded apples, (57 g)
Apple Cider Glaze:
- 2 cup confectioners’ sugar, (227 g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 2 Tablespoon apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat donut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar.
- In a small saucepot, melt butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter until butter smells nutty and fragrant. The milk solids in the butter will turn rich brown in color. Remove from heat and allow to cool in small bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together egg, apple cider, and milk. Add wet mixture to dry flour mixture. Pour in cooled butter. Follow with grated apples. Stir to combine but until there are no more dry streaks of flour. Do not overmix.
- Spoon batter into prepared donut pan. Fill molds almost to the top with batter. Bake for 8-10 minutes until donuts have puffed. Remove from oven and allow to cool in donut pan for 3 minutes before inverting and unmolding. Allow donuts to cool to room temperature on wire rack
- To make cider glaze: whisk together confectioners’ sugar, ground cinnamon, milk, and apple cider until smooth. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes to thicken. Stir before using. Dip cooled donuts into glaze. Place glazed donuts on wire rack to allow glaze to set.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
One of my very favorite memories about apple picking as a kid were the apple cider donuts we’d eat afterwards, as a reward for all of our “hard work!” So I am overly excited to make these. And as a fellow runner, the fact that they’re baked means that they are perfectly acceptable as pre-and post-run fuel. :) Love your blog!
Thanks Anne Marie! Happy baking! I hope you like them! :)
What a wonder recipe for donuts. I love Apple Cider and lately, I am substituting it for Lemon juice. This will be a fun recipe to make
Thanks! :)
Wow these apple cider donuts look and sound delicious – I have to shamefully admit though I have never made donuts before.. this definitely has to change!
Thanks Thalia! Happy donut making! :)
I’m also lucky I don’t have one of those machines, or I’d eat donuts all day (and subsequently have a headache all day). Now you’re convincing me to add donut pan to my shopping list though!
What are you waiting for?! Get a donut pan! I prefer the mini donut pan because they’re much cuter ;)
Best of luck with your training. It takes a ton of motivation.
Baked donuts are just as good as the fried ones. I am a huge apple cider donut fan and these look incredible. Pinning!
Thanks Jen! These are booming with apple flavors. I can’t wait to make them again :)