Let’s start a whole week of enjoying our favorite apple recipes with a classic: vegan apple cider donuts coated in cinnamon sugar. These treats are so delicious; you might find it hard to resist making them this week! (By the way, they’re baked, not fried, and can be made gluten-free too).
These fluffy and light baked vegan apple cider donuts are covered in a crispy cinnamon sugar coating. You’ll definitely want more than one! They’re simple to make and a perfect fall dessert. (Check the notes for a gluten-free option).
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
**Donuts:**
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup nondairy milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
**Coating:**
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- Nonstick spray or melted vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F/175˚C.
- Reduce cider: Simmer cider in a small saucepan for 15-20 minutes until it reduces to ½ cup.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, applesauce, milk, both sugars, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and the reduced apple cider.
- Combine: Gently stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Pipe into pan: Grease a donut pan and pipe the batter about ¾ of the way into each cavity.
- Bake: Bake for 10-11 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
- Cinnamon sugar coating: Mix cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Coat donuts by spraying with nonstick baking spray or brushing/dipping in melted butter, then rolling in cinnamon sugar. The oil/butter helps the coating stick. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
- *For gluten-free, use 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour and ½ cup oat flour.
- Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar; it reacts with baking soda to give a lift to vegan baked goods.