Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Delicious donut holes that are loaded with the flavors of apple cider and rolled around in cinnamon sugar. Use this recipe to make donut holes or donuts, either way, they’re super-moist and soft little pillows. They’re baked, not fried, which makes them totally waistline friendly!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)Donutholes, donut holes for everyone!

All my shouting is totally 100% necessary. When there’s apple cider in my donut holes, I’m guaranteed to shout (and let it all out)! And we’re shouting with joy because no hot oil baths were necessary in the making of these apple cider donut holes! That deserves a double donut thumbs fo’ sho.Or you could simply say they were baked. But that’s totally not as fun to say. Or as dramatic.

These pillowy, cute little munchkins are almost good for you (mainly because they’re not fried) but they also can be made with coconut oil instead of butter, have apple sauce + apple cider for a pow-pow apple flavor annnnddd the best part = rolled around in cinnamon sugar goodness.

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)In a perfect sort of world, no one would have work, we’d all get together on a perfectly crisp fall mornings (because perfectly crisp fall mornings are absolutely the best). We’d sit around being lazy all day andshare a plate full of these cute, little donut holes with big mugs of piping hot french pressed coffee and talk about how easy life is. Sharing a good laugh or two along the way, and definitely not counting the number of donut holes the other was able to tuck away. Good friends don’t count each others consumed donut holes. It’s friendship 101, isn’t it?

How perfect would that be?

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)These donut holes are ridiculously easy to make and the batter is mixed together by hand in a matter of minutes! That’s right, no mixer required. Once you’ve mixed the donut batter together just pour it into a mini muffin pan. I used the cutest mini-er than mini muffin pan. It’s availablehereif you’re interested. This super mini pan makes the perfect sized donut holes. It’s totally not required, a regular mini muffin pan works just fine, so don’t sweat it! But if you’re someone who loves donut holes like I do, it’s totally worth it!

You can even make baked donuts (see here for pan) out of these if you prefer them over the donut holes. Simply bake them for 9-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The donut holes are just so poppable so I went with those instead of the donuts.

These donut holes are most definitely the perfect way to start a lazy saturday morning. They’re fall perfect and pair wonderfully with a steaming cup o’joe and belong with a good book. Pajamas are absolutely mandatory and consuming a whole plate is totally acceptable.

Also, the donut holes would be divine dunked in myapple cider caramel sauce. You’re welcome 😉

I’ll just leave you with these little cuties.

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

Prep Time30 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Delicious donut holes that are loaded with the flavors of apple cider and rolled around in cinnamon sugar. Use this recipe to make donut holes or donuts, either way, they're super-moist and soft little pillows. They're baked, not fried, which makes them totally waistline friendly!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

Ingredients

For the baked apple cider donut hole:

  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons apple sauce, naturally sweetened - no sugar added
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

    For the baked apple cider donut holes:

    1. Start by simmering the apple cider with the 2 cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the apple cider reduces down to 1/2 cup. Remove the cloves from the concentrate and pour the apple cider into a container and refrigerate while you prepare the donut batter.
    2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan, a super mini muffin pan or a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, melted butter, and brown sugar, whisk until smooth. Then, add in the apple sauce, vanilla, buttermilk, and the apple cider concentrate.
    4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Its okay if a few small lumps remain.
    5. Pour the batter by the teaspoon into the prepared muffin pans about 3/4s of the way full. Make sure to not overfill. Bake the donut holes for 9-11 minutes. Super mini donut holes take between 8-11 minutes. If making donuts, they will take about 9-12 minutes.

    For the cinnamon sugar coating:

    1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon together. Dip the tops of each donut hole into the melted butter then coat with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with all the donut holes (donuts). Depending on how long you dip the donuts into the butter, you may need more butter and/or more cinnamon sugar.

    Notes

    • Donuts taste best the same day but can be stored up to 2 days if tightly wrapped and kept at room temperature.

    Have you made this recipe?

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

    LOVE THIS RECIPE? KEEP IN TOUCH AND DON’T MISS OUT ON ANY OF LITTLE SPICE JARS RECIPES! FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, BLOGLOVIN’, AND TUMBLR.

    HAVE YOU TRIED ONE OF MY RECIPES? I’D LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU’VE MADE! TAKE A PICTURE AND USE THE HASHTAG #LITTLESPICEJAR ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE!

    If you like this recipe, you might also like:

    Pumpkin Old Fashioned Doughnuts

    Strawberry Jelly Donut Holes

    This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

    Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

    FAQs

    What makes a cider donut a cider donut? ›

    Cider doughnuts are cake doughnuts that get their flavor from cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider used in the batter. They are a harvest tradition in autumn in the northeastern United States and are sometimes sold at cider mills.

    What's so special about apple cider donuts? ›

    These are soft, spongy, moist, perfectly sweet donuts filled with spice, applesauce, and real apple cider. They're coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar and taste as though they come right from the bakery. Easy to make.

    Can you freeze homemade apple cider doughnuts? ›

    Cider donuts freezing and reheating instructions

    Freezing: Place donuts on a baking tray and put in the freezer for 3-5 hours or until frozen. Without letting them thaw, place in an airtight container or freezing bag. Keep up to 3 months. Thawing: Leave at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes.

    How many calories in a cinnamon sugar apple cider donut? ›

    Nutrition Facts (per serving)
    178Calories
    4gFat
    33gCarbs
    3gProtein
    Sep 19, 2023

    How do you keep cider donuts fresh? ›

    Store donuts in a cool, dry place in your pantry, or on the counter away from direct sunlight. Refrigerator: Wrap individual donuts in aluminum foil and place them in an airtight container (avoid plastic resealable bags). Store the container in the refrigerator.

    What is a honeymooners donut? ›

    Our honeymooners are made from our donut dough and topped with a generous spoonful of our fruity pie fillings and surrounded by vanilla icing. CHERRY. APPLE.

    What state invented apple cider donuts? ›

    That said, it wasn't the delicious dough that launched the rustic treat to the national consciousness. Instead, according to NPR, it was born of a chance meeting between Harlem, New York baker Adolph Levitt, who dreamed of an easier way to make donuts, and an engineer. So, in 1921, they birthed an automated system.

    Do apple cider donuts taste like apple cider? ›

    Note that while apple cider donuts include apple cider, they're actually not designed to TASTE very strongly of apple, per several readers. Fittingly, most of these recipes are basically excellent cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts with a hint of apple.

    Are apple cider donuts an east coast thing? ›

    These cake donuts, made moist by apple cider in the batter, are a sweet autumnal tradition across PA and the rest of the Northeast.

    How to make a DIY donut pan? ›

    All you need is a cupcake pan and some regular old tin foil! Cut the foil into a 4 x4 square and bend gently around your middle finger. Remove your finger and press the shape you're left with into the muffin tin. The results: You're left with a perfect donut hole shaped tin that yields you round baked donuts.

    Can you freeze apple cider in glass jars? ›

    Choose Your Container

    in bottles: these can be either plastic or glass as long as you have a tight-fitting and secure lid to close them with; in an airtight container that is freezer-friendly: this can be a plastic tupperware container or a glass container as long as it is a freezer-safe container.

    How to heat up apple cider donuts? ›

    How to Reheat Apple Cider Donuts? Apple cider doughnuts never really reheat well. You can put them in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften them up, but you may need to coat them with cinnamon sugar again. Do not try to re-fry these doughnuts as they will simply get very greasy inside.

    How much nutrition is in apple cider donut holes? ›

    Stew Leonard's Apple Cider Donut Holes (1 donut) contains 6g total carbs, 6g net carbs, 2g fat, 1g protein, and 45 calories.

    How much sodium is in a cider donut? ›

    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size 1.7 oz (48g), 1 Donut
    Cholesterol 10mg3%
    Sodium 200mg8%
    Total Carbohydrate 25g8%
    14 more rows

    How many carbs are in an apple donut? ›

    Krispy Kreme Cinnamon Apple Filled Doughnut (1 Doughnut) contains 31g total carbs, 30g net carbs, 15g fat, 4g protein, and 270 calories.

    Why are they called cider donuts? ›

    Cider Donuts are to be eaten with cider, that's where the name comes from. So if you grew up in rural New England, as I did, you have indelible memories of the smell of cider donuts at Apple Orchards this time of year. A bunch of folks have been asking me if we can make these more often.

    Are apple cider donuts a New England thing? ›

    CIDER DONUTS have become nearly as synonymous with a New England fall as apples and foliage. Every orchard's cider donuts are different, and every orchard's are the best, according to its devotees, who are often passionate on the subject. Like apples and the orchards that make them, no two cider donuts are alike.

    What makes a donut a donut? ›

    A doughnut or donut (/ˈdoʊnət/) is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors.

    References

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Sen. Emmett Berge

    Last Updated:

    Views: 5679

    Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

    Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Sen. Emmett Berge

    Birthday: 1993-06-17

    Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802

    Phone: +9779049645255

    Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist

    Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball

    Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.