Description
Deliciously moist and tender baked vegan apple cider donuts made with warm spices and a cinnamon-sugar coating. These donuts are a perfect plant-based treat infused with the natural sweetness and flavor of reduced apple cider, a harmonious blend of spices, and a light, non-dairy batter baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider, reduced to ½ cup
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (105g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter (plus extra for brushing)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Reduce Apple Cider: Add 1 cup of apple cider to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer until the cider is reduced to half its volume (about 10-15 minutes). If you end up with less than ½ cup, add fresh cider to make up the difference. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a donut pan with non-stick spray or grease it with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the reduced apple cider, granulated sugar, brown sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In another large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients. Gently whisk until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the donuts tender.
- Fill Donut Pan: Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe it evenly into each donut mold, filling about ¾ full. Tap the donut pan on the counter a few times to even out the batter and remove air bubbles. This should make about 10-12 donuts.
- Bake Donuts: Place the donut pan in the preheated oven and bake for 13-16 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the donuts; it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Cool Completely: Carefully remove the donuts from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool completely for another 10 minutes.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Coating: While donuts cool, melt the remaining vegan butter. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Coat Donuts: Brush each donut with melted vegan butter on both sides, then dip or roll the donut in the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly. Repeat until all donuts are coated.
- Set and Serve: Allow the coated donuts to rest for at least 10 minutes so the cinnamon sugar adheres properly. Enjoy your baked vegan apple cider donuts fresh!
Notes
- Tap the donut pan on the counter after filling to avoid air bubbles and ensure even batter distribution.
- Use the weight measurements for sugars and flour for best consistency; if you don’t have a scale, spoon and level flour carefully.
- Darker donut pans bake faster than lighter ones; monitor donuts closely to avoid overbaking.
- A toothpick inserted should come out with few crumbs but no wet batter when donuts are done.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
