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Baked Cinnamon Crunch Apple Cider Doughnuts – made with boiled-down spiced cider, apple butter, and cinnamon. Before baking, the doughnut batter is topped with homemade cinnamon CRUNCH topping. Once baked, each warm doughnut is coated in cinnamon sugar, just like a classic apple cider doughnut—but even more delicious. The cinnamon crunch adds a little something special to each spiced cider doughnut that’s so delicious. They’re the perfect way to celebrate the autumn apple season!
If there was ever a fall recipe to bake, it has to be these doughnuts. I know everyone has an obsession with pumpkin, but I’m happy to be the girl shouting out to embrace the fall apple season too.
Don’t get me wrong—I love pumpkin, but apples always fly under the radar every season. And the truth is, a fresh, crisp apple is my favorite!
Apparently, it’s many of your favorites, too, because you’ve all been loving our apple cider candle. It’s been so fun to see so many of you burning your candles this season!
So when I said I was excited to bake these doughnuts, I really meant it. I’ve been waiting for weeks to share them. My hope is that you’ll be baking these throughout the holiday season. They’re that good!
As mentioned above, the cinnamon crunch adds the sweetest little bit of crunch with every bite, making these just like the classic cider doughnut but even better. You’re going to love them—or at least that’s my hope!
The Details You Should Know
Ingredients
- apple cider
- salted butter
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- dark brown sugar
- flour
- baking powder, baking soda, salt
- cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
- Honeycrisp apples
- cinnamon sugar
Special Supplies
Steps
Step 1: boil down the apple cider
I recommend finding the best spiced cider with no added sugars. If you can, pick up some fresh apple cider from your local farmers market. Or even better, go apple picking and pick some up! Nothing quite beats really good apple cider. It’s always so flavorful this time of year.
To help intensify the apple cider flavor throughout the doughnuts, we’re going to boil down the cider on the stove until reduced.
Boiling the cider will concentrate the flavors and make it that much more flavorful. It’s an extra step, but one that I think is worth it. You can also add cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, or cardamon pods to the cider for even more flavor.
Step 2: make the doughnut batter
Mix the cider with melted butter, apple butter, eggs, vanilla, and dark brown sugar. Then add all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
Next, stir in a chopped Honeycrisp apple. Adding the apple makes these kind of like apple fritter doughnuts.
Step 3: make the cinnamon crunch
The cinnamon crunch topping consists of brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter mixed together until clumps form.
Step 4: bake
Divide the batter between doughnut pans (or just a cupcake pan). Then, divide the cinnamon crunch between the doughnuts, lightly pressing the CRUNCH into the wet batter to adhere.
As the doughnuts bake, the kitchen will smell like your favorite autumn candle, it’s perfection.
Step 5: the cinnamon sugar
Remove the doughnuts from the pan while they’re still warm. Dredge them in sweet cinnamon sugar, just like a classic apple cider doughnut.
Is there anything more wonderful in the fall?
Serve these with coffee or hot cocoa, or even a steaming mug of cider for the quintessential fall treat!
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Baked Cinnamon Crunch Apple Cider Doughnuts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Cinnamon Crunch Apple Cider Doughnuts
Servings: 16 doughnuts
Calories Per Serving: 231 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 6-cup doughnut pan or 12-cup muffin pan with melted butter.2. Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat. Mix in the butter. Let cool.3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1/2 cup boiled cider, the eggs, apple butter, vanilla, and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix until just combined. Toss the apples with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon sugar, then stir the apples into the batter.4. To make the crunch. Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. 5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pan, filling each slot halfway. Cover the batter with cinnamon crunch. Bake 13-14 minutes, until just set. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release and invert the pan.6. Coat the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, tossing back and forth in the sugar to generously coat them. These are best eaten slightly warm, so enjoy!
