There's no better way to welcome fall than with a batch of Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts fresh from the oven. The scent of apple cider and the warm spices of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove, and nutmeg fills the kitchen, making it impossible not to smile. Rolled in cinnamon sugar for a bit of sparkle, these tender baked vegan donuts bring all the cozy flavors of autumn to your table, no deep fryer required.
Fall is the season of apple cider, apple spice, and everything cozy. There's nothing like warm apple cider with a cinnamon stick on a chilly evening with these Vegan Apple Cider Donuts.
If you love apples, you will love these Vegan Apple Cider Mini Bundt Cakes or this Apple Compote! Plus, they are a wonderful treat during the fall season while sipping on tea, hot apple cider, or French Mulled Wine, along with Vegan Linzer Cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These baked donuts are easy to make and are just what you need on a chilly autumn day!
- Thanks to the concentrated apple cider and warm spices, these apple donuts capture the essence of autumn in a single bite.
- These apple cider donuts are irresistible with a cinnamon sugar coating!
- You can avoid the hassle of frying with this baked donut recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you'll need to make these baked vegan apple cider doughnuts:
- Organic apple cider - reduced to concentrate the apple flavor to make the perfect apple cider donuts! Do not use apple cider vinegar, which is vinegar, or hard cider, which is alcoholic. I purchased organic Honeycrisp apple cider at the grocery store on the shelf. If you can't find it, try looking online. Use real apple cider, not apple juice, for the best flavor.
- Flaxseed meal mixed with reduced apple cider vinegar to make a flax egg.
- Soy milk - I use organic. Soy milk gives the donuts a nice, soft crumb.
- Apple cider vinegar mixes with soy milk to make vegan buttermilk. The apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda and acts as a leavening agent.
- Spelt flour - Spelt is an ancient grain related to barley, rye, and wheat; this slightly nutty flour contains gluten. I recommend One Degree Organic Sprouted Spelt flour; it has extra nutrients released by the sprouting process (not sponsored; I like to tell you about the products I use and enjoy).
- Spices - I added homemade apple pie spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and clove. I couldn't find ground allspice in my pantry, so I used clove.
- Cinnamon Sugar Blend: I mixed organic cane sugar and ground cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar. I love this Royal Cinnamon.
A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Turned out perfectly fluffy, sweet and delicious; easily, my new favorite fall treat!
- Sara
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some substitutions and variations you can try when making these homemade vegan apple cider donuts:
- Glaze - If you prefer a glaze instead of the cinnamon sugar topping, whisk together some powdered sugar with a little apple cider and drizzle it over the cooled donuts.
- Gluten-free - Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking blend like Bob's Red Mill in the blue bag for a gluten-free option.
- Light brown sugar - Use dark brown sugar, organic cane sugar, regular sugar (check to ensure it's vegan), or coconut sugar.
- Oil-free - Use applesauce instead of vegan butter in the donut batter; add it to the wet ingredients. Skip the melted butter for the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Spelt flour - Try white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- Vegan butter - Use melted coconut oil instead.
How to Make Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
It's easy to make this great recipe for vegan donuts, even if it is your first time.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-well donut pan with cooking spray or oil. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil. Lower the heat to a rapid simmer for 15-20 minutes until you have ½ cup of reduced apple cider remaining. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Step 2: Combine a few tablespoons of the reduced apple cider in a small bowl with the flaxseed meal and set it aside for a few minutes.
To save time, reduce the apple cider the night before. Store it in the fridge in a sealed container. Bring to room temperature before using.
- Step 3: Combine the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and set it aside for a few minutes. Melt the vegan butter and let it cool slightly.
- Step 4: Sift the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Step 5: Whisk the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Step 6: Whisk the mixture until smooth, taking care not to overmix since this will affect the texture of the baked donuts.
I use this 6-well donut pan to make these vegan donuts with apple cider. If you double the recipe, let the pan cool for several minutes after releasing the donuts and refilling the pan with another batch of donut batter.
- Step 7: Spoon the batter evenly into the donut pan, or transfer the batter to a pastry bag and pipe evenly into each donut pan well.
- Step 8: Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the top of a donut springs back when gently pressed. Make the cinnamon sugar by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Step 9: Cool the donuts for 2 minutes on a cooling rack, then transfer them to the rack.
- Step 10: Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan and gently brush it on the donuts before dipping them in cinnamon sugar while still warm; otherwise, the sugar won't adhere to them. Dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar two or three times.
Expert Tip
Don't overbake the donuts! Check them after 10 minutes in the oven. They will spring back when lightly pressed, and the edges will be golden brown.
Recipe FAQs
Apple cider is fresh-squeezed, unfiltered apple juice. Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage in the United States; other countries may call it cider.
Apple cider is fresh-squeezed, unfiltered apple juice containing pulp and more vitamins and minerals than apple juice. It may or may not be pasteurized, heating the liquid to a specific temperature to kill bacteria. Regular apple juice is filtered, contains no pulp, and has been pasteurized or heated to 190°F during processing. Apple cider is often consumed hot, and apple juice is consumed cold.
Yes, you can make muffins if you still need to get a donut pan. Grease the muffin pan or use muffin liners. Fill each muffin well ¾ full, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. This recipe makes about 5 to 6 vegan apple cider donut muffins.
These donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days in a single layer or parchment paper between the layers. Avoid stacking them, or they will stick together.
If possible, freeze them without the cinnamon sugar topping. To freeze, wrap each donut in plastic wrap, place it inside a freezer ziplock bag or container, and freeze for up to two months. Defrost the donuts on the counter for an hour or two. If needed, dip the donuts in cinnamon sugar before serving.
Related Vegan Recipes
If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
EQUIPMENT
- Donut pan 6-well
- Pastry brush
INGREDIENTS
For the Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
- 1 cup apple cider reduce to ½ cup, divided
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ⅓ cup organic soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup spelt flour, 169 g or whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat, or all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed, 39 g or dark brown sugar, coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or fresh nutmeg, ground
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 1/16 teaspoon ground clove or allspice, optional
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon add more cinnamon to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted optional
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a middle rack in the oven. Grease a 6-well donut pan with cooking spray.
- Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat to a rapid simmer for 15-20 minutes until you have ½ cup reduced apple cider remaining in the saucepan. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Combine 3 tablespoons of the reduced apple cider in a small bowl with the flaxseed meal and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Melt the vegan butter and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Sift the spelt flour,light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, pink salt, nutmeg, and ginger, cardamom, and ground cloves, if using, in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk the remaining reduced apple cider with melted vegan butter, soy milk mixture, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the donut pan, or transfer the donut batter to a pastry bag and pipe evenly into each of the donut pan wells.
- Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown, and the top of a donut springs back when gently pressed. Make the cinnamon sugar while the donuts bake. Cool the donuts for 2 minutes on a cooling rack, then transfer the donuts onto the cooling rack and top with cinnamon sugar below while the donuts are still warm.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl or plate, combine the organic cane sugar and cinnamon. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan, if using.
- If using butter, brush the melted vegan butter onto the top of each donut, and dip each donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture. After 5 - 10 minutes, dip each donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture again. Best enjoyed immediately.
NOTES
- Adapted from Gretchen's Vegan Bakery.
- Store at room temperature for two to three days in an airtight container in a single layer or parchment paper between the layers.
- To freeze, wrap each donut in plastic wrap, place it inside a freezer ziplock bag or container, and freeze for up to two months. Defrost the donuts on the counter for an hour or two.
- These donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days in a single layer or parchment paper between the layers. Avoid stacking them or they will stick together.
NUTRITION
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Kim says
I've personally tried this recipe, and the warm, cinnamon-spiced goodness of these donuts is simply unbeatable!
Emily Miller says
Thank you, Kim, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed these donuts!
Kate says
We loved these baked donuts so much. Perfect for Fall!
Emily Miller says
Thanks very much for your review, Kate. I am happy you enjoyed these vegan baked donuts!
Mairead says
Cinnamon sugar on top of these donuts is simply divine - what an amazing vegan baking recipe. Thank you.
Emily Miller says
Thank you so much for your review, Mairead. I'm glad to hear you enjoy the cinnamon sugar!
Sara says
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Turned out perfectly fluffy, sweet and delicious; easily, my new favorite fall treat!
Emily Miller says
Thank you, Sara, for the amazing five-star review! I appreciate your support and kind words!
Gianne says
This recipe is a delightful treat for those who enjoy guilt-free indulgence. With a soft and moist texture, these donuts are infused with the flavors of apple cider, making them perfect for autumn. Serving it again at our next fall gathering with friends.
Emily Miller says
Gianne, thank you so much for your amazing 5-star review of these Apple Cider Donuts! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed them. Thank you again!