These Vegan Apple Cider Cake Donuts are bakery style, classic cake donuts with a fall apple cider twist. These baked donuts are easy to make at home in a donut or muffin pan. They have the perfect cakey texture, sweet-tart apple flavor, and are coated in cinnamon sugar for a delicious finish. Completely vegan, dairy and egg free!
After I developed a classic vegan cinnamon sugar cake donut, using my knowledge from my bakery days, I knew these apple cider donuts were next. I feel like I see them pop up every fall and they just look so good!
With my totally perfected classic donut recipe I set out to make an apple version.
These vegan apple cider cake donuts use apple cider (duh), but regular apple cider isn't strong enough to create an apple flavor in the baked donut, so we need to start by reducing the cider into more of a syrup, to create a concentrated flavor that you can actually taste in the final donut.
After that, the recipe is simple - classic donut ingredients. Then to amp up the fall flavor, the donut is tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture, with some nutmeg and allspice mixed in for an extra punch.
The result is a delicious sweet-tart donut that oozes fall vibes.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love These Vegan Apple Cider Cake Donuts
- Dietary needs - these donuts are completely vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free. And no deep frying!
- Fall vibes - ultra concentrated apple flavor, and extra cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
- Bakery style, at home - the type of donut you'd expect from a bakery
- Soft and tender - classic cake donut texture, but baked in the oven
- Great for breakfast or dessert - these guys make an indulgent breakfast or a fun dessert
- No special equipment - easy to make even if you don't own a donut pan
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Donuts
- Apple Cider: use apple cider that you find in the refrigerated section for best results - this is fresh cider. You might be able to sub apple juice but you may have a weaker flavor.
- Vegan Yogurt: I recommend using a yogurt on the thinner side, prefereably one with a bit of protein. I use Kite Hill's non-dairy Greek yogurt. When testing, I made a batch with Cocojune yogurt - it worked, but the texture with the thinner, yet more protein-packed yogurt was significantly better
- Vegan Butter: I use Earth Balance butter sticks, but any vegan butter will work. Preferably one that comes in sticks, rather than a tub.
- Organic Cane Sugar: use organic sugar to make sure the recipe is vegan.
- Vanilla
- All-Purpose Flour: I have not tested this with a gluten-free flour. I do think it would work with a gluten-free all purpose
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice - for all the fall vibes in this donut.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Melted Vegan Butter: When I worked at the bakery, we did not use butter to keep the cinnamon sugar on the donuts. I tried SO hard to make this work, and create a lighter coating, but truly butter is the best solution. If you want to skip the butter, you'll need to work quickly, coating the donuts in sugar as soon as they get out of the oven, with the donuts as hot as you can handle. After having several batches using butter, I have to say that I quite like the extra depth of flavor from the butter
- Organic Cane Sugar: use organic sugar to make sure the recipe is vegan.
- Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
Pro Tip: No donut pan? No problem! These donuts bake up so nicely in a mini muffin tray, for donut holes! Bake time stays the same.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Reduce the apple cider. Bring the apple cider to a simmer in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 1 hour, until the mixture has reduced by 4, leaving ¾ cup. Let cool slightly, until cool enough to handle.
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray the donut pan generously with cooking spray.
Step 3. In a large bowl whisk the apple cider reduction, yogurt, and butter.
Step 4. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk again.
Step 5. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk well until no clumps remain and batter starts to thicken - it is good to whisk thoroughly here, we want the gluten to develop.
Step 6. Fill each hole in a donut pan about halfway full with batter - I use 2 scoops of a small cookie scoop to help me get an even amount in each hole. This recipe makes about 18 donuts, so you'll need to do a second round if you only have one pan - the leftover batter will hold up resting at room temp while the first batch bakes.
Step 7. Bake the donuts for 13 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the tray on a wire rack for about 2 minutes to cool.
Step 8. Use the thin edge of a spatula to gently remove each donut from the mold. Place the finished donuts on a wire rack and allow to cool until they are easy to handle.
Step 9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Arrange the melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture next to each other for easy coating.
Step 10. Dip each donut very quickly in the butter and then toss in the sugar mixture. Do not let the donuts sit in the butter or they will soak up too much of the liquid and become soggy. Repeat with the remaining donuts. Enjoy!
Cake Donuts vs Yeast Donuts
Cake donuts are: dense, with a tender crumb. Batter-based, quick to prepare, and lend themselves to a baked version.
Yeast donuts are: light and airy, with a slight chewiness. Dough-based, requiring resting, proving, and usually get fried.
Both are delicious, but cake donuts are SO much easier to make at home.
Elizabeth's Kitchen Notes
- Don't overfill: only fill the donut pan cavities halfway. Any higher and you'll end up with donuts that are incredibly lopsided on one half
- Pipe or scoop: I never feel like getting out a piping bag to fill my donuts, so I use a cookie scoop. It also helps in ensuring you're getting the same amount of batter in each tray.
- Don't over-bake: 20 minutes is really all you need. After that you'll end up with dry donuts.
- The bottom is the top: another bakery trick. Because you bake in a donut pan, the prettier side is the one that sat in the donut pan. If you care about a pretty presentation, flip the donuts upside down to serve
- Store at room temp: the donuts stay soft for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container at room temp. Immediately placing them in the fridge made them hard and more dense. After the 3-4 days at room temp, they should go to the fridge in order to stay fresh.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Yep! I loved these in a mini muffin tray. I wouldn't recommend a full size muffin tray, or you'll get a super dense donut. In a mini muffin tray, baking time remains the same as written in the recipe below.
For best texture, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, transfer to the fridge for best freshness.
Recipe Prayer
Lord, thank you for these donuts. Thank you for special treats for us to enjoy. Amen.
More fall desserts
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Donuts
- 3 Cups Apple Cider
- ¼ Cup Vegan Yogurt I recommend Kite Hill Greek yogurt, but any non-dairy yogurt will work
- ¼ Cup Melted Vegan Butter
- 1 Cup Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ Teaspoon Allspice
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ½ Cup Melted Vegan Butter
- 1 Cup Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ Teaspoon Allspice
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider. Bring the apple cider to a simmer in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 1 hour, until the mixture has reduced by 4, leaving ¾ cup. Let cool slightly, until cool enough to handle.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray the donut pan generously with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk the apple cider reduction, yogurt, and butter.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk again.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk well until no clumps remain and batter starts to thicken - it is good to whisk thoroughly here, we want the gluten to develop.
- Fill each hole in a donut pan about halfway full with batter - I use 2 scoops of a small cookie scoop to help me get an even amount in each hole. This recipe makes about 18 donuts, so you'll need to do a second round if you only have one pan - the leftover batter will hold up resting at room temp while the first batch bakes.
- Bake the donuts for 13 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the tray on a wire rack for about 2 minutes to cool.
- Use the thin edge of a spatula to gently remove each donut from the mold. Place the finished donuts on a wire rack and allow to cool until they are easy to handle.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Arrange the melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture next to each other for easy coating.
- Dip each donut very quickly in the butter and then toss in the sugar mixture. Do not let the donuts sit in the butter or they will soak up too much of the liquid and become soggy. Repeat with the remaining donuts. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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