These Eggless Apple Cider Donuts are soft, cakey, and deliciously spiced! They’re super easy to make –no yeast, electric mixer, or frying required! They melt in your mouth with every bite. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Easy Egg-Free Baked Apple Cider Donuts Recipe Highlights
I can’t get enough of fall flavors! Pumpkin, maple, apple, cinnamon, you name it…I love it.
This Eggless Apple Cider Donuts recipe is easy and delicious and only takes a few simple ingredients to make these baked donuts.
Spiced sweet and tart, an eggless apple cider donut is one of the best treats of the fall season.
If you love fall baking as much as I do, I highly recommend that you make a batch of these apple cider donuts ASAP.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Apple cider: Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. It’s mostly available in US and Canada. Do not use apple juice or apple sauce in place of cider as it does not have the same complex flavors and consistency that cider has. You can use store-bought or homemade apple cider. See instructions below ti make apple cider at home.
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients.
- Baking powder & Baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Spices: I use ground cinnamon + apple pie spice for extra flavor!
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil – Or any light-tasting oil of your preference.
- Sugar: For this recipe, you will need regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar, and brown sugar.
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Yogurt: You can substitute plain regular yogurt for sour cream. I recommend using the full-fat versions.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Reduce the Apple Cider
Bring 1/2 cup apple cider to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Step 2 – Make the Batter
Mix the wet ingredients. Then, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 3 – Fill the Pan
Place the batter into a piping bag. Pipe the batter into the prepared donuts baking pans until about 3/4 full. You can also use a spoon to fill the donut holes.
Step 4 – Bake
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
Step 5 – Make the Topping
Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in one bowl and melt the butter in another. I usually do this as the donuts bake.
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Step 6 – Coat
Dip the warm donuts into the melted butter, then dunk each into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Make sure to coat every side!
Recipe Tips
Make sure you use Apple cider, NOT apple juice.
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. This helps the ingredients mix better and avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixed batter will result in dense donuts.
Before filling the pan, make sure you have coated it with non-stick spray. If you do two batches, don’t forget to spray again.
To fill the donut pan cavities, use a piping/pastry bag. You can also scoop the batter with a spoon and fill the pan if a pastry bag is not an option.
Substitutions & Additions
APPLE PIE SPICE: If you don’t have apple pie spice, substitute for 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.
MILK: I like to use whole milk for baking, but you can use any milk you have handy.
GLUTEN-FREE: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
DAIRY-FREE: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors.
My favorite dairy-free butter for baking are:
Also, use dairy-free yogurt.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store
These eggless baked donuts can be stored for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. They make for a great make-ahead treat! They can be at room temperature for up to 3 days and then transferred to the fridge.
Freeze
Once cooled, wrap them up with plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing. Place in a freezer plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave for just 2 – 5 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. It’s mostly available in US and Canada. Do not use apple juice or apple sauce in place of cider as it does not have the same complex flavors and consistency that cider has. You can use store-bought or homemade apple cider.
Place 1 peeled orange (quartered), 10 medium apples (quartered), 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 2 t teaspoons ground allspice into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the fruit, about 8 cups. Bring everything to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Mash the fruit with a large spoon or potato masher. Cooking for an additional hour. Then strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Once you’ve strained all the cider, you can add a sweetener of your choice to taste.
Yes, you can! To do so, cut 10 square pieces (4×4-in each approx.) of foil. Bend each piece gently around your middle finger. Remove your finger and place the foil into a muffin pan cavity. Shape the sides of the foil (keeping the part of the peak intact) as best as possible with your fingers. Make sure to coat the foil with baking spray very well before adding the batter.
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) plain regular yogurt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREPARE THE PAN
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Spray two donut pans with baking spray with flour. NOTES: This recipe makes 10 donuts, so you will need two donuts baking pans. Alternately, bake 1 batch first and then the other.
REDUCE THE APPLE CIDER.
- Bring 1/2 cup apple cider to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup and syrupy, about 3 – 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
MAKE THE BATTER
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, oil, sugars, milk, reduced apple cider, yogurt, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mix until evenly combined with no lumps. The batter will be smooth and pourable.
FILL THE PAN
- Place the batter into a piping bag. Pipe the batter into the prepared donuts baking pans until about 3/4 full. You can also use a spoon to fill the donut holes.
BAKE
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Allow to cool for about two minutes and transfer to a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper or a large baking sheet.
MAKE THE TOPPING
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon and apple spice together in one bowl and melt the butter in another.
COAT
- Brush or dip the warm donuts into the melted butter, then dunk each into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Make sure to coat every side!
- Make sure you use Apple cider, NOT apple juice.
- Have all the ingredients at room temperature. This helps the ingredients mix better and avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixed batter will result in dense donuts.
- Before filling the pan, make sure you have coated it with non-stick spray. If you do two batches, don’t forget to spray again.
- To fill the donut pan cavities, use a piping/pastry bag. You can also scoop the batter with a spoon and fill the pan if a pastry bag is not an option.
- Apple Pie Spice: If you don’t have apple pie spice, substitute for 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.
- Milk: I like to use whole milk for baking, but you can use any milk you have handy.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. My favorite dairy-free brands for baking are Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. Also, use dairy-free yogurt.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
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