Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

These Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts are lighter than your typical fried donuts and infused with fresh apple cider and applesauce, which is perfect for fall. They’re soft and fluffy and complete with an irresistible cinnamon sugar coating. All you need is a few simple baking ingredients!

If you love our Vegan Apple Cider Coffee Cake, you’re in for a treat! These baked vegan apple cider donuts are similarly cakey, tender, and infused with fresh apple flavor.

Deep-frying Homemade Vegan Biscuit Donuts might not be your thing, but these baked donuts can be easily made by even the most novice bakers in just a few easy steps. They’re the perfect breakfast, afternoon treat, or dessert to celebrate the fall season and the onset of lots of vegan baking.

And if you’re on a baking kick, check out a few of our favorite vegan apple recipes: Vegan Apple Pie, Instant Pot Apple Butter, Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Cookies, Apple Cobbler, and Apple Crisp. 

Ingredients You’ll Need 

• Apple cider: Infuses the donuts with sweet apple flavor in every bite! We recommend using an unfiltered apple cider where the only ingredient is fresh apples.
• Sugar: You’ll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar to sweeten and yield the softest, most tender crumb. Coconut sugar may work well as a substitute for brown sugar, but the donuts will be slightly less moist.
• Non-dairy milk: Any plain non-dairy milk of choice will work. Try oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk! 
• Vegan butter: Adds richness, flavor, and contributes to the soft, fluffy texture. Feel free to use your favorite vegan buttery sticks – we typically use Country Crock.
• Unsweetened applesauce: Used as the egg replacer in these donuts, unsweetened applesauce adds moisture, helps bind the batter together, and most importantly, a boost of additional fresh apple flavor. 
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances the overall flavor of these donuts.
• Flour: We have only tested this recipe using regular all-purpose flour and are unsure if alternate flours will work.
• Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda work together to raise the donuts and brown them until perfectly golden brown on the edges.
• Spices: We used a blend of cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg, but you can replace this with 1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, if desired.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Melted vegan butter: ​Helps the cinnamon sugar coating stick! 
• Granulated sugar: ​Adds a neutral sweetness and delicious crunch.
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and enhances the apple flavor.

Equipment Needed

• Small saucepan
• Donut pan
• Large bowls (2) 
• Whisk
• Spatula 
• Piping bag
• Wire cooling rack
• Shallow bowl
• Pastry brush

How to Make Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

1. Reduce the apple cider. Add the apple cider to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Measure out 1/2 cup of reduced cider. ​If you happen to have less than 1/2 cup, make up the difference with fresh cider. Set aside.
3.  Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray or grease with vegetable oil.
4. Combine the wet ingredients. To a large bowl, add the reduced apple cider, sugars, non-dairy milk, melted butter, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
5. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, add the flour, leavening agents, and spices. Whisk to combine.
6. Make the donut batter. ​Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
7. Pipe the batter into the donut pan. ​Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe it into each donut mold, filling each about 3/4 full. This recipe will make 10-12 donuts. 
8. Bake and cool. Place the donut pan in the oven and bake for 13-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the donuts comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs. Let the baked donuts cool in the donut pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes. 
9. Make the cinnamon sugar coating. ​While the donuts cool, melt the remaining vegan butter and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. 
10. Coat the donuts. ​Brush each donut with the melted vegan butter on both sides, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat for all the donuts. 
11. Enjoy! Allow the donuts to sit for at least 10 more minutes to help the cinnamon sugar coating stick, then enjoy! 

Storage Instructions

​These baked donuts are best enjoyed while fresh, but leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigeration will make these donuts very, very dense. 

Helpful Tips

• When filling the donut pans, tap the donut pan on the counter a few times to even everything out and avoid air bubbles.
• Use our weighted measurements for the sugars and flour. This will help yield the best, most consistent results. 
• If you don’t have access to a baking scale, use the spoon and flour method to measure your all-purpose flour.
• Darker-colored donut pans will cook the donuts faster than lighter-colored donut pans. Use our bake time as an estimate and adjust as needed. When ready, a toothpick inserted in the donuts should come out mostly clean with no wet batter.

More Vegan Apple Recipes YOu May Enjoy:

Dessert

Vegan Apple Cobbler

Dessert

Easy Apple Pie Cookies

Dessert

Vegan Apple Cider Coffee Cake

Breakfast

Easy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos! 

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