Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes

Want a delicious, easy fall and winter breakfast idea? Try these buttery, soft apple cider donut holes with cinnamon sugar. They’re SO easy and taste just like a donut!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes – Buttery, soft apple cider donut holes with cinnamon sugar. They taste just like warm donuts! | thecomfortofcooking.com

I have few fall memories better than the ones I made this year. On a brisk, damp morning in New England, hubby and I bundled up warm, set off on an adventure with no direction, and stumbled across the best apple cider donuts ever! They were deep-fried, delicious and friggin’ horrible for us, but who’s counting calories on vacation? :)

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes – Buttery, soft apple cider donut holes with cinnamon sugar. They taste just like warm donuts! | thecomfortofcooking.com

Nom nom nom…

With days of apple picking and lots of long walks behind us, we earned our donuts, darnit! But I was determined to make an easy, anti-fried spin on them once returning home.

To say the least, they sure were a scrumptious success!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes – Buttery, soft apple cider donut holes with cinnamon sugar. They taste just like warm donuts! | thecomfortofcooking.com

Just like my Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes, these delicious cuties are made using a mini muffin pan and not much else. Roll them in a little butter (or leave it out if you wish), then cinnamon sugar. Serve ‘em warm and just TRY to eat only one!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes – Buttery, soft apple cider donut holes with cinnamon sugar. They taste just like warm donuts! | thecomfortofcooking.com

Want to be the most adored hostess to holiday guests this year? Make these! Next thing you know it, they’ll be serving you breakfast in bed and pitching in around the house!

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes

Yield: 35 to 45 donut holes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup apple cider
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
  • Nonstick cooking spray

For the coating:

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter*
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat 12-24 cups of a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, vanilla extract, honey, apple cider, yogurt, and oil. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just mixed; do not overmix.
  3. Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.
  4. While baking, melt butter in a microwave safe dish. Combine cinnamon and sugar in another dish. Roll warm donut holes in melted butter, gently shake off excess, and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  5. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Join the Conversation

  1. What gorgeous pictures apple-picking! And these donuts – uh, yes please! Love that these are baked too!

  2. 5 stars
    I love these donut holes, Georgia! So cute and the apple cider is perfection!

  3. i love the apple cider- definitely kicks these up a notch :)

  4. Oh these look perfect! Love that they are baked!

  5. These look so perfect and I love that you bake them in a mini muffin tin!

  6. Georgia these look awesome! Happy Thanksgiving!

  7. These are so pretty and great little bite sized snacks!

  8. Calories don’t matter when on vacation, for sure :) Happy Thanksgiving!

  9. 5 stars
    Oh goodness but these look delicious.

  10. As much as I want to make my own donuts, I hate dealing with oil and deep drying things at home.

    Now, this recipe has me excited! BAKED donut holes? I MUST try!

  11. You’ve done a great job creating the same flavor and making them a whole lot healthier! Beautiful pictures!

  12. I love these, Georgia! I have a feeling if I made ’em, I eat the whole batch myself. That’s totally accpetable though, right? :-)

  13. Georgia…the texture of these looks so light and delicate…I don’t think I could stop at one! (And I mean bowl, not donut hole!) They look amazing! And beautiful apple picking pictures, too! Hope you had a great time!
    : )

  14. Georgia you have just made my gloomy Monday so much brighter! I was planning to make apple cider tonight… so I guess I’ll just take it one step further and make apple cider donut holes!

  15. 5 stars
    Love apple cider flavored anything. These little donut holes look perfect!

  16. 5 stars
    I love apple cider doughnuts, and making them in mini muffin tins is so smart!

  17. Nom is right! These look fantastic. I love that you baked them instead of frying. You look so happy eating that donut (who wouldn’t be)?

  18. How do you make them come out like a donut hole? Do you roll them in your hands?

  19. These mini donuts become donut hole-shaped by puffing up and baking in the mini muffin tin. They are not perfectly round.

Leave a Reply to Laura (Tutti Dolci)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close
The Comfort of Cooking © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
Close
Skip to Recipe