Last Friday while we were out shopping, we stopped into a Dunkin Donuts for the first time in probably 5+ years. Neither of us drink coffee so we almost never visit coffee shops, but I was craving a maple frosted doughnut like you wouldn’t believe. And it was just as good as I remember.
I confess, I kind of have a thing for store-bought doughnuts. Those chocolate covered doughnuts from Entenmanns are my kryptonite! I only allow myself to buy them once or twice a year, and I savor every last bite. We had a professor in law school who occasionally brought Krispy Kreme doughnuts in to make our 8 am property class a little more bearable. That was pretty awesome too 🙂 At the end of the day homemade is usually best, but I’m not above taking shortcuts when it comes to doughnuts!
Remember the boiled cider I posted a few weeks ago? Did you guys try it? If so, you’re in luck because you probably have everything you need to make these cider doughnuts right now. And if not, no worries – you can still make the cider today to incorporate in this recipe and then use the leftovers to whip up a batch of caramels for a friend this holiday season. Win-win!
Like most baked doughnuts, these come together pretty quickly – definitely doable even on the laziest of weekend mornings. They emerged from the oven light and fluffy, with just enough apple flavor. I threw together a quick maple glaze to top the doughnuts as I’m still obsessed with all things maple, but I think a cinnamon-sugar coating would be nice as well. Apple season may be ending, but we can enjoy cider doughnuts all winter long!
Baked Cider Doughnuts with Maple Glaze
donuts from King Arthur Flour, glaze from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
{Note: if you don’t have boiled cider, you can substitute thawed frozen apple juice concentrate but the apple flavor won’t be as strong. If you use the apple juice concentrate, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice as well.}
Doughnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons boiled cider
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
Glaze
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Combine the butter, oil, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until well combined. Mix in the boiled cider and then the egg, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once, and beating until completely incorporated and the batter is uniform. Alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Transfer the batter to a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner. Pipe the batter evenly into the 6 wells of the pan, filling each about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake the donuts for about 10 minutes, or until they’re golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the donuts to cool for just a minute or two then flip them out onto the rack.
To make the glaze: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. If desired, you can adjust the consistency (thicken by adding more sugar or thin by adding more milk). When the doughnuts have cooled, one at a time, dip one side into the glaze. Allow the excess to drip off then flip over so the glaze side is up, and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet (to catch the drips). Top with sprinkles if desired. Allow the glaze to set then serve.
Makes 6 doughnuts
These are so pretty! Love this idea!
Oh! My! but these look good. I am looking for cider to boil down.
My fav store bought are KK’s pumpkin doughnuts. Only seasonal – which is a good thing!!!
My husband + I don’t drink coffee either – so glad we’re not the only ones! =) These donuts look divine + how cute are those sprinkles?! I’ve gotta get my hands on some!
These are so festive. I bet the apple cider is such a good flavor here!
Yum! You may finally be convincing me to get off my butt and try this boiled cider
Yum! There’s an apple picking farm upstate where we go in the fall and they’re always baking cider doughnuts. The heavenly aroma is everywhere!
Boiled cider at it again – and this looks like a delish way to use it!
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Those look so festive! =) I love the sprinkles.
I’m sure the cider just makes these so delicious! Slap some maple on there. Now that makes me happy!
I love dunkin donuts! I used to go there all the time when I was living in NY but there’s none in LA so it’s been over a decade since I was last there! And I totally have a thing for store-bought donuts too, although these look pretty darn amazing. The sprinkles are super cute too!
i have SO MUCH apple cider in my fridge–this sounds like a good way to use it (looks like I’ll have to make about 20 batches of these :))
I still need to get on that boiled cider business. These donuts look so good and fluffy and delicious and just pure holiday treatish 🙂
The apple cider sounds amazing in these! I just got a mini donut pan too – I can make donuts now!!!
I need to get going on the boiled cider and then make these doughnuts – they sound delicious! I can usually resist store-bought doughnuts, but we were in Canada last month and stopped in at Tim Hortons a few times.
We loved these donuts. I covered mine with cinnamon sugar. I think i would add a bit more boiled cider to the mixture, for more flavor. Should I decrease the milk or the oil? Thanks for any advice. I’ll check back.