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Apple Cider Donut Holes, fall treats recipes easy
Brittany Stage

Apple Cider Donut Holes

Baked apple cider donut holes with a concentrated apple flavor from reduced cider and a warm cinnamon sugar coating. They come together in one bowl and bake in a mini muffin pan in about 13 minutes.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 95

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh apple cider you will reduce this to about 1/2 cup
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon divided, 1 tsp for batter and 1/2 tsp for coating
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar for the batter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling, combined with 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for brushing before rolling

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • 24-cup mini muffin pan
  • large mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • rubber spatula
  • small bowl for cinnamon sugar
  • wire rack

Method
 

  1. Pour the 1 cup of apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to roughly 1/2 cup. It should look slightly darker and smell concentrated and apple-forward. Pour it into a small bowl and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before using. Do not skip this step.
  2. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan well with nonstick spray or brush with melted butter, making sure to get into the bottom edges of each cup.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and whisk again to combine everything evenly.
  4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the cooled reduced cider, milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick and a little lumpy, which is fine. Stop stirring as soon as you do not see dry flour.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 full. A small cookie scoop makes this faster and neater. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. While the donut holes bake, stir together the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl and set it next to the stove. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a separate small bowl.
  7. As soon as the donut holes are cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes out of the oven, brush or roll each one lightly in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until coated on all sides. Set them on a wire rack. The coating sticks best while they are still warm, so work quickly through the whole batch.

Notes

The reduced cider is the heart of this recipe. Cloudy, unfiltered fresh cider from a farm stand or grocery store produce section gives the best apple flavor. Clear filtered apple juice will work in a pinch but tastes noticeably milder.