This low-calorie apple cider donut recipe substitutes sugar for Splenda to help achieve its “low-calorie” title. Also, the donuts are baked, not fried. Additionally, low-fat milk is used in place of whole milk. Finally, the donuts are brushed with apple cider before the sugar coating being applied. The original recipe calls for dipping them in butter, which, while delicious, didn’t lend itself to being the most healthy option. The result is a delicious donut with a delicious crumb where the apple cider flavor comes. If you’re not worried about calories, use regular sugar instead of Splenda. I didn’t notice a difference between using whole and skim milk. You could potentially use margarine instead of butter, but I didn’t try so I can’t speak to how they would turn out. Anyway, on to the recipe.
Recipe Notes
Preheat your oven to 350 and place a rack in the center of the oven. Spray your donut pans with cooking spray and set aside. If you don’t have donut pans, a muffin tin works too. This is true of all cake donut recipes. I’m not sure if all muffin recipes can be made in donut pans but I’m willing to try it with my baklava muffins. Next, add the apple cider to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the apple cider to roughly 1 cup and set it aside. The rest of your ingredients can be prepared while reducing the cider if you’re short on time.
Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter and add the bowl of your stand mixer along with the Splenda (sugar if you’re going full calorie). Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until combined and smooth. It’s important to have your egg and milk at room temperature so the butter doesn’t congeal. Add 120 ml of the reduced cider along with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will seem a bit runny, that’s normal.
Apple Cider Donut Baking Tips
Once the batter is ready, transfer the batter to a piping bag for easy pouring into the donut pan. If you don’t have a piping bag, a gallon Ziploc bag with the corner cut also works. A large cup also works well for filling a piping bag, doesn’t even need to be Starbucks. If you don’t want to use plastic, a spoon works too. Fill the donut pans halfway with batter and bake for 10-11 minutes.
The donuts are done once the tops are lightly browned and spring back when pressed with your finger. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Low Calorie Apple Cider Donut Topping Tips
Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, brush with the remainder of the reduced apple cider and immediately coat in the splenda and cinnamon topping. Repeat with the rest of the donuts. The donuts are delicious warm but can also be stored at room temperature for two days or in the fridge for up to five days.
If you don’t care about calories, you can use sugar in the recipe. Additionally, the donuts can be dipped in butter prior to coating in cinnamon sugar. The butter keeps the donuts nice and moist for several days and adds richness to the flavor but the apple cider flavor doesn’t come through as well until the second or third day.
Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
- donut pan Muffin tin works too if you don't have a donut pan
Ingredients
Donut Batter
- 946 ml Apple cider (4 cups)
- 250 grams AP flour (2 cups)
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 3/4 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Dash of Ground Cardamom
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 30 grams Butter, melted (2 tbsp)
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 100 grams Sugar (1/2 cup) (substitute splenda for sugar for low calorie option)
- 100 grams Brown sugar (1/2 cup) (substitute splenda for sugar for low calorie option)
- 120 ml milk, room temperature (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Donut Topping
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup) (substitute splenda for sugar for low calorie option)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Dash of Ground Cardamom
- 120 ml Apple cider, reduced (1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Place the apple cider in a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until the apple cider has reduced down to roughly 1 cup. Set aside and let cool. Do not strain the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray your donut pan with cooking spray and set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, egg, brown sugar, white sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and add 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the reduced apple cider. Mix until just combined. Reserve the remainder of the reduced apple cider for brushing later.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and cut a small hole in the bottom of the bag. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pan, filling the pan halfway with filling
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until tops of the donuts are lightly browned. If the donut bounces back when pressed lightly with your finger, they're done.
- Cool donuts in the pan for a few minutes and then flip over onto a wire cooling rack. Repeat as necessary until all the batter has been used.
Donut Topping
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and spices in a large bowl.
- Once donuts are cool enough to handle, brush both sides of the donuts with the reduced apple cider. Then coat in the sugar mixture and place on the wire cooling rack.
- Repeat with the remaining donuts until finished.
- Donuts are best served warm but can also be stored at room temp for 2 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.
Nutrition
