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Best Salted Caramel Apple Cider Donuts (Easy Fall Recipe)

Salted Caramel Apple Cider Donuts - featured image
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These baked apple cider donuts are soft, spiced, and topped with a rich salted caramel sauce. Perfect for fall gatherings, they come together in under 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) apple cider
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (for caramel)
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature (for caramel)
  • ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, at room temperature (for caramel)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (for caramel), plus more for sprinkling
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (for cinnamon sugar coating, optional)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for cinnamon sugar coating, optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a donut pan well with butter or non-stick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add apple cider, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla; whisk until combined.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Do not overmix.
  5. Transfer batter to a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe batter into donut cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  7. While donuts cool, make caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup granulated sugar, stirring constantly, until it becomes a deep amber color (about 6-8 minutes).
  8. Remove from heat. Immediately add butter pieces and whisk vigorously until melted. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. Stir in flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
  9. Optional: While donuts are still warm, toss them in a mixture of ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
  10. Drizzle salted caramel over donuts. Sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt. Serve immediately or within a few hours.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid dense donuts. For more intense apple flavor, reduce 1 cup of cider to ¼ cup before adding. Room temperature ingredients are key for both donuts and caramel. Donuts are best the day they are made; store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider donuts, salted caramel, baked donuts, fall recipe, easy donuts

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/best-salted-caramel-apple-cider-donuts-easy-fall-recipe/