Vegan Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Oh hi, November!
I’d be curious to know what different choices you’re making in your life as our second year of living through a global pandemic (remember when it was only going to be for a couple of weeks?) comes to a close?
When Michael was younger, we would faithfully go to the pumpkin patch every single year in October. We’d get dressed up in all our best muddy/rainy weather gear and head out with the intention to come home with some pumpkins and have a lot of fun.
We usually did have lots of fun, but often it was stressful, too.
The thing about me is, I’m a recovering (?) perfectionist. And, even though I was a single parent, I was determined to do all the things with my kid. By myself. Without any help.
So you can see where this is going.
Look–it’s all good. I’m not going to complain. We have some great memories from those times. But they also maybe kinda nearly killed me.
This year, as usual, we got a round of invites from some of the local farms to come and check out their pumpkin patches and related festivities. There was this photo circulating on Instagram of a pumpkin-spiced ice cream served in a hollowed out pumpkin that I was having some serious FOMO over. We had the invite to go–we just had to drive the hour or so to get there.
We never ended up going. Not because of laziness, but because the stress of getting ourselves there felt like more than we were willing to sacrifice at this moment.
Another reason I wanted to go to that particular farm was to pick up some apple cider (which they press on site) to make these donuts.
All this is to say: would these Vegan Apple Cider Donuts taste more authentic if they had been. made with the apple cider from the farm as opposed to the apple cider I picked up at Whole Foods a block from my house? Yes. Probably. But here we are.
No matter where you get your apple cider from, they are still delicious.
I couldn’t decide how to finish them, so I’ve given you two ways to do so, and you can choose your own adventure. Without having to drive an hour to get the authentic apple cider.
Happy Fall!
Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- Donut Pan
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup non dairy milk
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
For the cinnamon sugar option
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
For the maple glaze option
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Pour your apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until reduced by half.
- Set the 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider aside to cool a little, and when it is cooled, add the non dairy milk to it.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the butter and add the sugar to it. Mix for about 2-3 minutes on low-medium speed.
- Next beat in the vanilla and cinnamon, and finally, add the milk/cider mixture. It will look weird and curdly, but don't worry.
- Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Scrape the mixture into a piping bag, and grease your donut pan well.
- Pipe the donuts into the donut pan, filling them about 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 11-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then use an offset spatula or knife to run around the edges and remove the donuts to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To do the cinnamon sugar option, melt the butter and place it in a wide, shallow bowl. Dump the cinnamon and sugar together into a bag and mix it well together. Dunk the donuts first into the melted butter, then drop them into the bag and shake them in the cinnamon sugar. Remove to the wire rack.
- To do the maple glaze option, place the icing sugar in a bowl and then add enough maple syrup to make a glaze that is runny, but not too runny. You want it to stick on your donuts, but not be gloppy. Dunk your donuts in the glaze, then allow to set on a wire rack.