Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts (Baked!)

Name: Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Starter (Unfed/Inactive); 3/4 cup Brown Sugar; 1 cup Apple Cider; 1/4 cup Melted Butter; 2 Eggs (Large); 2 cups All Purpose Flour; 2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 tsp Cinnamon; 1/4 cup Apple Cider; 1/3 cup Sugar; 1 tbsp Cinnamon

Ready in 15 minutes, Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts scream Fall! They are full of cinnamon, brown sugar, and fresh apple cider! These donuts will transport you to the apple orchard without leaving your home!

The sourdough apple cider donuts are stacked and one is leaning against the stack

Is it even Fall if you don't have apple cider donuts? Fall in New England means apple picking, pumpkin picking, and apple cider donuts!

I've made these a little more healthy, since they are baked and not fried.

Baked donuts have become and obsession in my house. They are easy to make and my kids love them! Check out these peanut butter donuts, Baked Sourdough Donuts, or even Lucky Charms donuts!

Jump to:

Why These Donuts Are Amazing
What is Sourdough Discard?
Ingredients You'll Need
Equipment You'll Need
Step By Step Photos
Let's Make These Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts!
Do They Taste Sourdough?
Tips and Tricks
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Recipes To Try!
📖 Recipe

Why These Donuts Are Amazing

They are baked, not fried! No need to break out all the oil and wait for it to heat up. Plus save the calories from the donuts being fried and just have a few more donuts instead!
No heavy equipment needed! All the mixing is done by hand, so you don't need to break out the stand mixer or hand mixer.
They bake up fast! Because there is no yeast, there is no rising period. Mix everything together and bake them up!
These donuts are moist, dense, and cakey. They have a different texture than traditional fried donuts, but they are full of apple cider and cinnamon!

A bowl of the donuts with a cloth underneath them

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the extra sourdough starter that you have leftover when you feed your starter. If you're new to sourdough and need some information on how to keep it happy, check out my post on how to feed a sourdough starter. My starter is 100% hydration, meaning I've always fed it equal parts flour and water. If you have a starter that has a lower hydration, meaning you feed it more flour than water, add more apple cider to this recipe.

The discard is also "inactive or unfed" meaning I took it right out of the refrigerator and added it to this recipe. It has not been fed any new flour and it's not active and bubbly.

If you don't have sourdough discard, you can substitute buttermilk or sour cream instead.

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients for the Sourdough apple cider donuts

Sourdough discard- unfed or inactive, meaning it hasn't been fed fresh water and flour. This discard came right out of the refrigerator.
Brown sugar- It adds a depth of flavor to these donuts. Regular granulated sugar can be substituted for brown sugar.
Melted butter- Adds the fat to the donuts to keep them moist.
Apple cider- Gives that classic Fall flavor and adds moisture to the donuts.
Baking powder and baking soda- The sourdough starter adds texture and moisture to the donuts, but it doesn't much in terms of helping the donuts rise. The baking powder and baking soda do all the hard work.

Equipment You'll Need

Step By Step Photos

An overhead view of the butter and sugar in a bowl. — Mix the butter and sugar

The eggs and starter are added to a bowl — Mix the butter and sugar

Let's Make These Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, add the sugar and butter. Mix well until they are combined. The brown sugar might clump, try to get as many clumps out as possible.
Add the starter and eggs to the same bowl and mix them into the butter and sugar.
Pour in the apple cider and give everything a good mix. You can't overmix these wet ingredients, so make sure they are well combined.
Add the "dry ingredients" to the bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until just combined, do not overmix. It's ok if there are a few lumps left in the batter.
Spray two donut pans with cooking spray so the donuts do not stick.
Add the batter to a piping bag or to a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
Bake the donuts for 12-15 minutes until they are just slightly brown and a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Mix together ⅓ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Brush the donuts with apple cider and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Enjoy!

A bowl of donuts surrounded by apples and flowers.

Do They Taste Sourdough?

They don't! Because they don't have the traditional long fermentation process like a loaf of sourdough bread, they don't taste like sourdough. The sourdough starter adds moisture and texture to these donuts.

Tips and Tricks

To make these donuts a little more decadent, brush them with melted butter instead of apple cider and then roll them in cinnamon sugar. That's how the orchards do it, so why not give it a try!
Instead of rolling them in cinnamon sugar, feel free to roll them in powdered sugar or make a glaze of 1 tablespoon milk, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Yum!
These donuts are more of a cake donut, instead of the traditional texture of a fried donut.
You can spoon the batter into the donut pan if you don't have a piping bag or aren't comfortable piping.

An overhead view of nine sourdough apple cider donuts

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these donuts be frozen?

Yes! To freeze them, allow them to cool completely and do not coat them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place them in a Ziploc bag or an air tight container and freeze them. To defrost, place them on the counter to thaw. Then coat them in cinnamon sugar when you are ready to serve.

How long will they last?

If you do not coat them in cinnamon sugar, they will last for up to 4 days. Once they are coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture, they really should be eaten immediately, or within 24 hours. That's because the sugar begins to melt and makes the donuts sticky.

I don't have a donut pan, can I still make these?

Yes! If you don't have a donut pan, you can use a muffin tin instead. You can either eat them straight out of the muffin tin, or you can cut a hole in the middle with a cookie cutter or a small knife.

Other Recipes To Try!

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