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We look forward to freshly fried apple cider donuts from the local orchard all year long, but now we’ll be making this Apple Cider Donut Bread anytime the craving hits!
I go to the apple orchard at least once every Fall solely for the donut situation. I mean, those freshly fried apple cider donuts are worth driving 40 minutes outside of town!
We usually pick some apples as well, to make things like our apple cobbler (it’s insanely good and a must make!) or our Snicker apple salad.
The donuts, with that crackly cinnamon sugar crust, are the real draw though. Which is exactly why we made this Apple Cider Donut Bread – one bite will have you hooked!
And no – this isn’t just bread with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the top – there is a secret trick that gives this deep-fried donut vibes and I think you’re going to love it!
Ingredient Notes:
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Dry Ingredients – You’ll need flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice, which is a bit similar to pumpkin pie spice.
Apple Cider – You can use fresh local apple cider or buy a jug from the store. Apple juice works just as well. You could even try some homemade apple cider!
Wet Ingredients – Along with the cider you’ll need egg, butter, and vanilla extract.
Topping – Some melted butter mixed with cinnamon and sugar is a quick and easy topping for this apple cider donut bread.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- All the flavors of my favorite apple cider donuts in the form of a bread loaf!
- Reducing the apple cider down concentrates the flavor so it really shines in this bread!
- We brush the bread with melted butter to give it that rich deep-fried vibe and then sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar for that crispy crackly crust we love about apple cider donuts.
My Favorite Hand Mixer!
It’s so easy to whip up dessert with this cute hand mixer. It doesn’t take up much space and is a must for any kitchen!
How to Make Apple Cider Donut Bread:
Apple Cider: Cook the apple cider at a low boil until it’s reduced by half. This will help concentrate the flavor and really add so much to the bread!
Mix: Beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Next beat in the egg and vanilla until it is just combined.
Batter: Pour the reduced apple cider into the mixing bowl along with all of the remaining dry ingredients including the flour and apple pie spice. Stir by hand until it is just combined.
Bake: Grease your loaf pan (we use a 9×5) and then pour in the bread batter. Bake the apple cider donut bread for 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Topping: Melt some butter and then brush it over the sides and top of the loaf of apple cider bread. Finally, mix together some cinnamon and sugar and start sprinkling it over the bread! Use as much or as little as you like.
Serve: You’ll want to let the apple cider donut bread cool for about an hour before slicing and serving. If you enjoyed this recipe I think you’ll love my apple cider donuts, apple cider pound cake, and apple cider donut pancakes!
Donut Bread:
The thing that sets this apart from a regular quick bread is that we’ve brushed the outside of the bread with melted butter to give it that rich flavor and add a little fat, like you’d get with deep frying a donut.
The cinnamon and sugar liberally sprinkled over the bread add crunch and texture that also helps mimic an apple cider donut.
FAQs:
Absolutely! Apple cider can be hard to find outside of a few months of the year, but apple juice is readily available and works well as a substitute. Apple juice is often a bit sweeter than apple cider, so be prepared for a bit sweeter of a bread.
You can keep this apple cider donut bread at room temperature for about 5 days if it is well wrapped in plastic.
MORE SWEET BREAD AND DONUT RECIPES!
- Cake Donuts
- Monkey Bread
- Air Fryer Donuts
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Glazed Donut
- Sprinkle Donut
Apple Cider Donut Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the apple cider to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to the mixture along with the reduced apple cider. Stir by hand until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bread to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.
- Brush the top and sides of the bread with melted butter.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle liberally over the top and sides of the bread to coat, letting excess cinnamon sugar fall to the pan below.
- Let cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Clint L says
This is a good quick bread recipe, but it doesn’t have the texture or flavors of donuts. I bake (and fry) a LOT of donuts, so I was expecting the donut experience. Easy to pull together and fun to bake, but if you are expecting it to be a donut experience, you will be disappointed.