New England Apple Cider Donut Bread Recipe
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This apple cider donut bread recipe is a delicious twist on a New England fall classic! A perfect breakfast treat that will remind you of autumn all year!
Hi there! I’m Robin from A Home To Grow Old In, and I am beyond excited to share my first post with Kenarry readers today, a delicious recipe for Apple Cider Donut Bread.
Fall is in full swing in New England. The leaves have started changing to the most amazing shades of red, orange, and gold, and we even just had our first freezing night! One of my family’s favorite things about fall is apples! There are so many orchards around us, and my kids love picking them. I have more apples than I know what to do with!
We just moved to Massachusetts last year so all of this is still very new to us. During our first fall here I made an amazing local food discovery…apple cider donuts! I’m from the south, and I have to say I love my southern food more than anything, but I feel like I’ve been missing out my entire life not having tried apple cider donuts. If you’ve never tried them, they are an apple flavored cake donut covered in cinnamon sugar. They are pure goodness and the ultimate fall treat!
I wanted to try to make something similar in my own kitchen, but without having to fry up some donuts. I’ve come up with an apple cider donut bread that has all of the delicious flavors of the donuts but is much less hassle to make.
What You Need:
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Kitchen Tools:
- Apple slicer
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Saucepan
- Immersion blender or regular blender
- Mixing bowl
- Loaf pan
- Wire rack
- Parchment paper
Ingredients Needed:
These are the ingredients you’ll need. All the exact amounts are in the printable card at the bottom of this post.
For the dough:
- Baking apples
- Apple cider
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sour cream
How to make apple cider glaze
I use this glaze on other baking recipes too in the fall. It’s so delicious. I combine apple cider and powdered sugar. That’s it! Pretty easy and not too sweet.
Bread topping ideas
I love topping this bread with a combination of cinnamon and sugar.
You can also sprinkle it with a little bit of nutmeg if you want a little spice!
What are the best apples for baking?
I love using Cortland or McIntosh apples. But I’ve also heard people say that Granny Smith apples work great in this bread too.
Apple Cider Donut Bread
Equipment
- Apple Slicer
- saucepan
- Immersion Blender or Regular Blender
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 nos Apples Baking Apples like Cortland or McIntosh
- 1 1/2 cups Apple Cider
- 1/2 cup Butter Melted
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 2 nos Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 cups Flour All-Purpose
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
For the glaze:
- 1 cup Apple Cider
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
To make bread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Core and slice the apples (This is my favorite tool for peeling and slicing.) I've had mine for over 7 years and still use it all the time!) Cook the apples and 1 1/2 cups of apple cider in a saucepan covered over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the apples and apple cider. You should have about 1 cup of apple sauce. If you have more, return it to the saucepan and continue to cook. If you have reduced it too much, add a little water until you reach 1 cup. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir well.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and add to the butter mixture. Stir until smooth.
- Fold in the apple sauce and sour cream.
- Pour batter into a loaf pan.
To make glaze and topping:
- Simmer 1 cup of apple cider in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce to 1/4 cup. Sift in powder sugar and whisk until smooth to make the glaze.
- Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour the sugar mixture onto a piece of parchment paper into a shallow rectangle slightly larger than the size of the loaf.
- Remove cooled bread from pan and spread a thin layer of the apple cider glaze onto the loaf.
- Turn the bread upside and dip the glazed side into the sugar mixture.
- Slice to serve.
Nutrition
Since I have so many apples right now, I made a few loaves at one time and froze (without glaze and topping) what I didn’t use right away. When I am ready to eat it, I will thaw out a loaf and make a fresh batch of apple cider glaze and cinnamon sugar topping. It’s a tasty weekend breakfast treat that can be eaten at any time when you make it ahead!
It’s been a busy fall this year! I’d love for you to check out a few of my fall projects I’ve been working on lately!
5 Lessons I Learned Making My First Pallet Sign
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What’s Next?
While you’re here, you may also enjoy these recipe ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
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Originally published October 2016. Updated October 2018.
Oh this looks sooo good. My family would love donut bread! Thanks Robin
Thanks, Jenny!
I will be making this bread this upcoming weekend. It just screams ‘FALL IS HERE!’, which is exactly the kind of food I’m looking for right now. I love that you took a doughnut recipe and made it into a cake! What a great idea. You are brilliant!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
Hugs, Lynn
Isn’t Robin incredible? I just love this idea and can’t wait to try her recipe too. Hope you enjoy it, Lynn.
Oh this looks simply delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I would love to try making this for my family!
Enjoy the recipe, Nicki. We hope you give it a try!
I just printed this recipe and will be making it this weekend. It sounds like the perfect combination of everything yummy for fall!! Apples…cider…donuts…yes please!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you, Tammy! Robin and I hope you love it!
This looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try out this recipe. Thank you for sharing:)
Thank you for visiting us, Kornelija!
As a child, we would visit my grandparents on Halloween before heading out Trick-or-Treating. Grandma always served us apple cider and spice doughnuts. This recipe reminds me of those fond memories and I am excited to make it for my family. Thanks for sharing!
What a fun tradition and such special memories with your Grandma! Enjoy making this bread for your family. Maybe it can spark a new tradition?