There is nothing better than biting into these warm Apple Cider Mochi Donuts coated in cinnamon sugar. These mochi donuts are packed with apple cider and cinnamon spice, have a soft and bouncy interior, and a crumbly cinnamon-sugar coating.
When it comes to fall I am in my element. My birthday is in November, which naturally makes autumn my favorite time of year. I love everything about the fall, the cooler temperature, cozy sweaters, and of course apple picking. There is something so heartwarming and comforting about an apple dessert that is engulfed in a sea of cinnamon and warm spices. Take one bite into these warm apple cider mochi donuts and you will instantly taste autumn in a donut. If you love fall as much as I do check out my ube lofthouse cookies or my black sesame pop tarts for more fall treats!
These moist and bouncy apple cider mochi donuts with a crumbly cinnamon sugar coating are the best fall mochi donuts you will ever have. They are filled and coated with a rich apple flavor mixed with cinnamon and spice. Plus, they are one of the simpler recipes to make all you will need to do is reduce the apple cider and mix the wet and dry ingredients. These delicious apple cider mochi donuts will impress all of your friends. They will think you got them at a bakery!
Table of Contents
🔍 What is mochi?
Mochi is made from short-grain sweet "sticky" rice flour, however, the flour is not sweet and has a very delicate flavor. Although this rice is often referred to as glutinous rice, it does not contain any gluten. Rather the naming refers to the sticky and glue-like nature of the flour. The sweet rice flour mimics the properties of gluten and gives it an iconic bouncy and chewy texture.
🍽 Kitchen Equipment For This Recipe
- Non-stick Donut Pan: when it comes to these baked apple cider mochi donuts, the easiest way to achieve the perfect donut shape is by using non stick donut pans.
- Glass Mixing Bowls: these nesting glass mixing bowls are my favorite bowls to use when I'm baking. All the different sizes make it so easy to see all the ingredients I am working with.
- Kitchen Scale: using a kitchen scale will always yield a more accurate bake than using measuring cups. I highly recommend using one. This pink kitchen scale has helped me accomplish so many perfect bakes.
- Large Piping tip: since the batter will be wet and sticky from the rice flour, I will advise that you pipe the batter into the donut pan. I used this large piping tip for even piping.
- Piping Bags: piping bags are an essential baking kitchen tool. They are so useful and versatile for decorating and baking. I used these piping bags.
🛒 Ingredients For This Recipe
- Apple Cider: is the base of the flavor in these donuts. The reduced apple cider gives the donut a rich apple cider flavor.
- Sweet Rice Flour: the rice flour is what creates the beautiful chewy mochi texture in the donut. My go-to rice flour is the Koda Farms Mochiko Rice Flour.
- Baking Powder: the baking powder acts as a rising agent to make the donut airy.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom: these warm spices are important in adding an extra umph to the flavor of your donuts.
- Salt: salt balances out the sweetness of the sugar and spices
- Unsalted butter: the butter moistens the donut and adds a rich flavor.
- Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: the combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar sweetens the donut and also adds a hint of molasses without being too overbearing from the brown sugar.
- Whole Milk: milk moistens the batter and brings the batter together while creating a subtle creaminess.
- Vanilla: a touch of vanilla goes a long way in creating more warmth and compliments the flavor of the warm spices.
- Large Eggs: the eggs act as a binding ingredient for the batter and aids in the rise of the donut.
- Apple Pie Spice: apple pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground ginger and cardamom. You can mix up your own apple pie spice if you'd like but I find buying the small container of spices such a time saver.
📝 How To Make This Recipe
This recipe is incredibly easy to make. All you need is a little patience in reducing the apple cider.
- Reduce the apple cider to ½ cup. In a small saucepan, simmer the apple cider over medium low heat until the apple cider has reduced down to ½ cup. Stir every 5-10 minutes to make sure the cider does not burn (about 45-55 minutes). Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the oven and donut tray. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray the donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the sweet rice flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Whisk the remaining wet ingredients and sugar. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, butter, vanilla extract, milk, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs until just combined.
- Combine the dry mixture to the wet batter. Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Using a spatula, fold to combine. The batter will be wet and slightly thick.
- Pipe and bake. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag. Pipe the dough into the greased donut pans. Tap the donut pan 1-2 times on your work space to remove the air bubbles. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Coat the donuts. Combine the melted butter and apple cider in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, brush on the melted butter cider on both sides of the donut and then generously coat with the cinnamon sugar topping.
Coat with melted butter 
Coat with cinnamon sugar
⭐️ Tips For This Recipe
- You must reduce the apple cider. The trick to the flavor explosion in these apple cider mochi donuts is the concentrated apple cider. The apple cider needs to be reduced down on the stove to add big flavor without the excess liquid. Be patient! It will reduce.
- Pipe the donuts into the pan. Piping the batter helps make the donuts more even and easier to transfer to the pan. The batter will be relatively sticky so using a spoon may be difficult. Alternatively, use a zip-lock bag and cut a hole in the corner if you do not have a piping bag.
- You can alternatively use a muffin pan to make muffins instead. You can grease your standard 12-cup muffin pan or use cupcake liners and fill them about ¾ way full and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
🥡 Storage Instructions
These donuts are best eaten immediately. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the donuts, coated or not coated in the toppings, for up to 2 months.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Apple Cider Mochi Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups 500 g apple cider, reduced to ½ cup (125 g)
- 2 cups 300 g sweet rice flour, mochiko rice flour
- 2 teaspoon 10 g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon 3 g ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon 1 g ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom optional
- ¼ teaspoon 1 g salt
- 3 tablespoon 45 g unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup 50 g granulated sugar
- ¼ cup 50 g light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon 5 g vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs 100 g, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 6 tablespoons 80 g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon 30 g apple cider
- ½ cup 120 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon 3 g ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon 1 g apple pie spice
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider to ½ cup. In a small saucepan, stirring occasionally simmer the apple cider over medium-low heat until the apple cider has reduced down to ½ cup (about 45-55 minutes). Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the oven and donut tray. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray the donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the sweet rice flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Whisk the remaining wet ingredients and sugar. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider, butter, vanilla extract, milk, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs until just combined.
- Combine the dry mixture with the wet batter. Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Using a spatula, fold to combine. The batter will be wet and slightly thick.
- Pipe and bake. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag. Pipe the dough into the greased donut pans. Tap the donut pan 1-2 times on your workspace to remove the air bubbles. Bake for 9-11 minutes the edges should be lightly browned until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the donuts in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Coat the donuts. Combine the melted butter and apple cider in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, brush on the melted butter cider on both sides of the donut and then generously coat with the cinnamon sugar topping.
Whitney W
These turned out delicious! Great chewy texture and nice flavour from the apple cider. Definitely saving this recipe 🙂