Kirbie's Cravings

Mini Cider Donuts with Chocolate Ganache

These Mini Apple Cider Donuts are baked, not fried, and topped with chocolate ganache. They’re an easy and fun treat for the fall season.

photo of mini cider donuts with chocolate ganache on a baking rack

I bought a lot of spiced cider when I made mini baked apple cider donuts. I was going to use it to make fried cider donuts, but the recipe I found ended up needing to take a lot more prep work than I anticipated. (I have a bad habit of not thoroughly reading a recipe until it’s time to make it.)

I didn’t have time to make the fried version, so I made some more baked ones. The previous baked ones were topped with cinnamon sugar. I’m not a big fan of sugar-topped donuts because I don’t like the crunch of the sugar crystals. So this time around, I dipped them in chocolate ganache. I love how baked donuts look in chocolate ganache.

If you don’t have a mini donut pan, I bought this mini donut pan* from Amazon. It’s cheap and easy to use.  I’ve used mine so many times now.  I think these mini donuts may be featured on my Thanksgiving dessert menu this year.

*This link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred.

photo of three donuts on a plate

Ingredients

  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Large egg
  • Brown sugar
  • Unsweetened apple sauce
  • Maple syrup or agave nectar
  • Spiced apple cider
  • Nonfat plain yogurt
  • Vegetable oil

How to Make Them

Baked mini donuts are so easy to make – just as easy as making a quick bread or a batch of pancakes.

Just whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter into a prepared mini donut pan and bake the donuts for about 12 minutes at 400°F. Let the donuts cool on a wire rack.

For the ganache, heat heavy cream in a small pot and then pour the hot cream over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Dipped the tops of each donut in the ganache.

photo of three cider donuts on a plate with a bigger plate of donuts in the background

While I like how the ganache looks, it did sort of overpower the donuts. I could barely taste the apple cider flavor when the donuts were topped with ganache. You could top them with a glaze made with confectioners’ sugar and water instead.

They are super cute, though. I’ll have to attempt the fried version when I have a chance.

More Donut Recipes

Mini Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Servings: 12 mini donuts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Cute mini cider donuts topped with a rich chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup spiced apple cider
  • 1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

For the Ganache

  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray mini donut pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  • In another bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, applesauce, agave nectar, cider, yogurt, and oil.
  • Add in dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  • Fill each mini donut halfway. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let donuts cool slightly for a few minutes. Use a plastic knife, gently pry around edges of the donut until donuts pop out. Let donuts cool completely on wire rack.
  • To make the ganache, heat heavy cream in a small pot. Once it begins to boil, remove from the stove.
  • Pour heavy cream into bowl of chopped chocolate. Stir and mix until chocolate is completely melted.
  • Let ganache cool for a few minutes before dipping the tops of the donuts in chocolate ganache

Notes

Recipe adapted from The City Sisters

Nutrition

Serving: 1mini donut, Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 274mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, NET CARBS: 39

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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6 comments on “Mini Cider Donuts with Chocolate Ganache”

  1. I’ve been meaning to try making apple cider donuts for the longest time. And, these look great with the chocolate topping!

    • These are a lot healthier than regular cider donuts, but they taste yummy! Hopefully I’ll have time to make the fried kind soon.

  2. I had a little tasting of some cider donuts up in Julian – I wish I had bought some. Cider donuts are so good!

    • I like cider donuts too. I’m going to try making the fried ones, but they do require a lot of prep work unfortunately. Never tried the ones in Julian, but I’m sure they are delicious just like the pies.

  3. ganache definitely looks so much better than a regular glaze!

    • I love the look of ganache! I usually don’t like chocolate on my regular yeast donuts, but on these teeny ones, I love the chocolate ganache topping.