Apple Cider Donuts – Crispy on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside, these apple cider donuts are the perfect fall treat! Tender, airy, and infused with apple flavor, they’re a breakfast, dessert, or snack the whole family will love! And with their sweet and zesty cinnamon sugar coating, it’s impossible to eat just one!
I first discovered apple cider donuts (or doughnuts😉) on a visit to an apple orchard in New York. Apple picking was fun, but my favorite part of the visit was at the end. They served us the most irresistibly delicious apple cider donuts and a mug of steaming hot cinnamon apple cider!
When I returned home, I set about creating my own apple cider donuts so I could enjoy them whenever a craving hit. Since I moved to the States, one of my favorite fall activities has been curling up on a chilly night with a mug of hot cider and a melt-in-your-mouth apple cider donut. What a great time of year!
Why Are Apple Cider Donuts So Popular?
To begin with, the taste is spectacular! You get the subtle taste of apple cider blending flawlessly with warming cinnamon and nutmeg. And who can resist the texture of a crispy donut fried to golden-brown perfection? But more than that, these heavenly little creatures embody everything warm and cozy about fall!
Recipe Ingredients
- Apple Cider – You can make homemade apple cider or use store-bought because either works fine. You can also use unsweetened apple juice.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour and sifted it for a better texture. You can find out how to sub bread or cake flour in my flour substitutes.
- Leavening Agents – Baking soda and powder make your donuts light and tender.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice complement the apple cider and provide that luscious fall taste.
- Butter – Fat provides moisture and makes everything taste better, but it’s even better with butter.
- Sugar – Sweet addictions are fed by this amazing ingredient. Or use brown sugar if you prefer an even deeper flavor.
- Buttermilk – The acidity in buttermilk activates the baking soda for a lighter donut. Plus, it makes these guys super moist. Store-bought works, or you can make your own by stirring one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a cup of milk.
- Eggs – The perfect binder also gives a lift to the leavening agents. Room temperature is usually best for baking.
- Vanilla – There’s something about this ingredient that adds a deeper flavor dimension to desserts. It’s horribly expensive, so making your own vanilla extract is a huge plus.
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
- Reduce the Cider – Pour your apple cider into a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until reduced to ⅓ cup and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If the cider over-reduces to less than ⅓ cup, add enough water to make up the measurement. (Photos 1-2)
- Combine Dry Ingredients – Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. (Photo 3)
- Combine Wet Ingredients – Whisk melted butter and granulated sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl using a hand mixer until the sugar dissolves, 3-5 minutes. Then add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and reduced cider. Mix until fully combined and smooth. (Photos 4-6)
- Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients – Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon gently just until fully moistened. Do not overmix. (Photos 7-8)
- Knead the Dough – Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, and dust the top of it and the rolling pin with flour. Then knead the dough a few times until it comes together. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Form the dough into a ball and roll it out using the rolling pin so it’s ½-inch thick. (Photos 9-10)
- Form the Donuts – Cut out rounds with a 3-inch floured donut cutter (or use 2 round cookie cutters—a 3-inch one to form the donut and a 1-inch for the donut holes). The dough may be a bit sticky, so it’s fine to twist the cutters as you push them to get a clean cut. Transfer the donuts and donut holes to a floured baking sheet. Then gather the scraps and form them into a ball. Roll it out until ½-inch thick, repeating the process until you have at least 12 donuts and 12 donut holes. Cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator to rest for about an hour. (Photos 11-12)
- Make the Sugar Coating – While the dough is chilling, make the cinnamon sugar by mixing the sugar and ground cinnamon in a wide, shallow mixing bowl until fully blended. Set aside. (Photos 13-14)
- Heat the Oil – Fill a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot with vegetable oil (about 1½ inches deep) and place the pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350℉/177℃.
- Fry the Donuts – Working in batches, gently place four donuts at a time in the oil and fry, flipping once, until puffed, golden brown, and crispy, 1-2 minutes on each side. (Photo 15)
- Coat Donuts – Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the donuts from the hot oil, holding them over the pot for a few seconds so the excess oil can drain off. Then transfer your doughnuts to a paper towel-lined plate for about 30 seconds. Roll them while still warm in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and place them on the wire rack to cool. (Photo 16)
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining doughnuts, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain an oil temperature of 350ºF/177℃. Toss each batch in the cinnamon sugar 30 seconds after they cool on the paper towel-lined plate.
- Fry the Donut Holes – Fry the donut holes in 2 batches (about 1 minute on each side) and coat them with cinnamon sugar.
Recipe Variations
- Add ground ginger to the cinnamon sugar coating for a spicy cinnamon ginger crunch.
- You can glaze your apple cider donuts instead of coating them with cinnamon sugar. A simple glaze with powdered sugar, a bit of milk, and a splash of vanilla extract will amp up the decadent factor.
- A teaspoon of orange or lemon zest in the donut batter will give you a burst of citrus freshness!
- Yes, you can air fry these babies for a truly guilt-free indulgence. Following my instructions for air-fryer donuts will save the day.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a deep pot for frying. Donuts expand in oil, and you don’t want any overflows.
- Draining excess oil from the donuts twice will keep them crispier. Drain once over the pot of oil using a slotted spoon or spatula for about 10 seconds. Then lay them on a paper towel-lined surface to remove more excess oil. Finally, transfer them to a cooling rack before serving.
- Be sure to use enough oil so your donuts can float. That will help them cook uniformly. And don’t worry because you can reuse the frying oil later!
Make-Ahead Instructions
Apple cider donuts are best hot and fresh! But to reduce prep time, you can simmer and reduce the apple cider the night before and keep it in the fridge. Or you can make them ahead, freeze them, and reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
If you prefer making the dough ahead, you can store it uncooked in an airtight container and refrigerate it for a day. Then bring it to room temperature before frying.
Serving and Storage Instructions
It’s hard to imagine you’ll have leftovers when you serve these guys! But just in case, you store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Reheat them in an oven, toaster oven, or air fryer to revive their crispiness.
FAQs
Frying the donuts at too low a temperature can create a tough outer crust. Test the oil to ensure it reaches 350ºF/177℃ before you start frying, and adjust the temperature as needed.
Yes, you can. The biggest difference between apple cider and juice is the process. Juice is filtered and lasts longer, while cider is fresher and has a shorter shelf life. However, check to make sure your juice is unsweetened so your donuts aren’t too sweet.
Canola, vegetable, and peanut oil have high smoke points, making them ideal for frying. All three of these are neutral-flavored with a smoke point of over 400℉/205℃.
What to Serve With Apple Cider Donuts
What goes better with apple cider donuts than a warm and cozy fall beverage like the ones below?
- Hot Apple Cider
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Ginger Tea
- Homemade Eggnog
- Southern Sweet Tea (yes, you can enjoy it hot😉)
More Decadent Fall Apple Recipes to Try
Conclusion
This decadent apple cider donut recipe will make you the hero of breakfast or snack time! Are you looking for more goodies to celebrate fall? Sign up for my newsletter to catch all my new recipes!
Watch How to Make It
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Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegetable oil, such as canola oil for frying
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour your apple cider into a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until reduced to ⅓ cup and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If the cider over-reduces to less than ⅓ cup, add enough water to make up the measurement.
- Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Whisk together thoroughly.
- Whisk the melted butter and granulated sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl with a hand mixer until the sugar melts, 3-5 minutes.
- Then add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and reduced cider. Mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon gently just until fully moistened. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, and dust the top of it and the rolling pin with flour. Then knead the dough a few times until it comes together. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
- Form the dough into a ball and roll it out using the rolling pin so it's ½-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 3-inch floured donut cutter (or use 2 round cookie cutters; a 3-inch one to form the donut and a 1-inch to create the holes). The dough may be a bit sticky, so you can twist the cutters as you push them in to get a clean cut.
- Transfer the donuts and donut holes to a floured baking sheet. Then gather the scraps and form them into a ball. Roll it out until ½-inch thick, repeating the process until you have at least 12 donuts and 12 donut holes. Cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator to rest for about an hour.
- While the dough is chilling in the refrigerator, make the cinnamon sugar by mixing sugar and cinnamon in a wide shallow mixing bowl and mixing until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Pour your vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot (about 1½ inches deep), and place the pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350℉/177℃.
- Working in batches, gently place four donuts at a time in the oil and fry, flipping once, until puffed, golden brown, and crispy, 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the donuts from the hot oil, holding them over the pot for a few seconds so the excess oil can drain off. Then transfer your doughnuts to a paper towel-lined plate for about 30 seconds. Roll them while still warm in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and place them on the wire rack to cool.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining doughnuts, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain an oil temperature of 350ºF/177℃. Toss each batch in the cinnamon sugar 30 seconds after they cool on the paper towel-lined plate.
- Fry the donut holes in 2 batches (about 1 minute on each side) and coat them with cinnamon sugar.
Tips & Notes:
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a deep pot for frying. Donuts expand in oil, and you don’t want any overflows.
- Draining excess oil from the donuts twice will keep them crispier. Drain once over the pot of oil using a slotted spoon or spatula for about 10 seconds. Then lay them on a paper towel-lined surface to remove more excess oil. Finally, transfer them to a cooling rack before serving.
- Be sure to use enough oil so your donuts can float. That will help them cook uniformly. And don’t worry because you can reuse the frying oil later!
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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