Apple cider donuts are everything you want in a cozy fall treat: tender, cakey, warmly spiced and coated in cinnamon sugar.
Made with fresh apple cider that’s reduced to concentrate the apple flavor, these homemade donuts taste just like the ones you’d pick up at a local apple orchard.
Whether you’ve just gone apple picking or grabbed a jug of fresh cider at the grocery store, this apple cider donut recipe is the perfect way to celebrate the season.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Maximum apple flavor: Reducing the cider concentrates all that delicious apple goodness, maximizing apple flavor so they taste like the real deal.
- Perfect fall flavor: Apple cider, cinnamon and sugar make these the ultimate fall treat.
- Cakey and tender: These cake donuts have a soft, cakey texture just like the donut shop.
- Great for entertaining: Make a batch for breakfast, brunch, Halloween parties or any cozy fall gathering.
- Make-ahead friendly: Store leftovers in an airtight container so you can enjoy them for days.
What are Apple Cider Donuts?
Apple cider donuts are a classic fall treat traditionally associated with apple picking, local apple orchards and cider mills. They’re typically made with apple cider, warm spices and a cake-like dough that can be fried or baked.
Old fashioned apple cider donuts are traditionally deep fried and finished with a cinnamon sugar coating.
The secret to getting bold apple flavor is using reduced apple cider. Simmering fresh apple cider in a small saucepan removes some of the liquid and creates a concentrated apple cider reduction. This gives the donuts maximum apple cider flavor without adding much flour or making the donut batter too thin.
Tools You’ll Need for Making Homemade Donuts
If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right. The first thing you’ll need is a kitchen thermometer or candy thermometer that will read up to 350F degrees. It’s super important to monitor the temperature of the oil accurately to prevent overdone or underdone donuts.
The other tool you’ll need is a doughnut cutter. If you don’t have a doughnut cutter, you can use a 3-inch biscuit cutter and a 1-inch biscuit cutter for the hole. Biscuit cutters usually come in a set, so you’ll likely have both sizes in your set.
The basics – a slotted spoon and heavy pot or Dutch oven – are also good to have for homemade donut making.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Fresh apple cider
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Canola oil for frying
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts
Make the Cider Concentrate
Simmer the apple cider in a saucepan until it reduces by half. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Then, let the reduced cider cool to room temperature. You can speed this process up by placing it in the fridge.
Make the Donut Batter
Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated sugar and brown sugar.)
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, reduced cider and melted butter.
Now, blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and chill the dough in the refrigerator.
Heat the Oil
Pour at least 1 inch of oil into a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. There should be enough oil so that the donuts can float.
Then, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 325F degrees. It’s important that you monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
Cut out the Donuts
Once your dough is chilled, roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a donut cutter or biscuit cutters to make the donuts and donut holes.
Fry the Donuts
Gently lower the donuts into the hot oil and fry until they’re a deep, dark brown on both sides. Then, remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. After that, rest them on a wire rack.
Tips for Success
Use real apple cider. Fresh cider provides much more apple flavor than apple juice. If you can find cider from a local orchard, even better!
Don’t skip the cider reduction. This is the key to flavorful apple cider donuts. Concentrated cider gives you maximum apple cider flavor without adding too much liquid.
Let the cider cool. Hot reduced cider can affect the other ingredients, so allow it to cool to room temperature before adding it to the wet ingredients.
Watch your oil temperature. Maintaining the right oil temperature is one of the most important steps. Heat the oil over medium heat, then adjust as needed to keep it at a steady frying temperature. If the oil is too hot, the outside will cook too quickly and the inside could be raw. If the oil is too cool, the donuts will absorb excess oil and turn out heavy. I strongly recommend using a candy thermometer for this.
Coat while warm. The cinnamon sugar mixture sticks especially well to warm donuts.
Storage Instructions
Store completely cooled apple cider doughnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you want to freeze the donuts, allow them to cool completely before wrapping them tightly and placing them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but fresh apple cider is strongly recommended. Apple cider has a richer, more concentrated flavor, which makes a big difference in this recipe.
Yes. You can experiment with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour. Since gluten-free flour blends vary, results may differ slightly.
You can! Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Let it sit on the counter top for about 30 minutes before you roll it out, just to take the chill off.
When you make these apple cider donuts, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more seasonal apple recipes, try these:
- Apple Fritters with Vanilla Glaze
- Cinnamon Apple Crisp
- Puff Pastry Apple Dumplings with Streusel Topping
Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- 1 kitchen thermometer
- 1 donut cutter or 3-inch biscuit cutter
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups apple cider
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- canola oil for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until it is reduced to 1 cup (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. (You can speed this up by placing it in the refrigerator.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs and reduced cider.
- Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Pour at least 1 inch of oil into a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 325F degrees.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture in a shallow bowl.
- While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thick. Use a donut or biscuit cutter to cut the donut shapes.
- Carefully lower the donuts into the oil using a slotted spatula or spoon. Fry until deeply golden brown on both sides, flipping as needed.
- Remove donuts from the oil and allow the excess oil to drip off. Place into the cinnamon sugar mixture and coat on both sides.
- Transfer donuts to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.
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