Apple Cider Donuts.”

Apple Cider Donuts are filled with flavors of Fall! Filled with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg loaded with chunks of apples and topped with an apple cider glaze.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!SAVE

We may earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this post. Read our disclosure policy here.

There is nothing better than fresh, warm apple cider donuts! Crunchy on the outside, cakey and tender on the inside. So GOOD and perfect for breakfast or dessert! Making homemade donuts is not hard just a little time-consuming. Trust me these apple cider donuts are the real deal and about to be your latest food addiction! If you prefer baked donuts try my Baked Glazed Donuts or Air Fryer Donuts.

Why this recipe works

These warm donuts taste like they are straight out of a bakery. Boiling the apple cider down until it becomes a syrup-like texture gives these donuts an intense apple cider flavor combined with sweet diced apples.

Ingredients needed

Notes

• Apple cider: Use real apple cider located in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.
• Flour: All purpose flour.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg 
• Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature.
• Sugars: Both brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Buttermilk: Creates a tender donut, you can make your own buttermilk but add 2 teaspoons white vinegar to 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Apples: I prefer to use a sweeter apple for these apple cider doughnuts like Fuji or Gala.

How to Make These Apple Cider Donuts

• Step 1: In a small saucepan add the apple cider and simmer until reduced, let cool.
• Step 2: In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients. 
• Step 3: In a large bowl add the butter and sugars and mix using an electric mixer until combined.
• Step 4: Add in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and cider and mix.

• Step 5: Add the flour mixture to the wet and mix.
• Step 6: Fold in the diced apples.
• Step 7: Place half of the batter onto a well-floured surface, add more flour on top of the sticky dough and gently roll around until it becomes less sticky.
• Step 8: Roll the dough out using a rolling pin.

• Step 9: Using a doughnut cutter cut the donuts out.
• Step 10: Place the donuts on a baking sheet until.
• Step 11: Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and add a few donuts into the hot oil to fry until golden brown.
• Step 12: Flip and fry the other side.

• Step 13: Place the fried donuts on a cooling rack to drain.
• Step 14: In a small bowl add the powdered sugar and remaining reduced apple cider and mix.
• Step 15: Dip each donut into the glaze.
• Step 16: Place the donuts back on the cooling rack to dry.

Recipe Tips

• Using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil is important. You can use a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer.
• If they start to get brown quickly check the temperature and turn down the heat a bit.
• Dont overcrowd the pot, 3-4 donuts at a time.
• I highly recommend a donut cutter, but you can use two separate circle cookie cutters or a glass and then you’ll have to cut out the center circle.
• If you don’t have a Dutch oven use a large pot.
• If you have a bit of leftover donut dough just make some balls out of it for extra doughnut holes.