Made with fresh apple cider, these melt-in-your-mouth Apple Cider Donuts are so flavorful! An easy fall doughnut recipe to make at home, it’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack.

Try my Apple Crisp and Apple Fritter Bread to use up the fall season’s best fruit!

apple cider doughnut on white plate

The BEST Apple Cider Donuts

I spent this past Saturday morning making these delicious melt-in-your-mouth Apple Cider Doughnuts. My love affair with these doughnuts didn’t start there. I was first introduced to them at a local farm in Maryland. They make their doughnuts with fresh squeezed Apple Cider from their orchard. They come out piping hot and were rolled in cinnamon and sugar.

apple cider doughnuts on white plate

Apple Cider Dounut ingredients

  • Apple cider: The cider is reduced to get a concentrated flavor of apple cider.
  • Butter: Butter and sugar are creamed together to make the donut batter lighter and airier.
  • Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar in this recipe. The light brown sugar has some caramel notes which are delicious with the apple.
  • Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings out the sweet warmth of this recipe.
  • Egg: A whole egg plus 1 egg yolk binds the ingredients together.
  • Flour: Plain, white, all-purpose flour is the foundation ingredient for the batter.
  • Baking powder and Baking soda: Baking powder helps the donuts to rise a little and makes them soft and fluffy just like cake.
  • Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and cloves are warm and spicy, and perfect for the taste of fall in this Apple Cider Donut Recipe.
  • Buttermilk: Adds moisture to the dough.
  • Coating: Cinnamon, sugar and spices coat the donuts immediately after frying. It reminds me of churros or snickerdoodles!

How to make Apple Cider Donut Recipe

  1. Reduce the apple cider: You should end up with about 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
reduced apple cider in small saucepan
  1. Cream butter and sugar: Meanwhile, add butter and both sugars to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until fluffy.
creaming butter and sugars in stand mixer with the paddle attachment
  1. Add wet ingredients: Add in vanilla and whole egg plus egg yolk. Mix to combine.
adding eggs and vanilla to stand mixer
  1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
  2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts. Mix slowly making sure to scrape the sides. Do not over-mix.
adding flour to stand mixer
  1. Firm up: Place dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up. You can even leave it in overnight.
  2. Roll the dough: Roll out the dough onto a floured surface (about 1/2 inch thick)
  3. Cut out the donuts: Cut out donuts with a lightly floured doughnut cutter or a biscuit cutter (2 1/2 or 3 inches). Cut out the center with a 1-inch cutter for doughnut holes.
    cutting out apple cider donuts on floured countertop
    1. Heat the oil: Add oil to a large pot with high sides. I do about 6 cups of oil for this recipe. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
    2. Fry Doughnuts: Drop your doughnuts in 2 or 3 at a time. Do not overcrowd the oil with too many doughnuts. It will lower the heat of the oil substantially.
    deep frying donuts in oil in white cast iron dutch oven
    1. Drain excess oil: Place the doughnuts on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
    2. Mix the cinnamon sugar coating: Combine the 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and 5 tablespoons sugar, allspice and ground cloves in a small bowl to coat your doughnuts.
    cinnamon sugar mixture in small white bowl
    1. Dip the donuts: Immediately dip the apple cider donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm. Serve and enjoy!
    dipping fried donuts in cinnamon sugar mixture

      Tips for Success

      • The dough can get pretty sticky which can make it difficult to work with. Therefore I place the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes before I start rolling it out as well as before frying them. This makes handling the dough a lot easier.
      • After the doughnuts come out of the fryer they are tossed with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. It is important to toss the doughnuts in cinnamon and sugar as soon as they come out of the oil.
      • Cutting the donuts: I used a small biscuit cutter to cut out the doughnuts. You can always use a doughnut cutter or improvise with a round glass. Just make sure to dip the cup in flour.
      • Boiling apple cider additions: The smell of the apple cider boiling in the house is intoxicating! Stick a cinnamon stick in and your house will smell amazing. You can even simmer your apple cider with orange slices for some extra flavor.
      • Healthier option: This Wilton Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan works great for baking doughnuts.
      • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

      Are cider donuts made with cider?

      Yes! I used apple cider from a local farm in Maryland. The apple cider is reduced to make a concentrated apple juice and then added to the batter.

      fried apple cider donuts on white plate

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        Recipe

        Apple Cider Doughnuts

        5 from 2 votes
        Melt in your mouth Apple Cider Doughnuts made with fresh apple cider. Easy fall doughnut recipe to make at home!
        Author: Kelley Simmons
        Prep Time: 30 minutes
        Cook Time: 10 minutes
        Total Time: 40 minutes
        Serves 12
        Rate Print

        Ingredients 

        • 2 cups apple cider
        • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
        • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
        • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
        • 1 tsp vanilla extract
        • 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
        • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
        • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
        • 1 tsp baking soda
        • 1/2 tsp salt
        • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
        • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
        • 1/4 tsp ground all spice
        • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
        • 1/4 cup buttermilk
        • vegetable oil for frying

        Cinnamon Sugar Coating

        • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
        • 5 tbsp sugar
        • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
        • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

        Instructions

        • Reduce apple cider: Add apple cider to a small saucepan. Simmer until the apple cider is reduced by half (you should end up with 1 cup) This should take about 10-15 minutes.
          Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool.
        • Cream butter and sugar: Meanwhile, add butter and both sugars to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until fluffy.
        • Add in the vanilla and whole egg plus egg yolk. Mix to combine.
          Slowly add in the cooled reduced apple cider and mix to combine.
        • Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground all spice and ground cloves. Set aside.
        • Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Mix slowly making sure to scrape down the sides.
          Add in the buttermilk and stir just until combined.
        • Refrigerate dough: Place dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up. You can even leave it in overnight.
        • Roll out dough onto a floured surface (about 1/2 inch thick)
          Cut out doughnuts: with a lightly floured doughnut cutter or a biscuit cutter (2 1/2 or 3 inch). Cut out the center with a 1 inch cutter for doughnut holes.
        • Add oil to a large pot with high sides. I do about 6 cups of oil for this recipe. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
        • Deep fry donuts: Drop your donuts in 2 or 3 at a time. Do not overcrowd the oil with too many donuts. It will lower the heat of the oil substantially.
        • The donuts take about a minute to cook on each side. If they are browning too easily and not cooking through the center your heat is too high and needs to be turned down.
        • Make cinnamon sugar coating: Combine the 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, 5 tablespoons sugar, all spice and ground cloves in a small bowl to coat your doughnuts. Set aside.
        • Place the doughnuts on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
          Immediately dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm.
          Serve immediately and enjoy!

        Notes

        Refrigerate dough before rolling: The dough can get pretty sticky which can make it difficult to work with. Therefore I place the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes before I start rolling it out as well as before frying them. This makes handling the dough a lot easier.
        Toss doughnuts in sugar immediately: After the doughnuts come out of the fryer they are tossed with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. It is important to toss the doughnuts in cinnamon and sugar as soon as they come out of the oil.

        Nutrition Information

        Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 118IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg

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