Easy Apple Cider Donut Recipe

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

When the leaves turn from green to golden, I am all about everything apple! Try my Apple Crisp and Apple Fritter Bread to use up the fall season’s best fruit!

Apple Cider Donuts on a white plate, with one donut cut in half.

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.

When I think of these doughnuts I think of Fall. Visiting the orchards, drinking apple cider, and eating these delicious doughnuts. Even if you do not live by an orchard you can still experience all there is to love about Apple Cider Donuts with this recipe.

A tower of Apple Cider Donuts on a white plate with a fork, with one donut cut in half.

What you’ll need for this recipe

  • Apple cider: The cider is reduced to get a concentrated flavor of apple cider. It also adds a nice tang to the donuts and helps them retain moisture.
  • Butter: Butter and sugar are creamed together to make the donut batter lighter and airier.
  • Sugar: Both light brown sugar and granulated sugar are added to the batter for sweetness and flavor. The light brown sugar has some caramel notes which are delicious with the apple. You can substitute either all light brown sugar or all white sugar, however, it may affect the texture.
  • Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings out the sweet warmth of this recipe. Skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
  • 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: Baking powder helps the donuts to rise a little and makes them soft and fluffy just like cake.
  • Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are warm and spicy, and perfect for the taste of fall in this Apple Cider Donut Recipe. The cinnamon is a must, but you can skip the nutmeg if desired.
  • Coating: Cinnamon and sugar coat the donuts immediately after frying. It reminds me of churros or snickerdoodles!
  • Oil for frying: Vegetable oil is perfect for this recipe as it’s neutral-tasting and fries the donuts well.

How to make this Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Prepare the donut batter

  1. Reduce the apple cider: In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook cider until reduced by almost 1/3. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
  2. 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.
  3. Add wet ingredients: Add in vanilla and whole egg plus egg yolk. Mix to combine.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Firm up: Place dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up. You can even leave it in overnight.

Shape the Donuts

  1. Roll the dough: Roll out the dough onto a floured surface (about 1/2 inch thick)
  2. 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.

Fry the Apple Cider donuts

  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. 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.
  3. Watch the color: The doughnuts take about a minute to cook on each side. If they are browning too quickly and not cooking through the center your heat is too high and needs to be turned down.
  4. Drain excess oil: Place the doughnuts on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
  5. Mix the cinnamon sugar coating: Combine the 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and 5 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl to coat your doughnuts.
  6. Dip the donuts: Immediately dip the apple cider donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm.
  7. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Apple Cider Donuts on a white plate, with one donut cut in half.

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: I fried my doughnuts but you can bake them if you want a lighter 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.
  • Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave if desired!

What is in a cider donut?

In this Apple Cider Donut Recipe, I added apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, butter, flour, and egg to the batter and then dipped them in cinnamon sugar for a deliciously warm and sweet coating.

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.

Easy Homemade Apple Cider Donuts on a white plate, with one donut cut in half.

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Apple Cider Doughnuts

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Melt in your mouth Apple Cider Doughnuts made with fresh apple cider. Easy fall doughnut recipe to make at home!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat cook cider until reduced by almost 1/3. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
  • 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 vanilla and whole egg plus egg yolk. Mix to combine.
  • In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
  • Combine the 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and 5 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl to coat your doughnuts. Set aside.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts. Mix slowly making sure to scrape the sides. Do not over-mix.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • The doughnuts 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.
  • 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. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 614 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 249mg11%
Potassium 332mg9%
Carbohydrates 121g40%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 59g66%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 322IU6%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 122mg12%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Apple Cider, Apple Cider Doughnuts, Baking, Fall Recipes, Homemade Doughnuts

 

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Recipe Rating




Comments - page 1/2

  • These look absolutely incredible. I love your incorporation of reduced apple cider! I know you mentioned baking them; did this work well for you? If so, how long did you bake them for?

    • Hi Paula! Thank you so much! I have not yet baked these doughnuts but am looking forward to trying. I would suggest baking at 350 for about 10 minutes. I would also try spraying the doughnut pan with cooking spray or a bit of butter. Hope this helps.

      Thanks!

      Kelley

  • Donna

    I have reduced the apple cider, but you do not say to add it to the recipe. I’m thinking that it should be added to the butter, sugar and egg mixture because you say to add the flour to the wet mixture.
    I’m going to bake them in mini muffin tins. I’m sure they will be delicious!
    I will rate them after they are done.

    • Hi Donna,

      So sorry about that I did forget to put that in the directions! You are absolutely right it should be added to the butter and sugar mixture. I bet they will look so cute in the mini muffin tins. Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!

      Thank you,

      Kelley

  • Kristy

    Have you ever made this dough the night before and just kept it in the fridge over night? And how many donuts does it make? Thanks!

    • Hi Kristy,

      I have not tried making the dough ahead of time and letting it sit overnight. However I did do a little research and found that it should be OK if you make it ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight.

      This recipe makes about 8 doughnuts + doughnut holes.

      Hope you enjoy! Thanks,

      Kelley

  • Dianna

    Dough is chilling in fridge now. I came back here to see if you’d found out about the omission to add the cider. 🙂 I’m going to write it into my printed recipe.

    I actually had made some boiled cider by reducing a gallon of cider to a little more than a quart and kept it in the fridge to add to any and all apple recipes this year.

    I can hardly wait to get some of these fried up. Thanks for the recipe. Will rate it after tasting

  • Tina

    Super bummed! I’ve rechecked all my measurements, and I can’t figure out what went wrong, but my dough never got to a manageable state. And I added quite a bit of flour, and refrigerated it longer. I finally dumped it into a bread pan and am baking it now, hoping to salvage the effort. Any ideas??

    • Hi Tina,

      I am so sorry that you are having trouble with this recipe. Did you refrigerate it? That does help to firm it up. It also helps if you flour your hands as well as the rolling pin to roll out the dough. I am not sure how this will turn out baked in a bread pan. You can always try baking it in a doughnut mold if you have one and piping it in if it is too sticky for you to handle. I hope these suggestions help.

      So sorry that it didn’t work out for you!

      Kelley

    • Ayshia Stephenson

      I’m baking this for my fiancé’s bday. Can I make them ahead of time?
      Thanks!

    • Hi Ayshia!

      So glad to hear you are going to make them! Personally I like to serve these fresh especially when you are frying them. They are amazing when they come right out of the oil and are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I have not tried making the dough the night before but I had a reader ask the same question. I did a little research and found that it should be OK. But I have not personally done it so it is hard to say for sure.

      Let me know how you make out. I hope you both enjoy!

      Thanks,

      Kelley

  • johanna Lilley

    Hey, these look so good and im dying to try them for myself. Does it make a difference whithout nutmeg?

  • Erica In Iowa

    I noticed in the introduction, you stated you added dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. However, on the ingredients list, only light brown sugar is listed. So, did you use the dark brown instead of light brown, in addition to, or was this just a typo?

    • Hi Erica,

      You can use either dark or light brown sugar (dark brown sugar will just give more of a molasses flavor). I usually use light brown sugar because that is what I have on hand.

      Thank you!

      Kelley

  • Sharon

    I should have read the comments first as I didn’t add the cider till after adding egg to the butter & sugars, no wonder it didn’t become creamy and my dough is really really wet; will add more flour and hope they turn out! Should have gone with my gut! LOL.

  • My daughters and I have been thinking of making apple cider doughnuts at home for a while now because we love to buy them at the apple orchards in the fall. I’ve made doughnuts at home many times with great success and thought this looked good. Unfortunately, the doughnuts completely disintegrated in the hot oil during frying! It was a total bust! The dough literally melted apart into the hot oil, ending up like fried crumbs floating in the oil. I had to throw the entire batch away, and discard the oil. Serious disappointment! I do think the recipe looks and sounds great, but I think it needs a lot more flour to hold together. It was a very fragile, sticky dough, but I thought if I followed recipe, it would work out eventually. Perhaps baking would be better?

    • Hi Cara,

      I am so sorry this did not turn out for you! I did not have trouble with this when I originally made the recipe. I am going to go back and re do it and see if there is something to tweak so this doesn’t happen to anyone else!

      Thank you,

      Kelley

  • Richard H Clyman

    Your recipe sounds delicious! I own a new start up mini donut business which I use the manufacturer’s ready made donut cake mix to be placed in the donut hopper fryer machine. The cake mix is vanilla. I wanted to add Apple Cider to the ready made cake mix. Normally I would add water to the ready made mix that makes the batter, and I was told to substitute it with Apple Cider and add about 1/4 teaspoon of baking Soda. I am trying to figure out the best and easiest way to do this without compromising the overall outcome of the donut’s quality tase, texture and structure/shape??

    • Hi Richard,

      That’s hard to say because I have not tried making apple cider doughnuts with doughnut cake mix. I think adding the apple cider as the liquid sounds like the right trick!

      Thanks!

      Kelley

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