Apple Cider Donuts Recipe from bunsinmyoven.com (2024)

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25 minutes minutes

Karly Campbell

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Apple cider donuts, are among the best easy fried donuts you can make. If you’ve been a reader for long, you know I am a donut addict.Apple Cider Donuts Recipe from bunsinmyoven.com (1)

Oh, hi. You look kinda hungry. Don’t worry. I made donuts.

Again.

And, again.

Also…again.

And one more time, but no link to that one since I still haven’t shared the recipe. It’s a doozy. I’ll share it soon.

What? It’s not like I have a problem with donuts or anything. I can stop anytime. Really. I can totally stop.

Quit judging me.

Just be happy that I’m sharing Apple Cider Donuts with you. I promised apple week, and apple week I shall deliver.

I know you all hate frying food (at least, I’m assuming that’s the case based on all of the scared/mean/angry/frightened emails I get every time I post a recipe that involves frying), and honestly, I don’t get it. Are you scared? Do you not do it for health reasons? Is it just that it’s something new to you and you’re leery about trying it? Do you just not know how?

If you’d rather not fry, but you’re craving apples, try my homemade applesauce instead!

Frying donuts is easy!

Really, guys, frying isn’t difficult and it’s not horribly unhealthy if you do right and do it in moderation.

Make sure your oil is hot enough and your food won’t soak up a ton of grease.

I save the bottles that the oil comes in and I dump it back in the bottle through a funnel when the used oil is cool and toss the bottle with the lid tightly closed. I’ve also been known to just dump the pan full of oil out in a far corner of the backyard in the treese. I don’t fry often, maybe twice a month (is that often?), but it’s certainly not hard or scary.

Besides, freshly fried donuts are totally worth busting out a big pot of hot oil.

As you can see, I tossed my donuts in a bit of cinnamon and sugar, but I’m including the recipe for a yummy apple cider glaze that you could use instead. I just have this thing for cinnamon sugar donuts.

Go forth and fry. Report back and let me know how it goes.

Follow me on social for more recipe ideas & inspiration!

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe from bunsinmyoven.com (3)

Recipe

Apple Cider Donuts

Nothing beats homemade donuts and this apple cider version is simply amazing.

Print Pin Save

Prep20 minutes minutes

Cook5 minutes minutes

Resting Time40 minutes minutes

Total25 minutes minutes

Serves 18 donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 3 1/2 cups flour plus a few tablespoons for the work surface
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For topping:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

For frying:

  • vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Add the apple cider to a small sauce pan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes and reduce the apple cider to about 1/4 cup. Set aside to cool.

  • Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until completely incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add the apple cider and buttermilk, stirring just until combined.

  • Stir in the flour mixture just until the dough comes together.

  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour.

  • Place the dough on one baking sheet and flatten it out with your hands to about 1/2 inch thick.

  • Transfer the dough to the freezer for about 20 minutes.

  • Use a donut cutter to cut donuts and place them on the second baking sheet. Re-roll and cut out any scraps. Place the cut donuts in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

  • Add enough oil or shortening to a deep sided pan to measure about 3 inches deep. Heat to 350 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels for draining the donuts.

  • Carefully add donuts to the pan of hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds per side. Drain on the paper towel lined plate for 1 minute and dip in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1donut| Calories: 216kcal (11%)| Carbohydrates: 43g (14%)| Protein: 3g (6%)| Fat: 3g (5%)| Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)| Cholesterol: 25mg (8%)| Sodium: 163mg (7%)| Potassium: 103mg (3%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 23g (26%)| Vitamin A: 115IU (2%)| Vitamin C: 0.1mg| Calcium: 44mg (4%)| Iron: 1.3mg (7%)

Author: Karly Campbell

Course:Breakfast

Cuisine:American

Keyword:donuts

Did You Make This?Tag Us On Instagram

recipe from Smitten Kitchen

You may also like…

  • Apple Cider Pound Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

  • Apple Cider Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

  • Banana Bread Donuts

  • Apple Fritters

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe from bunsinmyoven.com (8)

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  1. DM says

    I made these doughnuts this evening and they were really excellent. They puffed up beautifully and tasted amazing.

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Glad to hear that!

      Reply

  2. Aqiyl Aniys says

    These must have a nice tasty taste to them.

    Reply

    • Aqiyl Aniys says

      I meant tarty taste.

      Reply

  3. Debra Pearson says

    What would be the differences in the donuts if Apple juice were used instead of cider? Don’t think I’ve ever had cider… ????

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Apple juice and cider are basically the same thing, so go ahead and swap them! No problem. 🙂

      Reply

  4. lori says

    gonna have to try your recipe. looks awesome. and I do like fried foods…

    Reply

  5. grace says

    as far as i’m concerned, apple cider donuts are the best ever. a caramel glaze is particularly nice. 🙂

    Reply

  6. Jenny says

    i’m afraid of frying…or more, i am afraid of not being able to stop eating fried donuts.
    but, if you really, really wanted to, you could do a rendition for the mini donut maker. ya know, in all your free time. 🙂 pleeeeeeease!!! 🙂

    Reply

  7. Lauren says

    Oh my….these look amazing!

    Reply

Older Comments

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe from bunsinmyoven.com (2024)

FAQs

What makes apple cider donuts different? ›

For starters, the TEXTURE. They're so soft and pillowy but remain really moist and tender. This is due to the fact that these donuts are made with oil instead of butter. Apple sauce is also added to further that moist texture.

Does Aldi have apple cider donuts? ›

I love apple-cider doughnuts so I couldn't wait to try The Bake Shop ones available at Aldi.

How do you keep apple cider donuts fresh? ›

How to Store Cider Donuts
  1. To store. Baked apple cider donuts are at their freshest on the day they're made. However, you can store any leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. ...
  2. Freeze. It's best to freeze these donuts before they're coated in cinnamon sugar.
Apr 3, 2024

Why are apple cider doughnuts so good? ›

Flavor: Flavor-wise, they're APPLE and CINNAMON and SPICE all over. They taste like they're straight from the bakery! Ease: A simple mix of wet and dry ingredients plus the apple cider concentrate makes these a snap to prepare for crisp fall mornings.

What are apple cider donuts made of? ›

Homemade apple cider donuts! This easy recipe includes brown butter, apple butter, and apple pie spices making it the ultimate cider donut. It's packed with flavor, the texture is cakey but decisively donuty as they are fried and coated in spiced sugar.

Do apple cider donuts taste like apple cider? ›

Note that while apple cider donuts include apple cider, they're actually not designed to TASTE very strongly of apple, per several readers. Fittingly, most of these recipes are basically excellent cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts with a hint of apple.

Are apple cider donuts a New England thing? ›

CIDER DONUTS have become nearly as synonymous with a New England fall as apples and foliage. Every orchard's cider donuts are different, and every orchard's are the best, according to its devotees, who are often passionate on the subject.

Why are they called apple cider donuts? ›

Apple cider doughnuts are very similar to traditional cake or buttermilk doughnuts but have the additional ingredient of cider or apple juice. The doughnuts are likely associated with fall because of the harvest of apples and farm animals. (The slaughter usually meant extra fat with which to fry.)

What is the difference between a cider donut and a regular donut? ›

Cider doughnuts are cake doughnuts that get their flavor from cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider used in the batter. They are a harvest tradition in autumn in the northeastern United States and are sometimes sold at cider mills.

Do apple cider donuts need to be refrigerated? ›

Let the donuts cool just until you can handle them, but are still warm, then brush with the cider mixture and dunk in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve + Store: Enjoy warm! Drizzle with homemade caramel sauce for extra deliciousness! Store cooled donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Can you freeze homemade apple cider doughnuts? ›

Freezing: Place donuts on a baking tray and put in the freezer for 3-5 hours or until frozen. Without letting them thaw, place in an airtight container or freezing bag. Keep up to 3 months. Thawing: Leave at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes.

What is the secret ingredient in Krispy Kreme donuts? ›

What is the secret to Krispy Kreme Donuts? The secret to Krispy Kreme doughnuts is of course the sweet glaze, and this is achieved by bathing the doughnuts in a glaze of icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk, for a thicker glaze increase the quantity of icing sugar by a few spoons.

Why are Krispy Kreme donuts so light and fluffy? ›

A batch of original glazed starts with Krispy Kreme doughnut mix, water and yeast, the same single-cell fungi used to make bread rise. The yeast is what makes the original glazed so light -- it puffs the dough up with air, so it's not dense like a cake doughnut (more on this later).

Does Starbucks sell apple cider donuts? ›

It's topped with sweet vanilla icing. If the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte isn't enough to get you in a "fall" state of mind, Starbucks has seasonal food items that certainly will.

Why are apple cider donuts called apple cider donuts? ›

Cider Donuts are to be eaten with cider, that's where the name comes from. So if you grew up in rural New England, as I did, you have indelible memories of the smell of cider donuts at Apple Orchards this time of year.

How do apple cider donuts taste? ›

The flavor feels mostly cinnamon. This donut had the most “apple” taste out of all of them. Good crumb texture, just the right amount of “doughiness”, and there was a little bit of sourness to contrast the sugar.

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