Apple Cider Donuts
This classic fall treat has a tender, fluffy texture and an irresistible apple glaze and cinnamon-sugar finish.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 553
- Total Fat
- 29 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 39 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 28 mg
- Sodium
- 359 mg
Article by Layla Khoury-Hanold
Apple cider donuts are a favorite fall treat, especially when enjoyed warm on a crisp autumn day or at a local fall festival. With our easy apple cider donuts recipe, you’ll learn how to make donut dough from scratch, the best types of apples to use, the secret ingredients that add flavor depth, and tips and tricks for frying, glazing and dipping.
Renee Comet
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts Like a Pro
Reach for red apples. We recommend Cortland or McIntosh apples for their crisp, juicy texture and aromatic, sweet-tart flavor profile.
Don’t peel the apples. Chopping cored apples with their peel on imparts maximum apple flavor and cuts down on prep work.
Reduce the apple cider. While the apples cook down in the apple cider, the cider reduces, creating an apple cider concentrate that packs extra flavor into the donuts without excess moisture.
Choose all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour creates a donut with just enough structure and a soft, fluffy texture.
Use high-quality spices. Ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg give these apple cider donuts their warming spice flavor profile.
Incorporate buttermilk for the best texture. The acidity in buttermilk helps to tenderize the dough, resulting in a more tender donut with a soft crumb. It also reacts with the baking soda to ensure a light, fluffy texture.
Renee Comet
Chill your shaped dough. After patting out the dough into a rectangle, chill it for at least 2 hours to ensure that the gluten has time to develop and for the ingredients to incorporate, resulting in a tender, flavorful donut.
Use biscuit cutters for the ideal shape. If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter for the main shape, then use a 1-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the middles.
Renee Comet
Fry donuts in batches. This helps avoid overcrowding in the pot and ensures that the donuts cook evenly.
Make a donut glaze. The apple cider-based glaze adds another layer of sweetness and apple flavor, plus it helps the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the donut.
How to Store Apple Cider Donuts
Apple cider donuts are best enjoyed freshly fried and warm, but leftover apple cider donuts can be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, or 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator (although storing them in the fridge will alter their texture).
If you plan to freeze apple cider donuts, it’s best to do so before dipping them in the glaze and cinnamon-sugar. To store apple cider donuts in the freezer, wrap each individually in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container or resealable bag. Stored this way, apple cider donuts will last up to three months in the freezer. Be sure to date and label the contents of the container.
Apple Cider Doughnuts
- Level: Easy
- Total: 3 hr 10 min
- Prep: 50 min
- Inactive: 2 hr
- Cook: 20 min
- Yield: 12 doughnuts
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 553
- Total Fat
- 29 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 39 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 28 mg
- Sodium
- 359 mg
- Level: Easy
- Total: 3 hr 10 min
- Prep: 50 min
- Inactive: 2 hr
- Cook: 20 min
- Yield: 12 doughnuts
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 553
- Total Fat
- 29 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 39 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 28 mg
- Sodium
- 359 mg
Ingredients
Directions
- Core and coarsely chop the apples (do not peel). Combine with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Measure the sauce; you should have 1 cup. (Boil to reduce further, if necessary.) Let cool slightly.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- Beat 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the shortening in another bowl with a mixer on medium speed until sandy. Beat in the egg and yolk, then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to make a sticky dough; do not overmix.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and pat into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Simmer the remaining 1 cup cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and glossy, then set aside. Mix the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside for the topping.
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Cut the chilled dough into 12 rounds, using a floured 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter, then cut out the middles with a 1-inch cutter (or use a doughnut cutter). Slip 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.
- Dip one side of each doughnut in the cider glaze, letting the excess drip off; dip just the glazed side in the cinnamon-sugar or roll all over in cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Serve warm.
