Bake up cozy fall perfection with this Apple Cider Donuts Recipe—soft, spiced, and coated in cinnamon sugar. A warm, homemade treat that tastes just like autumn!
If fall had a scent, it would be warm apple cider and cinnamon sugar wafting from the oven. This Apple Cider Donuts Recipe captures that perfect autumn moment—soft, fluffy donuts infused with tangy apple cider and coated in a sweet, spiced crunch!
Why This Version Works (And Refuses To Be Greasy)
- Double Cider Hit: You’ll reduce apple cider to a syrup for the dough, then use more in the glaze. That’s how you taste apple, not just spice.
- Cake-Donut Dough: Buttermilk + egg + butter keep the crumb soft; a quick chill lets the rings hold shape in the fryer.
- Temperature Discipline: 350–355°F (175–180°C). Too cool = greasy. Too hot = raw centers. We cook, we don’t gamble.
- Two Finishes: Cinnamon-sugar crunch for nostalgia, shiny cider glaze for the bakery look. Do both—no one’s mad.
Tools You’ll Need
- 3–4 qt heavy pot or Dutch oven (light-colored helps you see browning)
- Deep-fry thermometer or instant-read thermometer
- Spider/skimmer or slotted spoon
- Stand mixer with paddle (or hand mixer + sturdy spatula)
- Rolling pin, bench scraper, and 3¼″ donut cutter (or 3¼″ + 1″ round cutters)
- Sheet pans, parchment, and a wire rack set over a pan (for glazing and draining)
Ingredients (Weighing = Consistency = Bragging Rights)
Yield: 12–14 standard donuts + holes
- Oil For Frying: 1.5–2 liters neutral oil (peanut, canola, or rice bran)
- Oven/Room: Dough chills; frying at 350–355°F (175–180°C)
Cider Reduction
- 2½ cups (600 ml) apple cider (not vinegar)
Dry Mix
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if you’re showing off)
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves (tiny, but it matters)
Wet Mix
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temp
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) reduced cider (from the pan above), cooled to room temp
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating (Option 1)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Big pinch fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted (for brushing warm donuts)
Shiny Cider Glaze (Option 2)
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 tbsp apple cider (start with 3)
- 1 tbsp reduced cider (from above), optional for extra punch
- Pinch fine sea salt
Note: You’ll have a bit of reduced cider left for the glaze; the rest is cook’s treat—stir it into tea, oatmeal, or your victory lap.
Apple Cider Donuts Recipe
1. Reduce The Cider (Flavor Insurance)
Pour 2½ cups cider into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about ¾ cup and syrupy, 18–25 minutes. Stir a few times at the end so it doesn’t scorch. You need ½ cup for the dough and a tablespoon for the glaze, plus a spoonful extra. Cool to room temp.
2. Mix The Dry
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until everything looks evenly speckled.
3. Build The Wet Base
In the stand mixer bowl, whisk both sugars with the melted-but-warm butter until glossy. Add egg and beat 30 seconds until thickened slightly. Beat in buttermilk, vanilla, and ½ cup cooled reduced cider.
4. Bring It Together (No Overmixing)
Add the dry mix in two additions on low speed. Stop when the flour just disappears; scrape the bowl. Dough should be soft, tacky, and scoopable, not runny. If it looks loose, rest 5 minutes—flour hydrates and tightens.
5. Chill For Shape
Scrape dough onto a parchment-lined sheet, pat into a ¾-inch-thick slab, cover, and chill 1 hour (or up to 24). This step makes cutting and handling easy and keeps the rings tall.
6. Heat The Oil
Fill your pot with 2–2½ inches of oil. Clip in the thermometer. Heat to 350–355°F (175–180°C). Keep a “hot” burner ready if your stove is moody.
7. Cut The Donuts
Flour the counter and the top of the dough. Roll gently to ½–⅝ inch thick (thicker dough = taller donuts). Dip your cutter in flour; cut rings and holes. Transfer to a floured parchment sheet. Press scraps together once and cut again.
8. Test Fry (Data Beats Guessing)
Fry one hole. It should bob within 10–15 seconds and brown to golden in 60–75 seconds per side. Adjust heat to stay in the 350–355°F window.
9. Fry In Small Batches
Slide in 3–4 rings (don’t crowd). Fry 70–90 seconds per side until deep golden with a firm crust. Nudge them if they sulk on one side—donuts like to flip themselves when the bottom sets.
10. Drain Like A Pro
Lift with a spider, let oil drip 2–3 seconds, then transfer to the rack. Keep the oil temp steady; adjust heat between batches as needed.
11. Finish, Route 1—Cinnamon-Sugar
Stir sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Brush each warm donut lightly with melted butter (both sides) and toss in the sugar until every edge glitters. Do the holes too; chef’s tax.
12. Finish, Route 2—Cider Glaze
Whisk powdered sugar with 3 tbsp cider, the tablespoon of reduced cider, and a pinch of salt until thick and pourable. Dip warm-but-not-hot donuts on one side, let the excess drip, then set on the rack to dry 15 minutes.
13. Split The Batch (My Move)
Half cinnamon-sugar, half glazed covers every mood on the plate. You’re welcome.
14. Hold & Serve
Serve warm. If you’re staggering batches, keep finished donuts on the rack at room temp—no foil tents; steam ruins your gorgeous crust.
Baked Variation (If You’re Avoiding The Fryer Today)
Yield: 12 standard donuts
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 6-cavity donut pans (wipe excess).
- Make the same dough but whisk in 2 tbsp neutral oil with the butter (baked rings need a touch more fat).
- Pipe or spoon batter into pans ⅔ full.
- Bake 11–13 minutes until tops spring back and edges are just turning gold.
- Cool 2 minutes, flip out, and finish with cinnamon-sugar (brush with melted butter first) or cider glaze.
Texture truth: Baked are lighter and cakier; fried bring the classic donut chew. Both taste like fall.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make-Ahead Dough: Mix and chill up to 24 hours. Cut straight from the fridge; if dough feels stiff, rest 5 minutes.
- Freeze: Cut rings on a parchment-lined sheet, freeze solid, then bag up to 2 months. Fry from frozen—add 30–45 seconds per side and keep temp steady.
- Same-Day: Best within 4 hours of finishing.
- Overnight: Store unglazed at room temp in a paper-towel-lined container. Rewarm 5–6 minutes at 300°F (150°C), then toss in fresh sugar or glaze.
Troubleshooting (I’ve Made These Mistakes So You Don’t)
- Greasy Donuts: Oil was too cool or you crowded the pot. Fry fewer at once; return to 350–355°F between batches.
- Raw Centers: Oil too hot. Drop to 345–350°F and lengthen fry time slightly.
- Tough Crust: Overworked dough or over-fried. Mix just to combine; keep to the timing and color cues.
- Sugar Won’t Stick: Donuts cooled too much. Toss within 5 minutes of leaving the oil and brush with a whisper of butter.
- Pale Color: Thermometer lying or dough too thick. Verify with an instant-read and aim for deep golden, not blonde.
Flavor Switch-Ups (Same Method, New Personality)
- Brown Butter Dough: Brown the butter for the wet mix; cool completely. Nutty, deeper.
- Apple Pie Spice: Swap cinnamon/nutmeg/clove for 2 tsp apple pie spice if it’s already in your drawer.
- Maple-Cider Glaze: Use 2 tbsp maple syrup + 2–3 tbsp cider in the glaze and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.
What To Serve With (Because You’re Extra)
- Cider-Caramel Dip: Simmer ½ cup cider with ¼ cup sugar to a syrup; whisk in 2 tbsp butter and a pinch of salt.
- Sharp Cheddar Slivers: Yes, really—one thin slice alongside a warm donut is a New England wink that works.
Bookmark this, queue your playlist, and send me a crumb-shot when the steam curls out of the first bite—your house officially smells like apple cider donuts season!
