Apple Cider Donuts Recipe
Easy and delicious, apple cider donuts are the quintessential fall treat. This recipe makes small, fluffy donuts like you’d see at an apple orchard.
Overview
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Component Used: Apple Pie Spice
If you’ve ever been apple picking at an orchard, you’ve probably enjoyed the small fluffy apple cider donuts they always serve! Now you can make them at home in just about 30 minutes. Apple cider donuts are soft and fluffy with a warm, cozy apple and cinnamon spice flavor.
Why you should make these donuts
- Easy and delicious, apple cider donuts are the quintessential fall treat.
- This recipe makes donuts that are reminiscent of the ones you get at an apple orchard!
- The texture is incredible. They are super soft and fluffy on the inside with a fried crunchiness on the outside.
- These donuts have a wonderful warm taste of apple and cinnamon spice!
- This quick recipe comes together in only about 30 minutes!
Ingredient List
Apple Cider: Cider is essential in an apple cider donut recipe! It not only gives the donuts it’s flavor but it adds moisture to the batter. In this recipe, we will reduce the cider to make an apple cider concentrate. Keep it simple by buying store-bought or make your own apple cider with my easy crock-pot method!
Frying Oil: You can’t fry donuts without oil. I recommend using a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. I like to fry items in a dutch oven.
All-Purpose Flour: Flour is the structure for these donuts. While all-purpose flour is recommended, you can swap it for a gluten-free flour blend if desired.
Granulated Sugar: There is a small amount of sugar in the donut batter. It adds moisture and some sweetness but not too much since we also plan to toss the fried donuts in additional sugar.
Baking Powder: This chemical leavening agent is added to the dry ingredients. As the donuts hit the hot oil, they will rise and puff up. Without the baking powder, the donuts will be flat and dense.
Salt: Salt is a must-have in baked goods to help balance out the sweetness.
Apple Pie Spice: This spice blend is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and ginger. You can use store-bought or make your own blend! If you prefer, you can simply swap the entire amount of spice blend listed in the recipe with cinnamon.
Melted Butter: Butter adds richness and moisture to the batter. You can swap it for oil if preferred.
Egg: Only one egg is needed for this recipe. It adds moisture and binds the ingredients together in the dough.
Sugar Topping: After frying the donuts, you’ll toss them in either cinnamon sugar or apple pie spice mixed with sugar. This topping adds crunch to the exterior and is quintessential for an apple cider donut recipe.
How to make apple cider donuts
Reduce the apple cider
To make apple cider concentrate, pour the apple cider into a small pot and bring it up to a boil. Continue boiling until the liquid is reduced by half.This process of reducing the liquid makes a more concentrated apple flavor for the donuts.
Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Setup a fry station
Pour frying oil in a shallow pot or skillet and heat up to 350-375°F (175-190°C). I highly recommend using a candy thermometer and keeping it in the oil while frying to ensure accuracy and so you can adjust if it gets too hot or cool. This will take several minutes to reach temperature so make the dough while you wait.
Place a wire cooling rack over the top of a sheet pan and set aside.
Make the dough
While the oil is heating, make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until combined. Add the melted butter, egg, and cooled apple cider concentrate and switch to stirring with a large spoon.
Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it a few times to bring the dough together. If it’s really sticky, you can add a sprinkle of flour to make it easier to handle.
Cut the donuts
Using a rolling pin or your hands, pat out the dough until it’s about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. Using a donut cutter or a circle cutter cut out donut shapes from the dough. If using a circle cutter, use a smaller circle cutter to cut out the donut hole. For these donuts, I used a 2.5 inch (6.3 cm) size but any size will work.
Be careful not to twist the cutter when you are cutting the donuts or it will seal the edges and they will not rise as high. Place the donuts and donut holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine the scrap pieces of dough and roll it out again and continue cutting shapes.
Fry the donuts
After all the donuts and donut holes have been cut and the oil is at the right temperature, fry them!
Gently slide the donuts into the heated oil (use a slotted spatula for this) and fry for 1 minute until lightly browned. Flip over and cook for another 1 – 1 ½ minutes. Use either a slotted spoon, tongs, or chopsticks to flip and remove from the oil. Be very gentle if using tongs so you do not deflate the donuts. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on the cooling rack.
Toss in Cinnamon Sugar
Toss the warm donuts in cinnamon sugar (or sugar mixed with apple pie spice) until fully coated. Fried donuts are best enjoyed the day they are baked!
Storage
As with all fried foods, these donuts are best served hot and fresh the same day. Leftover donuts can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you loved this recipe, you might like to try other delicious donut recipes!
Apple Cider Donuts
Easy and delicious, apple cider donuts are the quintessential fall treat. This recipe makes small, fluffy donuts like you'd see at an apple orchard.
Ingredients
- 240 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) apple cider
- about 904 grams (4 cups) frying oil (canola, vegetable, or peanut)
- 280 grams (2 ⅓ cups) all purpose flour
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 10 grams (1 tablespoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice, (store bought or homemade apple pie spice blend)
- 28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
For the coating:
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
Instructions
- In a small pot or saucepan, heat the apple cider (240 grams/ 1 cup) until boiling. Continue boiling, cooking down the apple cider until it has reduced to about half the amount (or ½ cup). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. The cider should be room temperature before adding to the batter.
- Heat frying oil (about 904 grams/ 4 cups) in a shallow pot or skillet to 350-375°F/ 175-190°C. I highly recommend using a candy thermometer.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour (280 grams/ 2 ⅓ cups), granulated sugar (100 grams/ ½ cup), baking powder (10 grams/ 1 tablespoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and apple pie spice (½ teaspoon). Add the melted butter (28 grams/ 2 tablespoons) and mix until crumbly.
- Add the egg (1 large) and the apple cider reduction and stir until combined.
- Flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it and knead lightly a few times. If the dough is very sticky, you can add more flour over top to make it easier to work with.
- Roll or pat the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a donut cutter or a large and small circular cookie cutter to cut out donut shapes. To get 12 donuts, use a cutter that’s about 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) wide. These are small fair-style donuts. Be careful not to twist the cutter when you are cutting out the donuts or it will seal the edges and they will not rise as high. Place the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Fry: Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Gently slide the donuts into the heated oil (you can use a slotted spatula for this) and fry for 1 minute, until lightly browned, before flipping once and cook for another 1- 1 ½ minutes. Use either a slotted spoon, tongs, or chopsticks to flip and remove from the oil. Be very gentle if using tongs so you do not deflate the donuts. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on the cooling racks.
- Toss & Coat: Combine the granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and cinnamon or apple pie spice (1 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Toss warm donuts in the spiced sugar mix until fully coated.
- Fried donuts are best served hot and fresh the same day. Leftover donuts can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
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