Nothing quite says fall like fried apple cider donuts do. These are made from a tender dough spiked with reduced apple cider. They fry up super quick, and are then rolled in lots of cinnamon sugar.
Fried Apple Cider Donuts
Apple cider donuts are the hallmark of fall. I know everyone raves about pumpkin and all when the weather starts to cool down, and trust me, I love that ingredient so much too. But there’s something so special about fresh apples that come to life in the most beautiful way in baked goods. These breakfast (or dessert) staples are my solution to apple cravings this fall. They’re sweet, filled with punches of apple flavor, and the sugared outside brings everything together perfectly.
What are Apple Cider Donuts?
If you love love love donuts and you want to try your hand at making them homemade, you’ve come to the right place! I’m happy to walk you through the process of making these. You’ll see a lot of recipes out there that are baked instead of fried. I love baked donuts and all, but I think I will always, always prefer a fried apple cider donut, or any donut for that matter. All of your favorite donuts you purchase from local donut shops are likely done this way, so if you have the extra time I highly encourage you to skip the baking powder or baking soda and head straight for the active dry yeast. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
This recipe begins by reducing fresh apple cider down significantly. You’ll be surprised how fast this happens – it goes from about 3 cups to 1/2 cup in about 1 hour. What’s left is the most beautiful apple-packed delicious syrup-like consistency that will create lots of the flavor for these apple cider donuts.
After you fry the donuts, you’ll roll them each in a cinnamon sugar topping and they’ll be ready to serve warm. There’s nothing like a delicious donut with a tall glass of warm apple cider in the fall.
Why we love fried donuts
Soooo like I said above, there are 2 categories of donuts: baked and deep-fried. Now obviously, the baked option sounds healthier, but I can honestly swear to you that I’ve never had a baked donut that I love more than a classic deep-fried donut. Let’s face it: donuts were created to be deep-fried, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that!! The way I see it, there’s always room for anything in your individual eating pattern, and deep-fried donuts are most definitely a part of mine lol.
You’d think these are super time-consuming and way harder than you can handle, but I promise you this is one of the most shockingly easy recipes to make. That probably has to do with the fact that there’s really not a lot of hands-on time because the majority of the time, you’re waiting for the dough to cook in the oil.
Which brings me to my next point: these donuts are made with baking soda and baking powder, so you can skip the proofing time completely. The dough will have the most beautiful flavor that pairs perfectly with the apple flavor and cinnamon sugar topping.
Why this recipe works
When I tested this recipe I was so excited because it really is pretty much fail proof. Because we’re opting to use baking powder and baking soda instead of active dry yeast, we won’t need to worry about proofing time, over-proofing, under-proofing, you get the idea. I tried to make this recipe as easy as possible, with frying the donuts being the most tedious part.
BUT, because I tested these donuts frying at multiple different temperatures, I was able to nail down the perfect temperature: 330°F. You’ll notice that in my homemade fried donut recipe the temperature is a little bit higher, but the dough for this recipe is completely different. If you’re able to keep your frying oil at the correct temperature you shouldn’t have any problems with burning the outsides and undercooking the insides.
Some equipment you may need…
- Stand mixer: this is the one I have and I love it! I’ve had it for years now and I’ve never had any trouble with it. You definitely don’t “need” a stand mixer for this fried apple cider donuts recipe, but it sure does make life a lot easier.
- Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven: this is what I always use to fry my donuts (and almost anything fried). You just want something that has a heavy bottom and a high wall. The last thing you want is to be splashing oil all over yourself and your kitchen.
- Candy thermometer: you’ll want to pay close attention to the temperature of your oil when you’re frying your donuts. If things get too hot, they’ll burn the outsides and leave the centers raw. If it’s not hot enough, they’ll take forever to cook the insides.
- Candy thermometers are great for lots of different things, I use mine a lot for Swiss Meringue Buttercream, French Buttercream, and Homemade Caramel!
- Round cookie cutters: these are what I use for cutting out my donuts (and the donut holes). They’re perfect because you can choose the size of your donuts and the size of the donut holes.
- I also use these in my cookie recipes to make perfectly round cookies. You can read more about that in this Chewy Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookie recipe.
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
Ingredients for Fried Apple Cider Donuts
- Apple cider– this is what we’ll reduce into that thick syrup-like mixture. It provides a lot of the flavor for these fried apple cider donuts
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour- I love using King Arthur flours, and you’ll notice I tend to stay on that brand across my recipes. I just think it’s good for consistency’s sake, but definitely use whichever brand you have.
- Ground cinnamon– a must for these fried apple cider donuts. Among other spices, cinnamon is a huge flavor as well
- Baking powder– this is our leavening agent for these fried donuts
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda– another leavening agent for this recipe
- Ground nutmeg- fall spice
- Ground allspice– fall spice
- Dark brown sugar– I love the molasses-like feel you get from dark brown sugar, but if you only have light brown sugar feel free to use that instead
- Unsweetened applesauce– adds some moisture and also some more apple flavor
- Whole milk
- Large eggs
- Egg yolk
- Granulated sugar– we’ll use this to coat the outside of the donuts once they’ve finished frying
- Canola oil– the oil I use for frying these donuts. You’ll need quite a bit for these fried apple cider donuts, so be sure to grab a big container next time you’re at the store
My Kitchen Tips
- Watch your oil temperature, closely. This is extremely important when you’re frying really anything out there. If the oil temperature is even slightly too hot or too cold, the cook time of the entire donut is thrown off. I found that maintaining a constant temperature of 330°F for these fried apple cider donuts is best. That way they get baked all the way through without burning on the outsides.
- Be patient when reducing your apple cider. It takes some time, but this is one of the most important steps in the whole recipe! You want the apple cider to thicken until it looks almost like a simple syrup. We don’t want any added moisture that we don’t need, so being sure to reduce the cider completely will help. This took me about 1 hour to completely reduce – and honestly, it makes your kitchen smell like apple heaven, so it’s totally worth it, right?!
- Use apple pie spice, if you’re in a pinch. In this fried apple cider donut recipe I call for individual spices usually found in apple pies and apple desserts. If you’re in a pinch and you don’t feel like measuring those out, or you don’t have them on hand, feel free to use apple pie spice. It’s essentially the same thing, just more expensive. Use 1 tsp apple pie spice, omit the nutmeg and allspice, and cinnamon used in the dough (you’ll still need cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating).
FAQs
How should I store these?
These donuts can be left out at room temperature for about 3 days. Just make sure you’re keeping them in an airtight container. You can warm them up in the microwave or eat them at room temperature. They’ll be delightful either way!
Can I make these ahead?
You can absolutely make this dough ahead. What I would do is make the full batch of fried apple cider donut dough (but change the baking powder to 4 tsp), roll it out, cut the donuts out, then place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and wrap the entire sheet in plastic wrap. Then I’d refrigerate them until the morning that I’m ready to bake them.
You may want to let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before you fry them, just so the cooking time isn’t wacky. Let me know if you try this and how it works!
Where should I serve these?
If you want to have a fall brunch gathering, these donuts are your best friend. I love hosting seasonal get-togethers at our house and a fall theme would be perfect! I’d also recommend whipping up some Pumpkin Muffins or Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread to serve your guests as well 🙂
Is deep-frying dangerous?
Anytime you’re working with hot oil the stakes are a little bit higher, but DO NOT let this intimidate you! I was scared the first time I did it, too, and I can assure you that if you’re using a heavy-bottomed, high-walled pot, you really don’t need to worry. Using a bigger pot will ensure the oil doesn’t splash too far out of the pot and onto the direct heat. For more details on deep-frying you can check out this recipe.
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I hope you all love this recipe, and I hope it’s warmer where you are than where I am! We’re praying the fall weather starts to come soon in Alabama. But that would never stop me from all the fall baking when September rolls around, so be on the look out for lots more fall recipes.
If you make these cupcakes be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see the beauties!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you!
Happy baking 
Love,
Sarah
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” -Psalms 34:18-
Fried Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 2 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
- 3 3/4 cups (548g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup cold whole milk
- 2 cold large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cold large egg yolk
- 2 quarts Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Donuts
- Add the apple cider to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer, swirling ocassionally, until you're left with 1/2 cup of cider (this took me about 45 minutes).
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
- Stir in melted butter, applesauce, and milk. The dough will be very shaggy here. Stir in the eggs and egg yolk until well combined.
- Scrape the reduced apple cider into the bowl, stirring well to combine. You should have a very sticky dough that forms. Cover the dough and let it chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight, see note below).
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly line a third rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on top. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, high-walled Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat to 330°F.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough to 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness. Use round cookie cutters (a large and a small one) or a donut cutter to cut out donut shapes. Place the donuts onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- When the oil reaches 330°F, use tongs or a spider to drop 2 or 3 donuts into the oil. Cook each donut for about 2 minutes on each side, making sure to pay close attention to the oil temperature. Adjust the temperature of your burner as needed to maintain a steady temperature.
- When the donuts are golden brown on each side and cooked all the way through the centers, use tongs to remove each donut and place on the cooling rack with a paper towel underneath. Repeat this process with the remaining donuts.
- Tip: the temperature of the donuts will naturally decrease the temperature of the oil, just make sure you're adjusting the burner heat as necessary to maintain this 330°F temperature.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- When all of the donuts and donut holes have been fried, turn off the heat of the oil. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar, being sure to cover each side of the donut is fully coated. Enjoy these donuts when they're warm!
Notes
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