Delicious fresh apple cider donuts are the perfect fall treat! Combining cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider flavors. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar or dipped in buttercream frosting and drizzled in caramel. Both versions are equally delicious!
Looking for a cheater method for making donuts? Try our easy biscuit dough donuts. Want a baked version? Try our baked apple cider donuts!
One of our favorite fall destinations is Apple Hill in Camino, California. There are many apple orchards to visit, as well as Christmas tree farms. Each with their own trademark reason to make a stop, like homemade caramel apples and homemade fresh apple cider!
One of the orchards makes the best hot apple cider donuts. Ever. They are light in texture, and you have no problem paying $1 each for them. This recipe was inspired by those donuts. Hot, delicious, and coated in cinnamon and sugar. We also like dipping some in buttercream icing and drizzling with caramel.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Basic ingredients: The ingredients list is similar to my apple cider muffins. A bit more flour to create a dough that you can roll out, and the donuts are fried instead of baked.
- Ready in about 30 minutes: Unlike yeast (or raised) donuts, cake donuts don't need to rise, and they fry up quickly!
- Easy to customize: Enjoy them plain, coated in cinnamon and sugar, or dipped in icing!
Jump to:
Tips for Making Cider Donuts
- Use a cider concentrate for the best flavor. It sounds fancy, but it isn't. You're simply going to boil 1 ½ cups of apple cider on the stove until it reduces to about ½ cup. Don't worry if you leave it on a little too long and it ends up being a little less than ½ a cup. You can add a splash of cider to get it back up to what you'll need for this recipe. For even more flavor, use more cider (2-3 cups) and simmer longer until it reduces to ½ cup. I have an entire post on how to make boiled apple cider syrup, which would also work well for these donuts.
- Use a thermometer for frying. If you have an electric deep fryer, it will regulate the oil temperature for you. For the rest of us, a cooking thermometer works great to keep an eye on the oil. If the oil gets too hot, reduce the heat and allow it to cool down before frying. If the temperature drops below 350 degrees, take a short break from frying to allow the oil to return to temperature.
- Coat donuts in cinnamon and sugar while still hot. If you allow the donuts to cool, the coating won't stick. The hot donuts will still have a bit of oil on them, and the cinnamon and sugar will cling right to it.
🥣 Recipe Ingredients
- Oil for frying: Oils with neutral flavors and a high smoke point are great for frying. My favorites are vegetable oil and canola oil.
- Spices: A combination of cinnamon and nutmeg gives the donuts the perfect hint of fall spices. Feel free to adjust to your liking.
- Apple cider: The apple cider reduction boosts the flavor in the donuts. I highly recommend taking the time to simmer the cider down.
- Cinnamon and Sugar: My favorite coating for hot donuts is cinnamon and sugar. Simple and delicious.
- Buttercream and Caramel: For a delicious variation, dip cooled donuts in buttercream, then drizzle with caramel. I like using the caramel dip found in the produce section of the grocery store. Super easy, and it's the perfect texture without having to heat it up. I also use this dip when I make our Samoas rice krispies treats.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make Hot Apple Cider Donuts
The apple cider donuts dough comes together quickly and isn't going to feel like bread dough. It's more like sugar cookie dough. Super soft and easy to roll out.
Step 2: Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add cooled cider, melted butter and eggs. Mix.
Step 4: Add remaining flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Roll dough out on a floured surface ½" thick. Cut into donut shapes using a donut cutter or 2 round cookie cutters (1 large and 1 small). Gather scraps and roll out again and continue to cut out donuts until all of the dough has been used.
Step 6: Working in batches, carefully place donuts into the hot oil and fry until the donuts rise to the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip and fry until the other side is golden, about one more minute.
Transfer donuts to a wire cooling rack, with a cookie sheet underneath to catch drips. Bring the oil back up to temperature before frying the next batch.
🍩 Easy Variations
Cinnamon and Sugar
Once the donuts have had a chance to drain from the fryer, toss the warm donuts in cinnamon and sugar.
Buttercream and Caramel
Beat buttercream ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Dip cooled donuts in the buttercream glaze then drizzle with caramel.
Donut FAQs
This recipe makes 15 donuts and 15 donut holes.
Heat the oil on medium-high until it begins to heat up. Once the oil reaches 375 degrees, reduce the heat to low.
Reheat day-old donuts in the microwave for about 6 seconds and they will be just like new!
More Apple Cider Recipes To Try
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!
Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- vegetable oil for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Version
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Buttercream Caramel Version
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- caramel dip
Instructions
- Bring apple cider to a boil in a saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally until cider has reduced to ½ cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, and cooled cider to the flour mixture. Stir in the remaining 2 ½ cups of flour into the mixture until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large pot to 375 degrees F.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface ½" thick. Cut into donut shapes using a donut cutter or 2 round cookie cutters (1 large and 1 small). Gather scraps and roll out again and continue to cut out donuts until all of the dough has been used.
- Working in batches, carefully place donuts into the hot oil and fry until the donuts rise to the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip and fry until the other side is golden, about one more minute.
- Transfer donuts to a wire cooling rack, with a cookie sheet underneath to catch drips. Bring the oil back up to temperature before frying the next batch.
Cinnamon Sugar Version
- Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together in a resealable freezer bag.
- Toss warm doughnuts in the bag of cinnamon-sugar.
Buttercream Caramel Version
- Heat butter and honey in microwave until melted. Stir. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar.
- Dip cooled donuts in buttercream glaze.
- Drizzle with caramel dip.Tip: Spoon caramel into a plastic bag, then make a small cut in the corner to make drizzling the caramel quick and easy.
Kippi says
Yum, I am pinning this great recipe.
Cathy Kennedy says
I'm interested in the apple cider donut recipe but the link does not go to the recipe. I just thought you'd like to know. The recipe looks great and I think DH would like it
Brandy says
Oh no! I adjust things for SEO earlier in the week and didn't double check. Thank you!
satrntgr says
These sound amazing! Pinning to try. 🙂
createwithjoy says
Love this! Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy - congrats for being one of this week's Featured Guests!
Angie - Pitchfork & Spade says
Oh yum! We just got a donut baking sheet and looking for good recipes. Bookmarking this to try it!
Cherryl Ehlenburg says
I bought a donut pan about a year ago and love trying new recipes in it. And I love fall flavors, so I look forward to trying this!
Cathy Kennedy says
Brandy,
My husband is a donut lover! I told him I wanted to make either an apply or cinnamony type donuts this fall and am happy to find your recipe on "Inspire Me Monday". Have you tried making these in the oven? Although, I love the taste of fried donuts, I prefer to eliminate unwanted calories when I can. Yeah, I know I'm such a party pooper! Thanks for sharing and feel free to hit the dance floor with me and the Monday's Music Moves Me gal!