Apple Cider Donuts: Original or Caramel

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!

Tips for Making Cider Donuts

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 1: Boil cider on the stove until it has reduced to ½ cup. Remove from heat and let cider cool.

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

More Apple Cider Recipes To Try

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