Fried Apple Cider Donuts

Fried apple cider donuts are deep-fried, then coated in delicious cinnamon sugar. These donuts are perfect for the fall season!

Apple cider cinnamon donuts

If you like sweet treats for breakfast or a tasty little companion for your coffee, check out these Italian orange biscottis, fluffy cannoli stuffed pancakes, or these easy homemade blueberry toaster strudels.

Little story- when I look back in my life, one of the best time periods was spent in the Adirondacks in New York. My husband, Ava, and I explored the Adirondacks, Vermont, and of course went home to Massachusetts frequently.

Every fall, I made sure we took a few trips to the apple orchards to pick apples (something I miss terribly since Florida does not have them!). There is literally nothing that compares to fall in the Northeast.

The winding back roads are lined with little colonial homes with date plaques next to their front doors that rarely read past the 1900’s. The leaves rustle as you drive by, and the trees cling to their last few leaves. The air is crisp, and when you get to the orchards, the apple cider donuts are hot ‘n’ ready!

Anyway, when I’d make my way to town to do some grocery shopping, I’d pass Saratoga Apple, which was a large apple orchard right outside of Saratoga Springs. They had the BEST apple cider donuts, and sometimes I’d be lucky enough to catch them right as they were coming out of the frying vat.

They would sprinkle the donuts with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and hand it to you right in a little napkin. I swear those donuts were always gone in a few quick bites. Sometimes I had to get two. Don’t judge. If you had them, you would, too.

So I’m here today to give you the best apple cider donut recipe out there. These babies are made with apple cider that is boiled to condense all that flavor into a small amount of liquid. They are deep fried so they have a delicious crispy outside, then dunked in cinnamon sugar to finish them off. They are UNREAL. Truly.

These are one of my favorite fall recipes of all time. You can catch me on the couch watching Hocus Pocus and eating my apple cider donuts with my doxies. Who cares if it’s only August.

Apple cider donut ingredients

• Sugar– Use non bleached sugar for a more eco friendly option.
• Butter– I used salted butter for this recipe because I tend to enjoy the added flavor! You can use unsalted if you’d prefer.
• Eggs– Leave your eggs out at room temperature for 20 minutes before making this recipe. Room temperature eggs produce a fluffier texture.
• All purpose flour
• Salt/baking soda/baking powder– These ingredients are added to help the dough rise when it is cooked.
• Cinnamon/nutmeg/clove/vanilla extract– These spices add a warm flavor to the donuts and helps enhance the cider taste.
• Apple cider– The apple cider is boiled to condense the flavor and cook out the excess liquid.
• Buttermilk– Using buttermilk in this recipe adds to the tangy deliciousness!
• Frying oil

Chef’s tips

No buttermilk? No problem.

Don’t you hate when you want to make something and you are missing an ingredient? If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t sweat it! Mix 1 cup of whole milk or almond milk with 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice. Mix the mixture well, then set aside for 10 minutes. There ya go! Now you have homemade buttermilk!

Make the cider concentrate ahead of time

Add 1 1/2 cups of cider to a pot over medium high heat. Allow the cider to boil for 20 minutes until it reduces to 1/3 cup.

You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to make the donuts to save time.

You can also boil the cider right before you make the recipe. The cider will cool quickly since it’s such a small amount in time for it to be added to the donut mixture without it being too hot.

Don’t forget the cinnamon sugar

These apple cider donuts are not complete without the generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar! This is an optional step, but if you are already indulging in these donuts, you might as well “do the dang thing.”

You can mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and dunk your freshly fried cider donuts in it, or you can plate the donuts and use a shaker full of the cinnamon sugar. Each method works well, although I am now triggered to mouth water when I crack out the cinnamon sugar shaker, thanks to memories at Saratoga Apple.

What are apple cider donuts?

Apple cider donuts are deep fried donuts that are made with a apple cider concentrate. They are a little crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, and have a warming apple cinnamon flavor. They are super popular back home in the Northeast, especially when it’s fall (apple picking season).

How to make fried apple cider donuts

1. Make the cider concentrate. Add 1 1/2 cup of apple cider to a small pot over medium high heat and cook for about 20 minutes until it has reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove it from the heat and pour into a small glass and allow it to cool.
2. Make the donut dough. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove and whisk well. Attach the whisk attachment to a stand mixer, then combine the sugar and butter in the bowl and whisk on medium speed until it is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg has been incorporated before adding the next. Add the buttermilk, apple cider, and vanilla to the stand mixer bowl and mix to combine. The mixture will curdle a little, which is normal, it will smooth out in the dough. Slowly add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl, and whisk until it is incorporated.
3. Freeze the dough. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then sprinkle generously with flour. Dump the dough out on to one of the baking sheets. Coat flour on your hands, then flatten the dough until it is 3/4 inches thick. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap then place it in the freezer for ten minutes to harden the dough so it’s easier to work with.
4. Heat the oil. Place 3 inches of frying oil in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches the temperature of 375 degrees.
5. Shape the doughnuts. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Cut the donuts out of the dough using a donut cutter, a wide mouth mason jar lid, or a large cup. Cut the center of the donut with a shot glass or bottle cap if you aren’t using a donut cutter. Place the cut out donuts on the second baking sheet. Rework the dough to make more donuts. Freeze the dough again if necessary.
6. Fry the cider donuts. Place 3-4 donuts in the frying pot at a time and cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove the donuts from the frying pot and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
7. Sprinkle the donuts with cinnamon sugar. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl, then dunk the cider donuts in the mixture until they are well coated. Serve them because they are hot ‘n’ ready! Mangia!

How to store cider donuts

On the counter

You can store these cider donuts by placing them in a plastic bag and keeping them on the counter. They will stay good on the counter for about 2-3 days. If you want the freshly-baked-warm-and-fresh taste, go ahead and pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Can I freeze apple cider donuts?

This batch makes about 18 donuts and a few donut holes, so you might have some left overs. I will tell you that these donuts were well recieved when I suprised my children’s teachers with them, so don’t be afraid to share! If you’d like to freeze them, I’ve got some tips!

Freeze the donuts individually by wrapping each one in plastic, making sure the wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn. Make sure the donuts are room temperature before wrapping and freezing.

To unthaw the donuts, place them on the counter and allow them to thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours. Once the donut has unthawed, you can place it in the oven or microwave to warm it up.

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