There’s nothing better than these soft, tender donuts that are perfectly flavored with apple cider and coated in cinnamon sugar to remind you of autumn. Though these warm, fresh apple cider donuts are perfect for cozy fall mornings, they also make great year-round treats.
We also made a few plain apple cider donuts without the cinnamon sugar (pictured above).
Makes about 12 donuts plus donut holes
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donuts
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
3 cups apple cider
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Directions
Apple Cider Donuts
In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the topping; set aside.
Pour the apple cider into a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the cider has reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove the cider from the heat and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and cooled cider.
Pour the cider mixture over the flour mixture and gently stir together using a rubber spatula until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a large pot, Dutch oven, or deep-fryer to 375°F.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface using floured hands. Roll or pat the dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut the dough into donuts using a donut cutter or 2 cookie cutters (1 large and 1 small). Gather the scraps and re-roll or re-pat the dough to cut out as many donuts as possible.
Working in batches, carefully slide the donuts into the hot oil. Fry until the donuts rise to the surface and begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the donuts and continue frying until the opposite side is evenly golden and crispy, about 1 ½ minutes.
Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly, about 1 minute. Roll the warm donuts in the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm.