Apple Cider Donuts

Name: Apple Cider Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, room temperature; 1 cup (240 ml) reduced apple cider, reduced from 2 cups fresh cider to concentrate, cooled; 1 tsp (2½ g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground cloves; 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (2½ g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) salt; 2 (100 g) large eggs, room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream, room temperature; 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract, pure vanilla; 2 quarts (1.9 liters) vegetable oil; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter; ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider, or cider reduction; 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Homemade fried apple cider donuts are a beloved autumn treat featuring tender cake donuts infused with reduced apple cider and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Finished with a smooth cinnamon-apple glaze, they're crispy outside, soft inside, and perfect for fall mornings or as a seasonal dessert.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: 12 cake donuts (with holes)

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the donuts
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) reduced apple cider, reduced from 2 cups fresh cider to concentrate, cooled
1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cloves
1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) salt
2 (100 g) large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 ml) sour cream, room temperature
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract, pure vanilla
For frying
2 quarts (1.9 liters) vegetable oil
For the glaze
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider, or cider reduction
1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon

Equipment (16)

Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Spatula
Rolling pin
3-inch donut cutter (or 3-inch round cutter plus 1-inch round cutter)
Parchment paper
Heavy-bottomed pot (at least 3-quart capacity) or deep fryer
Candy/deep-fry thermometer
Slotted spoon or wooden skewers/chopsticks
Paper towels
Large plate or baking sheet for draining
Small saucepan
Wire rack
Fork or donut glaze dipping tool
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

If using fresh apple cider, reduce 2 cups down to 1 cup ahead of time by simmering in a pot for 15–20 minutes until concentrated and darker in color; cool completely. (Reduced cider can be made up to 1 week ahead.)
Have eggs and sour cream at room temperature; melt the butter and let it cool slightly before measuring.
Attach a candy/deep-fry thermometer to your pot and have it ready—accurate temperature control is essential for successful frying.
Read through the recipe once to understand the timing and have all equipment, especially the donut cutter and parchment paper, prepared.

1
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Set aside.
2
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and foamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract, and reduced apple cider to the same bowl and whisk until smooth and completely combined.
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Ready when: Wet ingredients smooth and well combined
3
Combine batter and rest
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Using a spatula, fold them together gently until just combined—don't overmix.
- The batter should be thick but pourable, similar to thick cake batter.
- Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- This allows the flour to absorb moisture and the leavening agents to become active.
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Tip: Don't overmix the batter or the donuts will be tough. A few small lumps are fine.
4
Heat oil to 350°FOven 350°F / 175°C
- Pour the vegetable oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
- You need at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil.
- Attach a candy/deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 350°F (175°C).
- This should take about 8–10 minutes.
- Once the oil reaches temperature, lower the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain the temperature throughout frying.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 350°F (175°C)
Tip: Use a candy thermometer for accurate temperature. Oil that's too hot (above 375°F) will burn the outside before the inside cooks. Too cool (below 340°F) makes donuts absorb oil and become greasy.
5
Cut donut shapes
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll the batter to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm).
- Using a 3-inch (7.6 cm) donut cutter, cut out donut shapes, working carefully to avoid overworking the dough.
- Place the cut donuts on parchment paper as you work.
- Once you've cut the donuts, gather any scraps, gently re-roll them, and cut more until all the batter is used.
- You should have about 12 donut rings and 12 donut holes.
- Keep the donuts on parchment and don't stack them.
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Tip: Don't overwork the dough when re-rolling or the donuts will become tough and dense. If the donuts are spreading on the parchment before frying, refrigerate them for 5 minutes.
6
Fry donuts in batches
- Working in small batches (about 4 donuts at a time), carefully place the donut rings into the hot oil.
- They should sizzle immediately.
- Fry for 1 to 1.5 minutes until the bottom side becomes deep golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, wooden skewer, or chopsticks, carefully flip each donut.
- Fry the other side for 1 to 1.5 minutes until it's also deep golden.
- Remove the fried donuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with the remaining donut rings (should be 2–3 batches total).
- After all the donut rings are fried, fry the donut holes in the same way, but for only about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side since they're smaller.
- Allow the donuts to cool for 5–10 minutes before glazing.
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Ready when: All donuts deep golden brown on both sides, floating, and sound hollow when tapped
Tip: Don't crowd the pan—frying too many donuts at once will drop the oil temperature and cause them to absorb oil. Fry in small batches as described. If the oil starts boiling vigorously, reduce the heat slightly to medium-low.
7
Make cinnamon cider glaze
- While the donuts cool slightly, prepare the glaze.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Once melted, remove the pan from heat and add the apple cider and powdered sugar.
- Whisk constantly until the glaze is smooth and completely free of lumps.
- Add the cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to pour—if it's too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of apple cider; if too thin, whisk in more powdered sugar.
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Ready when: Glaze is smooth, creamy, and pourable
Tip: Whisk out all lumps in the powdered sugar before using the glaze, or it will have a gritty texture on the finished donuts.
8
Coat donuts with glaze
- Working quickly while the donuts are still warm (within 5 minutes of frying them), pick up a donut with a fork, dip the top into the glaze, twist slightly to coat evenly, and place it top-up on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch the drips.
- Repeat with all the donuts and donut holes.
- Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes before serving.
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Ready when: Glaze has set and is no longer dripping
Tip: Glaze adheres best to warm donuts, so work quickly. If the donuts have cooled too much, warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 2–3 minutes before glazing.
9
Cool and serve
- Allow the donuts to cool to room temperature on the wire rack, about 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- They're best enjoyed fresh, ideally within a few hours of frying.

Good to know

Tips

Oil temperature is crucial: 350°F is the sweet spot. Use a thermometer and adjust the heat as needed. Oil that's too hot burns the outside; oil that's too cool makes greasy, heavy donuts.
Don't overmix the batter when combining wet and dry ingredients. A few small lumps are okay and result in a more tender, more delicate crumb.
Work quickly when glazing warm donuts—the glaze sticks best to warm donuts. If they cool too much, warm them in a 300°F oven before glazing.
If you don't have a donut cutter, use a 3-inch round cutter for the ring and a 1-inch cutter or bottle cap to push out the center.

Make ahead

The reduced apple cider can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Unglazed donuts can be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and serve.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 6 days (glaze may absorb some moisture but flavor remains excellent). Freezer: Unglazed donuts only, in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. To reheat: Warm unglazed donuts in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.

Substitutions

reduced apple cider → apple juice (fresh, unsweetened). Apple juice will give a lighter, less deep flavor than reduced cider. If using apple juice, you may want to simmer 1 cup for 5–10 minutes to concentrate the flavor.
sour cream → Greek yogurt or buttermilk mixed with milk (equal parts). Greek yogurt produces slightly denser donuts; buttermilk/milk mixture gives a more tender result similar to sour cream.
all-purpose flour → cake flour (use same amount by volume). Cake flour produces more tender donuts with a finer crumb. You can also replace up to 25% of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour (donuts will be slightly denser and nuttier).
vanilla extract → almond extract (use 0.5 tsp) or maple extract (use 0.5 tsp). Almond extract adds subtle nuttiness; maple extract emphasizes the fall flavor profile.