Homemade Apple Cider Donuts

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly fried apple cider donuts on a crisp fall day! These homemade donuts are soft, fluffy, and tender on the inside, with a beautiful golden exterior and a generous coating of cinnamon sugar that adds the perfect sweet crunch. Made with reduced apple cider, freshly grated apple, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, every bite is filled with cozy autumn flavor.

The secret is reducing the apple cider to concentrate that delicious apple flavor, making these donuts extra flavorful and wonderfully moist. Best enjoyed warm, straight from the cinnamon sugar, with a hot cup of coffee or a cozy mug of apple cider.

If fall had a flavor, this would be it! Simple, nostalgic, and absolutely irresistible — these are the kind of homemade treats that make you want to slow down, savor every bite, and embrace the beauty of the season.

Makes: 12 donuts + 24 donut holes

Ingredients

Apple Cider Donuts

• 1 cup apple cider
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4½ cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional ½ cup as needed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and grated (Macoun or Macintosh)
• Canola oil, for frying

cinnamon sugar coating

• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2–3 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Reduce the cider: Simmer the apple cider in a saucepan until reduced to about ½ cup. Let it cool completely.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, then add the buttermilk, vanilla, and cooled apple cider.
3. Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, then fold in the grated apple.
4. Adjust the dough: My dough was too sticky, so I added another ½ cup of flour. Add it gradually as needed until the dough is manageable but still soft. Avoid adding too much flour, which can make the donuts dense.
5. Chill: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to make it easier to roll and cut.
6. Shape the donuts: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut into donuts using a donut cutter or two round cutters.
7. Prepare the coating: Mix the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a shallow bowl.
8. Fry: Heat the canola oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the donuts in batches for about 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Avoid overcrowding the pot.
9. Coat and enjoy: Drain briefly on a wire rack or paper towels, then toss the warm donuts in the cinnamon sugar until generously coated.

Best enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee or a mug of hot apple cider!