Fried Apple Cider Donuts

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These Fried Apple Cider Donuts are the perfect fall treat! The soft and tender dough is flavored with a fresh apple cider reduction and plenty of cozy warm spices. They fry up in minutes and then gets coated in an irresistible brown butter apple cider glaze!

Fried and glazed apple cider donuts are on a wire rack surrounded by apples and dried leaves.

Nothing screams fall more than a fresh and warm homemade apple cider donut! Skip a trip to your local market or donut shop because these fried apple cider donuts are so easy to make at home. And did I mention, your kitchen will smell like heaven!

For more cake donut recipes, try my classic Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts or Chocolate Old-Fashioned Donuts! For yeast brioche donuts, check out my Chocolate Brioche Donuts, Nutella Filled Donuts or Pumpkin Cheesecake Donuts.

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♡ Why You Will Love Fried Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredient Notes
Step-By-Step Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Key Equipment
Storage
💡Expert Tips
FAQ
You May Also Like
📖 Recipe

♡ Why You Will Love Fried Apple Cider Donuts

Cozy flavor. These fried apple cider donuts are flavored with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg and the glaze is made with nutty brown butter and tangy apple cider.
Texture. These donuts are delightfully soft and tender in the middle and crisp on the edges.
Easy to make. Fried cake donuts do not contain yeast, so they are quicker and easier to make than donuts made with a sweet brioche dough. No mixer is required either!
Small batch donuts. These small batch fried apple cider donuts make about 8 small donuts (plus donut holes) or 5 larger donuts. If you would like to make these for a crowd, you can easily double the recipe!

Mini fried apple cider donuts are on a wire rack surrounded by apples. A bite is taken out of a donut.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about all the ingredients used for these fried apple cider donuts. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Small batch apple cider donut dough ingredients which include, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar, sour cream, butter, an egg, apple cider and vanilla paste.

Fried Apple Cider Donut Dough

Flour - We're keeping it simple with all-purpose flour.
Leaveners - Baking powder helps the donuts puff up and a bit of baking soda will help them brown.
Salt - Enhances the flavor.
Warming Spices - The donuts are flavored with a combination of ground cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
Apple Cider (not Apple Cider Vinegar) - Fresh Apple cider will be reduced to concentrate the flavor. Make sure you're using real apple cider and not apple juice or apple cider vinegar.
Brown Sugar - Adds flavor and moisture. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Sour Cream - Adds moisture and makes the donuts ultra soft.
Unsalted Butter - Adds flavor.
Egg - Adds structure.
Vanilla Paste or Extract - Adds flavor.

Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze

Powdered Sugar - Adds sweetness and thickens the glaze.
Unsalted Butter - For extra flavor, we'll be browning the butter.
Apple Cider - Helps thin out the glaze and adds flavor.

*See recipe card for quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Fried Apple Cider Donuts! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Apple cider is cooked and reduced down to a fourth of a cup and is pour into a glass measuring cup.

Step 1. Reduce Apple Cider - Add 1 ¼ cup of apple cider into a small saucepan and over medium/high heat, reduce it down to ¼ cup. It will take 10 to 12 minutes. Pour into a measure cup and set in the fridge to cool down.

All purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt are combined in a bowl.

Step 2. Combine Dry Ingredients - In a small bowl, combine together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.

Brown sugar, sour cream, reduced apple cider, melted butter, an egg and vanilla paste are in a medium bowl.

Step 3. Combine Wet Ingredients - In a medium sized bowl, add the reduced apple cider, brown sugar, sour cream, whole egg, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

Dry ingredients are sifted into the bowl with the wet ingredients.

The apple cider dough is combined into a thick batter.

Step 4. Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients - In 2 additions, sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The dough will be thick and sticky.

The apple cider donut dough is wrapped in plastic wrap and is ready to be chilled in the refrigerator.

Step 5. Chill the Dough - Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, roughly shaping it into a rectangle. Chill for at least 1.5 hours or overnight.

The apple cider donut dough is rolled out to roughly a 6 by 8 inch rectangle. A bowl with flour and biscuit cutters are nearby.

Step 6. Roll the Dough - Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ½ inch (1.27 cm) thickness.

Step 7. Cut the Donuts - Dip a 2.5 inch (6.3cm) biscuit cutter into flour and cut out your donuts. You should be able to cut out 6 in the first round. Then use a 1 inch (2.5 cm) cookie cutter to punch out a hole in the center of each donut.

Gently gather the remaining dough, reroll and cut out more donuts.

Eight round donuts and 11 donut holes are cut and placed on a small baking sheet.

Step 8. Chill the Donuts Again - Transfer the donuts and donut holes onto a small baking sheet. Return to the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Butter is browned in a stainless steel pan.

Step 9. Brown the Butter - In a light colored pan and over medium heat, cook butter until browned. Quickly pour the brown butter into a small glass bowl, making sure to scrape in all the little brown bits.

Brown butter apple cider glaze is whisked in a small bowl.

Step 10. Make the Glaze - Immediately add the powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider and whisk until combined. If you'd like a thinner glaze add a bit more cider. Set aside.

Four mini apple cider donuts are fried in a large dutch oven with a candy thermometer hooked to the side of the pot.

Step 11. Fry the Donuts - Once the oil reaches 350ºF (176ºC), carefully place 3 to 4 donuts into the hot oil. The donuts will initially sink, but will float after 10 seconds or so. Fry until golden brown.

Golden brown fried donuts and donut holes are on a wire rack lined with paper towels.

Step 12. Glaze & Serve - Use a slotted spoon or spider and transfer fried donuts onto a wire rack lined with paper towels. Dip the donuts in the glaze and allow to set for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

💡Tip! Make sure to fry these apple cider cake donuts between 350ºF (176ºC) and 360ºF (182ºC). If the temperature is too low, your donuts will be oily and taste greasy. If it's too high, you run the risk of burning the exterior while having a raw center.

Glazed apple cider donuts and donut holes are on a wire rack.

Substitutions

Sour Cream - If you are in a pinch, you can use full-fat Greek yogurt.
Cinnamon, Clove & Nutmeg - If you don't have clove or nutmeg, just add a bit more ground cinnamon. You can also use a combination of different warm spices such as allspice, ginger and cardamom.
Frying Oil - You can use vegetable shortening or any neutral oil such as vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil.

Variations

Other Glazes + Coatings - You can dip these fried apple cider donuts in a variety of different glazes such as a sweet vanilla glaze, simple chocolate glaze or chocolate ganache as seen here in my Marble Bundt Cake. You can also just simply coat them in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Other Shapes - You can make a batch of apple cider donut holes. Instead of making 8 smaller donuts, you can cut out 4 ot 5 larger donuts.

Key Equipment

Deep Fry Thermometer or Candy Thermometer - Having a thermometer that can clip to the side of the pot is crucial in order to monitor the temperature of the oil.
Kitchen Scale - It's the best and most accurate way to measure ingredients.
Electric Mixer
Round Cookie Cutters or Donut Cutters
Baking Sheet + Wire Rack
Deep Saucepan or Dutch Oven

Storage

Room Temperature - Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Freezer - Wrap individual donuts in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Allow to come to room temperature for a few hours before serving.

💡Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams rather than in volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur's Weight Chart!
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Use a thermometer to consistently check the oil's temperature. It can rise and lower as you move through the frying process. Keep a close eye on the temperature to ensure it stay between 350ºF (167ºC) and 360ºF (182ºC). If the temperature of your oil is too low, your donuts run the risk of absorbing too much oil and if the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown too quickly and the center can be uncooked.
Use room temperature ingredients. It's important to use room temperature ingredients as it will emulsify better. This includes your egg and sour cream.
Don't skip double chilling the dough. The dough for these apple cider cake donuts is VERY sticky, so it's important to chill the dough before and after shaping the donuts.

Fried and glazed apple cider donuts are on a wire rack surrounded by dried leaves.

FAQ

What is the difference between apple cider and apple juice?

Apple cider is raw and unfiltered, where as apple juice has been pasteurized and sweetened.

What is the best oil for deep frying these small batch donuts?

I like to use vegetable shortening, but you can use any oil with a high smoke point. You can use canola oil, avocado oil (very expensive though), grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or sunflower oil.

What's the difference between a cake donut and yeast donut?

A cake donut contains baking powder to help them rise when fried. Yeast donuts rely on yeast to rise. The texture of cake donuts are more cakey and yeast donuts are more like bread.

Can I bake these Apple Cider Donuts?

I have not tried baked these so I can't recommend it. If you'd like a baked version check out my Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes.

How do you safely dispose frying oil?

Allow the oil to cool completely in the pot, then pour back into its container or a plastic bag and throw it away in the trash. It should never be poured down the drain, as it could potentially clog your pipes.