What's the deal with apple cider donuts?

What's So Special About Apple Cider Donuts? Apple cider donuts are a fall tradition in New England. Every year during the apple harvest, cider makers use some of their freshly pressed juice to make soft and tender “cake doughnuts” . Every fall, my dad sends me a delivery of fresh cider donuts from Vermont.

Do apple cider donuts taste like apple cider?

Note that while apple cider donuts include apple cider, they're actually not designed to TASTE very strongly of apple , per several readers. Fittingly, most of these recipes are basically excellent cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts with a hint of apple.

What is the tradition of apple cider donuts?

They are a harvest tradition in autumn in the northeastern United States and are sometimes sold at cider mills. They are often paired with apple cider, and may be covered with cinnamon and/or granulated sugar.

Are apple cider donuts a New England thing?

CIDER DONUTS have become nearly as synonymous with a New England fall as apples and foliage . Every orchard's cider donuts are different, and every orchard's are the best, according to its devotees, who are often passionate on the subject. Like apples and the orchards that make them, no two cider donuts are alike.

How are apple cider donuts different from regular donuts?

If you are unfamiliar with these delicious apple cider doughnuts, they are usually fried cake donuts made with buttermilk . They can be covered in a sugar/cider drizzle or a dry cinnamon sugar mixture (adhered with melted butter).

Why are apple cider donuts popular in New Hampshire?

Apple picking is a fall family tradition in New Hampshire, where more than 24.5 million pounds of the fruit are produced each year . Picking season is also known for another sweet treat, apple cider donuts. Farm stands and bakeries across the state fry them up fresh.

What is the forbidden donut?

Marge explains that he ate the entire wedding cake by himself… before the wedding. On the back Homer pledges his soul to Marge, and the jury finds that his soul is the property of Marge, not the devil's. The devil begrudgingly agrees, but instead of taking Homer's soul, he turns his head into a big donut .

What is a fun fact about apple cider donuts?

Cider donuts originated with the American colonialists . With fall as the butchering season, there was a surplus of leftover fat from the animals. To use it up, colonial cooks would mix the seasonal apples with fry dough, and eventually, cider donuts became a homespun Halloween treat.

What is the origin of the apple cider donut?

As their name suggests, cider donuts are made with apple cider, and they've been a mainstay at orchards and cider mills for decades. However, their origin can actually be traced to one of the great donut pioneers, a Russian immigrant named Adolph Levitt.

What is the British slang for cider?

Traditionally, the dialect term "scrumpy" was used to refer to what was otherwise called "rough" , a harsh cider made from unselected apples. A bottle of commercially produced scrumpy from Cornwall.

What do Americans call apple cider?

Although the term "cider" is used for the fermented alcoholic drink in much of the world, it often refers to fresh "apple cider" in North America; hard cider is used there instead when referring to the alcoholic drink.

How do you eat apple cider donuts?

Cider Donuts are to be eaten with cider, that's where the name comes from.

Why is apple cider so expensive?

From costs to operate farm equipment to labor costs, prices of apples continue to rise across the U.S. and at BrixStone Farms in Bear Lake. But that cost, unfortunately, reflects back to the consumer.

Apple Cider Doughnuts (2024)

Eating apple cider doughnuts is a must-do every fall season. This year, elevate your doughnut-dunking experience by baking your own! When you head home from the farmers market or apple orchard with a jug of fresh cider, give this recipe a go. These apple cider doughnuts are cakey, soft and kissed with notes of warm fall spices and crisp apples.

Ingredients for Apple Cider Doughnuts

Apple cider: The namesake of this recipe! Use fresh cider when you can get it. The depth of flavor in farm-fresh cider is unparalleled by anything jarred at the store.
Whole wheat flour: Our apple cider doughnut recipe uses a bit of whole wheat flour for its hearty texture and earthy flavor.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-y sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the autumnal spices and apple cider.
Baking powder and soda: Baking powder and baking soda are the leavening agents in cake doughnuts, whereas raised doughnuts use yeast.
Spices: A mix of fall spices like warm cinnamon, spicy cardamom, aromatic nutmeg and bold allspice make these apple cider doughnuts feel cozy and autumnal.
Eggs: It’s important your eggs are at room temperature so they incorporate easily into the dough. Cold eggs would harden and curdle the dough’s fats.

Directions

Step 1: Reduce the apple cider

In a small saucepan, bring the cider to a rapid boil. Cook the cider over high heat until it’s reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature.

Step 2: Create the dough

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Whisk together the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and spices.

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In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter and cooled cider.

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Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened (the dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl, and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to shape, about one hour.

Step 3: Cut out the doughnuts

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Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, pat each portion to 1/2-inch thickness.

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Cut with a floured 3-inch doughnut cutter.

Editor’s Tip: Reserve the holes left from the cutouts to fry up as doughnut holes!

Step 4: Fry the doughnuts

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In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 325°F. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown, two to three minutes on each side.

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Fry the doughnut holes, a few at time, until golden brown and cooked through, about one minute on each side.

Step 5: Cool and decorate the doughnuts

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Drain the doughnuts on paper towels, and allow them to cool slightly.

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If desired, dip the doughnuts into glaze or sugar of your choice.

Editor’s Tip: Apple cider doughnuts are famously tossed in a cinnamon-sugar coating. To do this, simply whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture until evenly coated.

Apple Cider Doughnuts Variations

Make ‘em mini: Use a smaller cutout shape to make adorable mini doughnuts, or simply make all of them into apple cider doughnut holes.
Top with chocolate glaze: In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup just to a boil. Pour mixture over 6 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Dunk the cooled doughnuts into the glaze.
Dunk into maple glaze: Whisk 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons 2% milk, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring until smooth. Dunk the cooled doughnuts into the glaze.
Toss in a ginger-sugar coating: Swap out the usual cinnamon-sugar coating for a zippy, bold and bright ginger-sugar coating. In a shallow bowl, stir together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons ground ginger. Toss with warm doughnuts.
Go gluten free: If you’re celiac, don’t miss out on the fun! Make our gluten-free apple cider doughnuts for an enjoyable fall treat.

Can you store apple cider doughnuts?

Yes, you can store apple cider doughnuts, but we don’t recommend it as fried doughnuts are best eaten right away. If you want to enjoy these doughnuts later, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds to refresh.

Apple Cider Doughnuts Tips

Do you need to reduce the cider for apple cider doughnuts?

Yes, you need to reduce the cider for apple cider doughnuts. Reducing removes the excess water while concentrating the sweet apple flavors. The result of reducing is a thick, potent apple cider that adds more apple and warm spice flavor to the doughnuts.

There are so many recipes to make with apple cider that involve reducing the cider (like our apple cider cinnamon rolls or apple cider-glazed ham), so feel free to make a large batch of reduced apple cider for all of your fall cooking endeavors.

Can you bake apple cider doughnuts?

Yes, you can bake these apple cider doughnuts, although they won’t rise as much or have their characteristic crispness. Fried doughnuts are often tastier due to being fried in oil, but they also tend to be a bit greasier than baked doughnuts. Baked doughnuts are usually denser than fried doughnuts and not as chock-full of rich oil, making them less flavorful than fried doughnuts.

To bake apple cider doughnuts, preheat your oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the cutout doughnuts on the baking sheet, and bake until the doughnut bottoms are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake the doughnuts, or they won’t be soft.

You can also try our no-fry doughnuts recipe. It bakes up yeasted doughnuts (as opposed to this recipe’s cake doughnuts) for a super fluffy, fried-free doughnut.

Watch how to Make Apple Cider Doughnuts

Test Kitchen Approved