Apple Cider Donuts – Classic Fall Treat

Everyone keeps asking how I make these apple cider donuts, and honestly? I avoided sharing this recipe for MONTHS because the first time I tried making them was an absolute disaster.

Like, I’m talking hockey-puck-hard donuts that my husband joked we could use as coasters. Not my finest moment in the kitchen.

But after finally figuring out what I was doing wrong (spoiler: I was overmixing the batter like crazy), these apple cider donuts became our family’s official fall tradition. We make them every October weekend now, and my kids literally inhale them before they’ve even cooled down.

Why Homemade Apple Cider Donuts Beat Store-Bought :

Look, I love a good apple orchard trip as much as the next person. The hay rides, the photo ops with pumpkins, the overpriced apple cider donuts that taste like heaven… But here’s the thing—you can make them at HOME for like a fraction of the cost, and they’re honestly just as good. Maybe better because you can eat them warm.

I think the first time I had real apple cider donuts was at some farm in upstate… wait, no, it was at a farmers market when I was visiting my sister. Anyway, they were INCREDIBLE. Cakey, dense in a good way, covered in cinnamon sugar, tasting like fall in donut form.

And I thought to myself, “I could totally make these.” Narrator voice: She could not, in fact, totally make them. At least not on the first try.

What You’ll Need for Apple Cider Donuts :

Alright, ingredients time. Most of this is pantry stuff except for the apple cider, which you should be able to find pretty easily this time of year.

For the donuts:

• 1 cup apple cider (not apple juice—there’s a difference!)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of lemon juice)

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing)

Now, about that apple cider. DO NOT use apple juice. I tried that once because I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the store, and the donuts tasted… wrong. Too sweet, not enough of that tangy apple flavor. Apple cider is what makes these taste like fall, so don’t skip it.

Also, you’ll need a donut pan. I got mine on Amazon for like $12. Totally worth it. I’ve also seen people use mini bundt pans or even muffin tins if you don’t have a donut pan—they just won’t have the hole in the middle obviously.

How to Make Perfect Apple Cider Donuts :

Okay, step-by-step time. And pay attention because I’m gonna tell you where I messed up so you don’t have to.

Step 1: Reduce the apple cider

This is crucial—and something I skipped the first time because I didn’t think it mattered. Big mistake.

Pour your apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce it down to about 1/4 cup. This takes maybe 15-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s thick and syrupy.

Let it cool completely before using it. I learned this the hard way when I added hot cider to my batter and ended up with weird clumpy donuts.

Step 2: Preheat and prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease your donut pan really well with butter or cooking spray. Don’t be stingy with the grease or your donuts will stick. Ask me how I know. Actually, don’t—it’s still a painful memory.

Step 3: Mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set this aside.

Step 4: Mix wet ingredients

In a large bowl (you need a bigger one for the wet stuff), whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Then add the egg and mix well.

Add your cooled reduced apple cider and buttermilk. Whisk until everything’s smooth.

Step 5: Combine everything

Here’s where I screwed up initially. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until JUST combined. Do not overmix. Seriously. The batter should be a little lumpy, and that’s OKAY.

I used to mix until it was perfectly smooth because that’s what my brain thought “proper baking” meant. Wrong. Overmixed donuts = tough, dense donuts that nobody wants.

Step 6: Fill the donut pan

Spoon or pipe the batter into your greased donut pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full. I use a piping bag because it’s less messy, but a spoon works fine too. Just takes a bit longer.

Step 7: Bake

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when you touch them lightly. Mine usually take exactly 11 minutes but start checking at 10.

Don’t overbake these or they’ll be dry. And nobody wants a dry apple cider donut.

Step 8: Cool slightly

Let them cool in the pan for about 3-4 minutes, then flip them out onto a wire rack. They should pop right out if you greased the pan well.

Step 9: The cinnamon sugar coating

While the donuts are still warm (this is important!), brush them with melted butter on all sides. Then roll them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

The butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick. If you try to do this without the butter step, you’ll just have sad naked donuts with a little bit of cinnamon sugar falling off. Not cute.

My Apple Cider Donut Tips That Actually Matter :

After making these probably 30+ times (yeah, we’re obsessed), here’s what I’ve learned:

The reduction is non-negotiable: Reducing the apple cider concentrates the flavor. If you skip this, your donuts will taste like regular cake donuts with a hint of apple. Boring.

Temperature matters: Everything should be at room temperature when you mix it. Cold ingredients don’t combine as well. I usually take my egg out of the fridge like an hour before I start baking.

Don’t skip the buttermilk: The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and makes these donuts extra fluffy. You can make fake buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Works just fine.

Grease that pan WELL: I cannot stress this enough. Use butter or cooking spray and make sure you get into all the little grooves. Otherwise, you’ll have donut pieces stuck in the pan and you’ll be sad.

Coat while warm: The cinnamon sugar coating only sticks properly when the donuts are still warm. If you wait until they’re completely cool, it won’t work as well.

Ways to Mix Up Your Apple Cider Donuts

The basic recipe is perfect as-is, but sometimes I switch things up for fun:

Maple glaze instead of cinnamon sugar: Mix powdered sugar with a bit of maple syrup and milk. Drizzle over cooled donuts. SO good and very fall-appropriate.

Add chopped apples: Fold in about 1/2 cup of finely diced apples to the batter. Adds texture and extra apple flavor.

Spiced sugar variation: Add a pinch of ginger, cloves, and allspice to your cinnamon sugar for a more complex flavor.

Mini donuts: If you have a mini donut pan, bake these for only 6-7 minutes. Perfect bite-sized treats.

Baked donut holes: Fill a mini muffin tin with the batter instead and bake for about 8 minutes. Roll in cinnamon sugar. These disappear FAST.

Storing These Donuts :

Real talk: these apple cider donuts are best eaten the day you make them. The cinnamon sugar coating gets kind of weird after a day or so—it absorbs moisture and loses its crunch.

BUT you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Just know they won’t be as good as fresh.

You can also freeze them! Let them cool completely, then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. They won’t be quite the same as fresh but still pretty good.

Actually, you know what? My neighbor does this thing where she freezes the batter in the donut pan, then bakes them from frozen (adds a few minutes to the baking time). Haven’t tried it myself but she swears it works.

Why This Recipe Works :

I’ve tried at least 8 different apple cider donut recipes from various food blogs and cookbooks. Most were either too dense, not apple-y enough, or just tasted like regular donuts with some cinnamon.

This version works because:

• The reduced apple cider gives intense apple flavor
• The combination of baking powder and baking soda makes them fluffy
• The buttermilk adds tanginess and moisture
• The spices are balanced—not too much, not too little
• They’re baked, not fried, so they’re easier to make at home

Also, baked donuts are just… easier. I don’t have to deal with hot oil or worrying about them absorbing too much grease. Win-win.

When to Make Apple Cider Donuts :

Obviously these are a fall thing. Apple cider season runs from about September through November, which is perfect because that’s when everyone wants these anyway.

We make them for:

• Lazy weekend breakfasts in October
• Thanksgiving morning (they’re gone before lunch)
• Fall birthday parties (my son requested these instead of cake last year)
• Random Tuesday nights when I’m feeling festive

They’re also great for bringing to potlucks or giving to neighbors. Everyone loses their minds over homemade donuts. It’s like bringing fancy bakery treats except you made them yourself and saved a bunch of money.

The First Time I Got These Right :

After my initial hockey-puck disaster, I was honestly ready to give up. But my mom was visiting and she said, “Maybe you’re mixing the batter too much?”

And I was like, “What? No, you’re supposed to mix things thoroughly when you bake.”

She made me watch while she barely stirred the batter together, leaving it lumpy and imperfect-looking. I thought for sure they’d be terrible.

They were perfect. Fluffy, tender, full of apple flavor. I was so annoyed that it was that simple. But also relieved because it meant I could finally make decent apple cider donuts.

These apple cider donuts have become such a staple in our house that my kids get upset if we don’t make them at least once in October. And honestly? I don’t blame them. They’re that good.

Make these this weekend. Your kitchen will smell AMAZING, and you’ll have warm, cinnamon-sugary donuts that taste like you drove to an apple orchard, except you didn’t even have to leave your house.

Let me know if you make them! And if you have any tricks for keeping the cinnamon sugar coating crispy longer, please share because I haven’t figured that out yet. 🍎🍩