Description
Easy, budget-friendly homemade donuts featuring reduced apple cider for intense flavor, coated in a warm cinnamon-sugar mixture. Perfect for fall weekends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups apple cider (100% pure juice)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4–6 cups vegetable or canola oil (for frying)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
- Pinch of salt (for coating)
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until reduced by half (to 1 cup). Let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and the cooled reduced apple cider until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should be thick and lumpy.
- Pour about 2 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
- Gently drop 2-3 spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Remove donuts with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack for 1-2 minutes.
- While donuts are still warm, toss them in a mixture of 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until fully coated.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Notes
Ensure the reduced apple cider is completely cool before adding to the batter to prevent cooking the eggs. Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature. For best texture, serve immediately. Leftovers can be frozen uncoated for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: apple cider donuts, fall recipes, cinnamon sugar donuts, homemade donuts, budget recipes, easy baking, autumn treats