Fried Apple Cider Donuts are filled with the flavors of Fall! A scrumptious deep-fried treat made with sweet tangy boiled apple cider with hints of warm spices! Tender and moist inside, golden and crispy outside. The perfect Family Fall tradition!

A few weeks ago my husband and I took our granddaughter up North to Salt Lake to go to the Zoo! On our way we passed a small town that had a sign that boasted about Rowley’s Red Barn Apple Cider Donuts!

The huge, eye catching, drool worthy photo was enough to hook me into a detour off the main highway and onto country roads! So, on the way back home, we stopped!

This was one detour we would gladly take again and again!

Apple Cider Donuts – A Love Story!

The Red Barn is delightful! Filled with the harvest of Autumn, from big juicy apples to succulent peaches, on down to delicious ice cream, homemade pies, cheese, fresh Apple Cider, and of course…those Apple Cider Donuts! The entire barn smelled like those amazing Donuts! (Bath and Body works…y’all need to bottle this scent!)

My husband and I, our arms laden down with bags of apples and peaches, made our way to the line for a few of those golden rings of Yumminess!

My husband said “How many are ya getting?” I looked at him, like he’d lost his last marble, and said “A dozen of course!”  “A DOZEN! What if they’re not any good?” (He’s precious…truly he is!) 

I smiled sweetly and said “Honey, do you see all those people in line buying boxes of donuts? Can you smell this place? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and buy a dozen…just trust me!”

Well, let me tell y’all something…it’s a good thing one of us was thinking straight in that barn….cause that man of mine ate FOUR of those donuts!

After the first bite he mumbled “These are the best donuts ever!”  Then he said “How come ya didn’t buy more!” (Yes! He’s still alive…barely though…y’all might want to say a few extra prayers for him!)

I had to come home and try to find a recipe that came close to that YUM! I found a few and opted for one from Taste of Home. I did make a few adjustments. I’ll openly admit these are not exactly like the famous “Red Barn Apple Cider Donuts”, but they’re pretty darn close…and that’s good enough for the birds at this Nest!

How To Make Fried Apple Cider Donuts

It all starts with the Apple Cider! There’s actual Apple Cider in Apple Cider Donuts! To intensify the flavor it is boiled, and reduced in half. This will give your donuts the sweet tang of Fall Apples.

In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat place two cups of Apple Cider.

Bring Apple Cider to a rapid boil for about 12 minutes or until reduced in half. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Note: Because I used fresh apple cider the sediments from the apples boil to the top. It doesn’t look pretty, but it adds so much flavor in the reduction of this Cider.

TIP: To make sure cider has reduced in half, carefully, so as not to burn yourself, pour reduced cider into glass measuring cup. You should now have 1 cup of apple cider. You do not have to do this step, but it does give you an exact measurement. You can also allow it to cool then measure.

Place cup in refrigerator until the reduced cider is completely cool.

How To Make Apple Cider Donut Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices.

The spices in Apple Cider Donuts are nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cardamom. I didn’t have any cardamom at the time and was going to skip it. However, I noticed most recipes call for it. One thing we noticed about the Apple Cider Donuts we had from the Red Barn, was their unique taste. DO NOT SKIP THE CARDAMON! Its unusual flavor makes the donuts!

TIP: You may need to use your fingers or a pastry blender to break up the moist brown sugar. I did both to get as fine a crumble as possible. 

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

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour liquids into the well.

Stirring from the center outwards, begin mixing the ingredients together, until just combined, to form a sticky dough.

Cover and chill until firm enough to shape, about 1 hour.

How To Cut Out Donuts

Place dough on a well floured surface. I used my “dough disc”…one of my very favorite kitchen tools for pastries! There’s a link below in the recipe card if you’re interested.  

Pat dough down slightly.

Gently roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  We want nice big plump donuts so don’t roll them out too thin. Half an  inch is perfect!

Cut donuts out with a floured 3 inch donut cutter. Truthfully… I use a biscuit cutter and a small hole cutter I have. Whatever works…we don’t all have doughnut cutters! Get creative and make do! That’s my motto.

Now comes the fun part! PLEASE ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN WORKING WITH HOT OIL!!!

How To Deep Fry Cake Donuts

TIPS for frying donuts at home

• If using a pot on the stove, rather than a deep fryer, keep your pot or pan on the back burner with the handle turned inward, so you can’t knock it off when cooking.
• Ease donut into and out of the oil with a long handled slotted spoon, avoiding any splatters!
• Never cook more than three donuts at a time.
• Oil temperature should be 325°. Carefully check it with an automatic temperature gauge.
• Cook donuts 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown. 1 minute on each side for donut holes.
• Use a good neutral oil like Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil for frying. They have a neutral flavor, good value, and high smoke point (the temperature at which the fat begins to break down).

Now that we’ve covered safety and the “How Tos” for frying donuts let’s get cooking!

In an electric skillet, deep fryer, or in a large pot on your stove top, Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, 2-3 at the most, until golden brown. Each side should take about 2–3 minutes and about 1 minute per side for donut holes.

Carefully remove fried donuts from hot oil with long handled slotted spoon…

Place on paper towels to cool slightly. 

Don’t those look good? I love old-fashioned donuts and these are everything an old-fashioned donut should be! Glorious crispy nooks and crannies!

Finishing Touches for Apple Cider Donuts

In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 2–3 teaspoons cinnamon…depending on how much cinnamon you like! 

Roll slightly cooled donuts (Don’t play “hot potato” with them…make sure you can handle them first!) in cinnamon sugar mixture.

There’s nothing better than sinking your teeth into a warm Apple Cider Cake Donut covered in luscious cinnamon sugar!

These Old fashioned cider donuts are moist inside and crispy outside. The hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and the cardamon tickle the taste buds and the subtle sweetness from the Apple Cider remind you it’s Fall!

Like I said in the beginning…they are not the same as the Red Barn Donuts we had on our way  home from Salt Lake, but they are the next best thing!

They heat up in the microwave beautifully! You can store them in an airtight container for a day or two.

They are the best fresh, and this recipe makes between 12–18 donuts with donut holes. Watch out for those donut holes though…you’ll find yourself popping them into your mouth at an amazing rate of speed!

If you enjoyed this Apple Cider Donut Recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious Breakfast Pastry Recipes

• Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls
• Crumb Baked Donuts
• Grands Quick and Easy Donuts
• Cherry Crumb Coffee Cake
• Raspberry Filled Donuts
• Easy Cinnamon Cruffin Recipe
• Fried Pumpkin Spice Donuts
• Giant Skillet Cinnamon Roll from Cooking With Carlee

As always, thanks so much for stopping by my Nest! You can sign up to receive my bi-weekly newsletter where I share all my most current recipes and happenings! 

Have a Great Day and Happy Nesting!