Apple Cider Doughnuts

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Breakfast

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 40

Servings: people

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

These Apple Cider Doughnuts are sinfully delicious. Crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Perfect weekend treat to make for family and loved ones. Don't forget to set your butter out to soften before you begin. You can make the dough up to a day ahead, just keep covered and refrigerated until ready to fry. So good!

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Equipment

Stand-mixer, or electric hand-mixer, or hand-mixer
Deep fryer, or Dutch oven and candy (high temperature) thermometer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat graham flour
3½ teaspoon cinnamon ground, divided: 2 teaspoon for batter, 1½ teaspoon for dusting
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
1½ cups sugar divided: ½ cup for batter, 1 cup for dusting
2 large eggs yolks
¼ cup apple cider
¼ cup apple butter
¼ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil for frying and oiling fingers
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice optional

Instructions

Place the flours, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Scoop the mixture into a sifter, and sift into a separate large bowl. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, or electric hand-held mixer, or hand-mixer, beat the butter with ½ cup of sugar until creamed. It should be light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, stopping halfway through and scraping down sides.
Add yolks, cider, apple butter, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
Continue mixing, and slowly add the flour mixture until a slightly wet, sticky batter comes together.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or Dutch oven to 350°F.
Using slightly oiled fingers, pull about a ¼ cup of batter from the bowl and roll it into a small ball. Gently flatten the ball with the palm of your hand on your work surface. Use your thumb to make a hole that is about 1½-inches wide. Repeat several more times.
Working in batches, gently lift the formed doughnuts, one at a time, and carefully lower them into the hot oil. Fry, flipping once, until somewhat darkened and cooked, about 3 minutes in total.
Use a metal spatula or two forks to carefully remove the cooked doughnuts from the oil to a baking rack on top of a baking sheet. The doughnuts are somewhat soft when they first come out of the oil, but then firm up as they cool. Continue this process with the remaining batter.
Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup of sugar, 1½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and the pumpkin pie spice (if using) in a shallow bowl.
After the doughnuts have cooled, gently toss them in the sugar/cinnamon mixture until fully coated.
Serve at once or store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Video

Notes

If you can't find whole wheat graham flour, you can substitute whole wheat flour.

Beat the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. It won't be creamy, at this point.

If you can't find apple cider, then go with apple juice.

Make sure you have a small bowl of vegetable oil to dip your fingers into. This makes handling the sticky dough much easier.

If you do not have a deep-fryer, use a large sturdy skillet or pot (a Dutch oven is ideal), and pour in about 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium-high heat and use a candy thermometer to gauge and maintain a temperature of 350°F.

You can bake the doughnuts rather than frying them by placing the formed doughnuts on a large baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. They won't have the exact same texture as fried doughnuts, but will still be delicious.

Nutrition