12 Apple Cider Donut Recipes for Fall

Nothing says autumn like a warm apple cider donut dusted in cinnamon sugar. These cozy homemade versions bring the orchard to your kitchen — from classic baked rings to apple fritter twists and pumpkin-spiced cakey favorites.

Below you’ll find 12 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Classic Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Cakey, cider-soaked rings rolled in cinnamon sugar while still warm.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple cider, reduced
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Simmer the cider until reduced by half; cool 10 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon.
3. Stir reduced cider, butter, and egg into the dry mix.
4. Pipe batter into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
6. Toss warm donuts in cinnamon sugar.

2. Old-Fashioned Apple Cider Cake Donuts

Dense, nutmeg-scented cake donuts with crisp sugared edges.

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Reduce cider to 1/2 cup; let cool.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, butter, and cider; mix to a soft dough.
4. Chill dough 30 minutes for easy handling.
5. Roll, cut rings, and fry at 360°F for 90 seconds per side.
6. Drain and roll in cinnamon sugar.

3. Apple Cider Drop Donuts

Rustic spoon-dropped fritters studded with tender apple bits.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup chopped apple
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
3. Stir in cider and egg; fold in chopped apple.
4. Drop spoonfuls into 365°F oil.
5. Fry 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
6. Drain on a rack and dust with powdered sugar.

4. Pumpkin Cider Baked Donuts

Pumpkin-spiced rings with a cider tang and crackly sugar coat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and pie spice.
2. Blend pumpkin, cider, egg, and oil separately.
3. Fold wet into dry until just combined.
4. Pipe into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.
6. Roll warm donuts in cinnamon sugar.

5. Cider Molasses Donut Holes

Dark, gingery donut holes with a whisper of apple cider.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
2. Stir cider, molasses, oil, and egg together.
3. Combine to a thick batter.
4. Scoop balls into a greased mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.
6. Roll in cinnamon sugar while warm.

6. Honey Cider Cornmeal Donuts

Golden cornmeal rings sweetened with honey and cider.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and cinnamon.
2. Stir cider, honey, egg, and butter together.
3. Fold wet into dry.
4. Pipe into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.
6. Brush with honey and sprinkle cinnamon sugar.

7. Apple Butter Cider Donuts

Doubly-appley rings swirled with rich apple butter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
2. Mix apple butter, cider, sugar, and eggs.
3. Fold dry into wet until just combined.
4. Pipe into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.
6. Dip warm tops in cinnamon sugar.

8. Maple Cider Donut Twists

Twisted baked donuts glazed with maple and cider.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.
2. Stir cider, maple, egg, and butter together.
3. Knead briefly into a soft dough.
4. Roll ropes, twist pairs together, join ends.
5. Bake at 375°F for 13 minutes.
6. Brush with maple glaze while warm.

9. Caramel Apple Cider Donuts

Butterscotch-bright rings loaded with caramelized apple.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter, cold
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup diced caramelized apple
• 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Cut in butter; stir in cider.
3. Fold in caramelized apple.
4. Pipe into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.
6. Roll in sugar while warm.

10. Chai-Spiced Cider Donuts

Warm chai spices meet tart cider in these tender rings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chai spice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Whisk flours, baking powder, chai spice, and sugar.
2. Stir cider, applesauce, and egg together.
3. Fold wet into dry.
4. Pipe into a greased donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes.
6. Roll in chai sugar while warm.

11. Cider Donut Muffin Tops

All the best part of a cider donut, baked as domed muffin tops.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup oil

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.
2. Beat eggs, cider, and oil.
3. Fold wet into dry until just combined.
4. Mound batter on a lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes.
6. Brush with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.

12. Cider Glazed Mini Donuts

Bite-size rings dipped in a shiny apple cider glaze.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.
2. Stir cider, yogurt, egg, and oil.
3. Fold together into batter.
4. Pipe into a greased mini donut pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 9 minutes.
6. Dip warm donuts in cider glaze.