Vermont Apple Cider Doughnuts
When you can’t get to the orchard, use fresh apple cider to make lightly tangy apple cider doughnuts at home.
By Yankee Magazine|Oct 04 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanIt’s a cider maker’s tradition to use some of the freshly pressed juice to make lightly tangy, apple-scented doughnuts like these. The cider adds more than flavor, though; its acidity makes the doughnuts tenderer. I have two favorite spots for buying these treats: Atkins Farms in Amherst, Massachusetts and Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center, Vermont. When I can’t be there, I make homemade apple cider donuts.
See how to make this recipe for Homemade Apple Cider Donuts with instructions and photos. Or check out our picks for the 5 Best Cider Mills in New England.
Yield:
about 18 3-inch doughnutsIngredients
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup boiled apple cider
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Canola or safflower oil (for frying)
Cinnamon sugar (1-1/2 cups sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon) or confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
In a large bowl using a hand-held or standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together sugar and butter until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4-6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating a minute after each. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
Pour buttermilk, boiled cider, and vanilla into sugar/butter/egg mixture. Mix well, and don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit curdled; it’ll smooth itself out. Add flour mixture and combine gently just until fully moistened.
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper and dust generously with flour. Turn dough out onto one baking sheet and pat gently into 3/4-inch-thickness. Sprinkle dough with additional flour, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Remove dough from the freezer; use a lightly floured 3-inch doughnut cutter (or two concentric biscuit cutters) to cut out about 18 doughnuts with holes. (You may gather the scraps and roll again as needed, but you may need to chill the dough more to firm it up.) Place cut doughnuts on the other baking sheet as you go; then transfer to the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up again.
Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and set it nearby. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 370° (test with an instant-read thermometer). Drop 3 or 4 doughnuts into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until browned on one side, about 1 minute; then flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 minute longer.
Repeat with the remaining dough (if you find that it’s getting too soft as you work your way through the batches, pop it into the freezer again for 10 minutes). When doughnuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, sprinkle all over with cinnamon sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.
Note: Boiled apple cider gives these apple cider donuts a rich, slightly tangy flavor. You can buy boiled cider at some gourmet and Whole Foods stores; from Wood’s Cider Mill in Springfield, Vermont (woodscidermill.com); or from the King Arthur Flour catalogue. Alternatively, you can boil your own cider by simmering 1-1/2 cups of fresh apple cider down to 1/3 cup in about 25 minutes–it just won’t be as concentrated as the commercial product.
I first had cider donuts at The Cold Hollow Cider Mill and they’ve been my favorites ever since! Will have to try the ones at Atkins Farm or this recipe. They are my favorite fall treat!
The Apple Barn outside of Bennington Vermont has great apple cider doughnuts!
Do you have a recipe for cider donuts that are baked, in a donut pan?
Hi Shawn. We don’t have a recipe for baked cider donuts using a donut pan, but you may want to try Cider Doughnut Muffins. They have all the flavor of cider donuts without the frying, and you don’t need a special pan, either. Here’s the recipe http://www.yankeemagazine.com/recipe/cider-doughnut-muffins Enjoy!
Entered these donuts in our church’s Apple Festival!
I kept the dough flat in the freezer between two large sheets of parchment paper and cut just a couple at a time. Less than two minutes at room temperature, the dough became very difficult to work with.
I also simmered 1 3/4 c. cider for nearly 40 minutes down to 1/3 c. cider syrup. It was plenty thick enough for a rich flavor.
My wife said, “That’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted!”
Thanks for such a fantastic recipe! It’s nearly impossible to find cider doughnuts in western New York.
Question: Does the cider need to cool down before adding it to the mixture, or is it added still hot, like when making dutch babies? Thanks, Can’t wait to make these for our pumpkin patch!
Could the dough for these be made the night before and then chilled overnight? Also I was planning on baking these instead of frying. Would that work with this recipe?
Hi Kris-
The cider can be warm, but you don’t want it to be boiling hot. Let it cool for 10 minutes or so…
Hi Joana-
You can definitely make the dough and let it sit in the fridge overnight. I have never tried baking the donuts and I worry a bit that they wouldn’t rise as well with a slower bake (as opposed to a quick fry). The good news is that I created these delicious Cider Donut Muffins just for cooks like you who aren’t interested in frying donuts: http://www.yankeemagazine.com/recipe/cider-doughnut-muffins.
I made the donuts tonight and they were delicious. The only trouble I had was that they browned too quickly (ie. in less than one minute). My thermometer was at 370 degrees when I started putting the dough in the oil but quickly increased to 400 before I got them all in. The finish donuts were a deep, dark brown; nothing like the golden color in our photo. What am I doing wrong?
Fry two or three at a time, at 325. Once they get get to golden, get them out quick! They continue cooking while cooling.
Hi Paulette-
You’re not alone! It can be really hard to regulate oil temperature when frying. It sounds like your burner was on a little too high if it kept bringing the temperature up after you put the donuts in (usually adding food cools the oil a bit). I like to use a really big Dutch oven when making these because the more oil you have, the longer it takes to heat up or cool down. Cast iron is ideal for this because it also heats and cools more slowly so you don’t get those jumps in temp. But if you’re in the midst of frying and the donuts are browning too quickly, you can always take the pot off the heat, then reduce the setting on the burner and return the pot once it cools a bit..
Hi i was wondering do these taste like atkins cider donuts?
Hi Amber,
We haven’t tried those, but maybe one of our readers will be able to answer that question.
Hi, I was wondering do i have to add the nutmeg? I don’t like the taste of it and i was wondering if i really needed to add it.
I made these and I had trouble with the dough , the doughnut were crispy on the outside and raw on the inside what am I doing wrong ?
I do not recommend this recipe! Dough was too soft to work with, even after freezing. Texture of finished donuts was not at all like cake donuts. Donuts were dark brown and greasy. This may be close to Vermont style cider donuts, but not even close to Michigan style cider donuts. I am going to stick with Betty Crocker Cookbook version.
Would I be able to use the boiled apple cider to save some steps in this recipe? Also, do you know if I need to make any high altitude adjustments?
I made them with cinnamon & GINGER because I am particular what I like nutmeg with, and find it overpowering with apples. I also just cut them into sticks, instead of worrying about the doughnut shape. They were delicious, but I also had the problem with them browning too quickly. I don’t know–maybe lowering the temp to 350???
I saved some steps with this recipe by melting the butter in the microwave in a 2 cup pyrex measure, then added cold buttermilk and cold cider and vanilla and stirred vigorously. This causes the butter to solidify in small droplets. I then added the eggs. I added the sugar and all dry ingredients to a bowl, and poured the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mixed it.
They were delicious, but like other people commenting on this thread, the outside cooked very quickly, and they became very dark.
I just made these, they are fairly easy and AMAZING!
Thank you for the great recipe! I live in Switzerland and was really missing apple cider donuts. These are perfect, just the way I remember them! I did make a few changes: (1) I made the dough the night before and used it chilled from the fridge in the morning. (2) I made donut holes instead of large donuts by scooping 2 tsp dough and rolling it in my well-floured hands to make balls. (3) I experimented and found I liked caster sugar (ultra-fine granulated sugar) for the outside instead of regular granulated sugar. It created a delicate texture, more like what I remember from donuts in New England. Re: the other comments, I had no problem with the donuts cooking too quickly. Thanks again!
Thought I would try these, husband has fond memories of his Mom making donuts in VT. First off, it was too much work for the results I got. I boiled the cider down the day before, took about 45 minutes to get 1-1/2 cups down to 1/3. The oil heated to 370 with candy thermometer, but as above, quickly went to 400. The donuts started burning, so I took them out when golden brown-raw inside. I had to keep adjusting the heat and then recook the pieces. Awful mess, not worth the effort.
I lived in Waterbury Center while attending the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT. My wife and I devoured the cider donuts from Cold Hollow Cider Mill on a regular basis. I was excited to try this recipe because of that memory. Sadly, I am disappointed with the results. I followed precisely the directions as listed and these were not even from the same hemisphere as those I fondly remember. Browned too quickly AND way to greasy to boot! Lowering the temp to reduce the browning would only increase the grease absorption. Flavors were muddled due to the over browned exterior and the soggy oily inside. I’ll keep searching for that elusive cider donut recipe that brings me back to Waterbury Center.
I was looking for a comment from someone who is familiar with the real deal. Thanks for this. If you ever find a recipe that compares to Cold Hollow, I hope you’ll come back and let us know!
These mixed up nice and worked with dough fine.but like others temp of oil went over 370.my next batches were better after figuring the temp out.they make a very nice looking doughnut and taste very good.
Made these today, since it’s nearly impossible to find these donuts in Southern Florida. It was honestly a huge pain, but they did turn out delicious. I’m not sure I’ll go through all of the struggle again, yet I can’t argue with the results. Great recipe.
These came out good after I added more flour. The initial mixture was way too soft. An extra cup seemed to make them easier to handle.. Lots of flour on the work surface
The dough is supposed to be super sticky. Otherwise, once they have cooled, they will be tough and not at all tasty. Chill the dough in the fridge or a couple of hours before frying and it will be much easier to handle.
Pretty good
Even better when I fried them in Bear Fat
I’m sorry, what?
Wonderful recipe! Didn’t take long, fairly easy and came out perfect!!!
Cut to the bottom line. Where can I buy these donuts. I lived in CT twice and loved them but can’t find a place that will ship to Myrtle Beach. Maybe a snow bird could bring me some next winter. Bill
Try contacting Jones Tree Farm in Shelton, or the Beardsley Cider Mill, also in Shelton.
OMG., my husband lived in shelton., we now live in Newtown., he knows the places you mentioned., we go every year for cider and pies…. apple raspberry pie to die for!
Thanks for the apple cider donut recipe…. can’t wait to try it
Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center, Vermont will ship their donuts and cider.
Hi! I live in apple cider country! Apple cider doughnuts? Crisp Macs? Apple slice cake? apple fritters? Oatmeal apple caramel cookies? Drop a line, I’ll hook you up! 😀
William, you probably won’t see this comment, but if you do, come on up to the Upstate or western NC because there are apple farms here which do sell apple cider doughnuts. Come next year as you down on the Coast are having to deal with the aftermath of Florence. I hope you and your family came through the storm okay.
I live in East Tennessee, which places in western Carolina have the cider donuts?
Jennifer, I live in West Tennessee, and I’m not sure of any places in Western Carolina that sells these donuts, but I know that Trader Joes will be selling them this year, in case you live near one. Occasionally I’ll see Kroger selling them too, but they just don’t compare to NY or VT cider donuts.
California’s Trader Joe’s stores were selling apple cider donuts this year. Unfortunately they are not even close to what we bought at Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center, VT! Does anyone know any decent place in California for dark apple cider donuts?
Barber Orchard in Waynesville NC sells the apple cider doughnuts. They have a bakery. Not far from East TN
Skytop Orchard sells the apple cider donuts.
I LOVE apple cider doughnuts and would love to make these but is the nutritional information available? I know they are probably not the most nutritious food but we all need a little splurge once in a while.
Thank you for the recipe.
Can you make this dough a couple of days in advance & leave in the the fridge before rolling out?
Yes, I cut the donuts the day before, dusted with flour, and wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Came out fine the next day.
Can i use whole fat buttermilk instead of low fat?
buttermilk is low fat anyway
No it is not. You can whole fat. Or. Low fat
OK ladies and gentlemen when cooking with hot oil if your cooking something new always try to cook in cast iron,then I always start out with my oil at 350 and just cook 1 and see how it goes . I’m telling you if you do it that way it will be much easier. I’ve always went down to 350 or even 325 , I’ve found that cooking any dough at 370 is just to hot. If your dough seems to sticky then add a little more on the floured surface and cut them out on the cookie sheet but leave them on it and put it in the freezer for 15 or 20 min and just take off what you need with a good spatula when your cooking and I’ll bet you have a better result. I’ve been cooking for many years and I’ve just tried many different things , but I’ve finally mastered the “dough cooking” so good luck and give this recipe another chance.
I am a donut fryer for a local grocery store in MN. I fry donuts pretty much daily for almost 4 years and I can tell you without fail, I fry @ 370- 375 degrees. I also fry in palm oil.
Hi there, love this recipe. Can we freeze it to cook another day?
I imagine freezing the dough should be fine. I’ve also found the cooked doughnuts freeze well if reheated.
I definitely will have to make these. I miss new england foods. I grew up in NH. Now in the south.
I’m in the process of making this. September gives me a hunger for apple cider doughnuts. But where or where is my old doughnut cutter? And where can I find a new one? I finally went to, you guessed it, Amazon. Jeff Bezos has it all.
I am from the Midwest and boy oh boy do they know how to make apple cider doughnuts! I CANNOT find them here in central NY that taste apple-y! Somehow everyone who makes them either gets them soggy or tasteless!!! I think a trip to VT for some REAL doughnuts is the answer!!
Definitely make the trip to Cold Hollow Cider In Stowe, VT, you will not be disappointed 🙂
Are these donuts crispy on the outside?
I used to go to Applecrest Farm Orchards in Hampton Falls, N.H. every year for apple cider donuts. I used to eat a few in the parking lot while they were still warm while drinking some of their cider.
I made these for our farm market and they were just okay. I thought the taste was a little to floury for me and not enough cakes flavor. Is there another flour that would
Work in this for deep
Frying that would taste better to me. Thought the all purpose flour really flattened the great flavor of the spices.
I doubt the all-purpose flour “flattened” the flavor of the spices. Are you sure your spices were fresh? Dried ground spices lose flavor over time. The type of flour you use doesn’t really affect flavor that much, different flours change the texture of baked goods. I suppose you could try a cake flour instead of all-purpose, but I would NOT recommend it, as these doughnuts are already pretty crumbly, and cake flour would likely make them even more fragile. I personally thought these doughnuts had great flavor, some people I gave them to said they were their new favorite doughnuts.
I find this recipe too wet. I have to add too much flour to make it at all workable. I think perhaps that I actually make a reduction with my apple cider (the correct way) All you say is to boil the cider. It really should become thick like molasses. I don’t like this recipe at all., Needs to be tweaked.
I think the recipe says to use “boiled cider”, which is actually a product. It doesn’t say to “boil” cider. I use boiled cider from King Arthur, and it’s perfect. Also, the note below refers to the.
This was a bit of a project but was delicious!
This recipe is scrumptious and if your mixing of the the ingredients directions are followed to a tee they will turn out wonderful! – I did not need to refrigerate the batter. They are more delicate than the Betty Crocker recipe I usually use, but with patience and a bit of extra care handle and a dusting of flour on rolling out surface and a dip in the flour each time with cutter and spatula, I had no problem transferring into the fat. I fried them at 375degrees. There were quite dark because of the reduced cider that was in it. Don’t let hat dark color throw you! To reduce the cider- I used a recipe from a King Arthur flour that I found on line. Before I choose your recipe from, I compared scads of them and yours was the closest to my beloved tried and true Betty Crocker one. Your recipe is an absolute keeper!!
This is the fourth try making apple cider donuts. This was my best effort! The recipe is delicious. I let my oil get to 360 degrees. I also refrigerated the dough before after making the donuts. My other tries resulted in semi raw donuts. this time, they were a tiny bit crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. I also added a tiny bit of allspice. Thank you so much!
I printed tis off. could have done without the 9 pages of comments9 probably 10 now.
lol
Has anyone tried baking these? I have a donut pan bought from LLBean.
I always bake mine, i think I bake them at 350 for about 15 minutes.
If you fry them in lard, they are so much better.