We’re celebrating the week leading up to fall by making all of our favorite orchard treats 🌳🍎🍂 And I had to kick it off with a classic—now you can have warm fresh apple cider donuts at home!
Whisk together the cinnamon sugar mixture (1 cup cane sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon) in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Add 3 cups of apple cider to a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and let this cook for 30-35 minutes, or until there is 1/2 cup left.
Immediately transfer the reduced cider to a large mixing bowl, along with 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Whisk it together (the hot apple cider will melt the butter). Then, whisk in 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/3 cup buttermilk, and 2 eggs. Mix in 3 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus more as needed), 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 2 tsp baking powder using a spatula.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with 1 tbsp of flour and roll it out until it’s 1/4 inch thick. Using a donut cutter (or cup & vanilla extract cap) cut out the donuts and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
In a dutch oven or heavy duty pot, add about 3 inches of oil or tallow. Heat to 375F and then fry the donuts—1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Coat each donut immediately into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
