The Domestic Rebel

Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Desserts

Apple Cider Donut Holes

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Apple Cider Donut Holes arranged in cast iron pan on burlapMy dog, Mannie, has a new thing he loves to do.

But before I tell you what it is, let me remind you that California is in a drought. This means that everyone’s lawns looks dead and depressing – yellow is everywhere and the air is all stale and yellow-y.

Side note: you totally know what I mean by ‘yellow-y’ right? Where the air smells yellow? Or is that totally just me? Don’t answer me if I’m crazy.

So needless to say, our lawn is yellow and dead.

Mannie has taken a liking to scratching his bad and writhing around on the ground in both the house and outside. And since our lawn is far from lush and green, this means alllllll that dead grass business gets all up in his fur every time he does this. Mannie will go from a black dog to a yellow dog in seconds, covered from head and face to toes in dead grass.

It’s a sight to behold indeed.

And it makes vacuuming extra wonderful. *sarcasm

Or it’s a personal fave of mine when he rolls around in the dust. Apparently we have an area in our lawn (or lack thereof) where there’s a huge source of dust because homeboy hops in the house straight up BROWN. He’s like a real life Pig Pen.

So now every time Mannie goes outside, I have to supervise him to prevent him from getting completely and utterly dirty or spend an extra half hour vacuuming the dead grass from our carpets. If only there was a way I could get Mannie to vacuum for me…

Homie needs to get on that housework STAT.

Anywho, a couple days ago I made these amazing Apple Cider Donut Holes while Mannie was frolicking outside. He happened to come in completely clean and untouched by yellow deadness which was cause to celebrate! Hey, I’ll take any reason to eat donuts and celebrate 🙂

Closeup of Apple Cider Donut Holes arranged in cast iron panThese come from my friend Nicole who made them as regular donuts. I tweaked her recipe a touch and made them more my own in poppable, delectable donut holes. They’re fun, easy to make and even easier to eat!

No supervision required.

Apple Cider Donut Holes piled in a cast iron pan

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5 from 5 votes

Apple Cider Donut Holes

These Apple Cider Donut Holes are INCREDIBLE! Flavorful, perfectly spiced plush donuts will reward you after you make a batch.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Breakfast, Donuts
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 -24
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • Pinch salt
  • 3/4 cup apple cider
  • 2 eggs beaten lightly
  • 3 Tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • FOR TOPPING:
  • 2/3 cup cinnamon sugar
  • 4 Tbsp melted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Liberally grease a 20-cavity donut hole pan or mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the apple cider, beaten eggs, oil and vanilla and gently mix to combine. Mixture will still be lumpy; this is normal and do not continue to overmix as it'll lead to tough donuts.
  • Using a cookie dough scoop, portion batter evenly among the donut hole cavities/muffin tins. Bake for approx. 8-10 minutes or until donuts spring back lightly when touched. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then gently flip onto a wire rack.
  • Brush the tops and bottoms of the donuts with the melted butter using a pastry brush, then dredge the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating completely. Serve immediately, or store airtight for up to 2 days.

Closeup bite of Apple Cider Donut HolesThese donut holes are amazing! Bursting with a subtle hint of apple, and lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, these donut holes are my family’s new favorite! We could not stop eating them one by one 🙂 I know you’ll love them too!

Apple Cider Donut Holes collageHave a sweet day!

xo, Hayley

 

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Comments

  7. Every fall I have to stop myself from taking home a bag of 6 fried apple cider donuts from the orchard we apple pick at. I always eat at least 4 because they’re SO DANG TASTY. But let’s be real, homemade is always best and mini means you can eat a bunch! I’ll be making these for sure once it starts to feel like fall 🙂 pinned!

    Reply

    • Jessica, I feel you. They have the best donuts at the apple farm where we go, and these are eerily similar, though not fried. I hope you like them, too!

      Reply

  8. Okay, so the drought does sound really bad. It’s just hard not to be jealous of anyone living in California. I mean, you get sunshine all year long. I get so sad this time of year when the leaves start falling and I know temps are going to drop and yeah. Let’s switch climates!
    These look incredible. I made apple cider donuts the other day, but mine are all gone now. Want yours!

    Reply

  11. These look super yummy!! I love all things fall and I really love apple cider donuts ! I made a delicious apple cider bread loaf the other day that came out amazing….it was the perfect donut replacement until I invest in the proper donut cooking tools!! Thank you !!

    Reply

  13. I just made these and evidently used a little too much flour… So added more cider.

    My happiest change was I brushed half of the batch with butter and then the other half I dipped in more cider before the cinnamon sugar. Best change ever. Made them more moist and more “appley”.

    Reply

  14. Accidentally clicked on a Wilton donut HOLE pan rather than the donut pan on Amazon. Thus, have been looking for Apple cider donut hole recipes. Thank you! I also live in California, near Sacramento. The drought is still bad, even now that it’s Dec 2016 when I am writing this! We haven’t been up to Apple Hill this year so far, where they have the most amazing apple donuts. Hoping these are just as good. Wondering if it’s better to weigh the ingredients than using the measuring cup? I know sometimes it does make a huge difference. Making these tomorrow. Can’t wait! Also, have you subbed the white sugar for Splenda granular or Stevia before to cut down on the sugar?

    Reply

    • Hi Karen! I’m near Sacramento, too 🙂 So, Hi neighbor! This recipe will work as written so you don’t need to weigh the ingredients if you don’t want to. I have not tried substituting a sugar sub before, but I imagine if you used a cup-for-cup conversion of the sugar sub, it should work! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Hiya Neighbor! We always go to Abel Acres at Apple Hill. We are in Sun City Lincoln Hills. So close! So excited I found your site. All of your recipes look delicious! I also am looking for an apple fritter recipe. I had used one in the past and It literally took all day. Lol. So if you have one to share or a favorite one, it would be appreciated! Thanks so much. I will update you on my Splenda useage and let you know how it goes.

        Reply

  15. Hi neighbor! Is the batter supposed to be like cake batter? Or thicker like cookie or banana bread batter? I have one pan in now, 20 hole pan, but have lots left over. So MAYBE I need to add more flour too?

    Reply

  16. Made these and they are delicious!!! Love anything with apple cider….perfect. ..and I even used my cake pop maker

    Reply

  17. Thinking of making these this weekend for an event!- question….dipping them in butter and then the cinnamon and sugar- does the butter become yucky in there if served a few hours after making them? I’ve made muffins like this before and scared they won’t keep well! Thanks!!! They look amazing!

    Reply

  18. 5 stars
    Great and yummy recipe! I definitely had to bake them for more like 20 to 23 mins. In a 24 mini muffin pan at 325. Turned out great though!

    Reply

    • Hi Betty! Hm, not even at Trader Joe’s? I know they have some, or most grocery stores should have it in the produce section. I suppose you could use apple juice in a pinch, but cider definitely has a richer flavor.

      Reply

  24. Hi!

    Tried making these and I’m a decent baker. My batter wasn’t over mixed and was still very watery. I’ve never made cake doughnuts so I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. Do you have any photos of what your batter should look like at the end? Want to make these for my partners birthday!

    Reply

    • Charity, I’m sorry, I don’t have photos of what the batter should look like. It should be thicker, not runny. Another thing you can do is reduce the apple cider. Put it in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until reduced by half or so. The flavor will be more concentrated.

      Reply

  26. 5 stars
    I made these for the first time today, with apple cider from Envy apples straight out of the juicer. I would actually call them muffins rather than doughnuts, but that’s semantics! The recipe made 24 using a Wilton non-stick mini muffin pan. They took 18 minutes to bake at 325 in my oven

    They are delightful, with more spice than apple flavor. I brushed them with reduced apple cider (1 C cider reduced to 1/4 C) instead of butter to attach the cinnamon sugar, which gave a bit more apple flavor. I also tried a glaze made from the cider reduction with powdered sugar and cinnamon – that won the taste test. ? I will make these for Hanukkah as an alternative to the traditional jelly donuts.

    Thank you very much for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

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