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These vegan apple cider donuts taste like the warm bag you grab at an orchard stand in October, minus the eggs and dairy. Reduced cider, a fresh tart apple blended right into the batter, and a heavy cinnamon sugar coat give you a cakey, crackly-edged donut shop classic. Fry them the old-school way, or air fry them with a fraction of the oil. After 15+ years and well over 1,000 batches, this is the version I'd arm wrestle you for.
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Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
8 cups of all-purpose flour, so a blend swap isn't the move here. Fry my Filipino karioka mochi donuts instead, glutinous rice flour, zero wheat.
The blender mixture has to cool for 20 minutes anyway, so use that window to measure out the flour, spices and cinnamon sugar and heat your oil.
Don't toss the frying oil. Let it cool, strain it through a fine mesh strainer and store it airtight somewhere cool and dark, good for 2-3 more uses.
Bake them instead of frying. Batter in a donut pan, or rolled and cut onto oiled parchment, 350°F for 15-17 minutes.
Egg replacer powder sounds fussy but it just gets creamed right in with the vegan butter, no water added. No apple cider vinegar? Lemon juice works.
We are making donuts ok, not a salad. Try to make these the traditional way as a batter and then use a donut dropper to actually fry them. Live a little!
Putting the sugar on when the donuts are still warm helps, especially with baked donuts, which will still be releasing steam that will help the sugar stick.
Fry only 4-6 donuts at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Not overcrowding the pot will make them easier to flip.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
Most apple cider donuts are cinnamon donuts wearing an apple Halloween costume. You take a bite, and the apple flavor is so faint you'd need a search party and a bloodhound to find it.
I've been making these commercially for over 15 years, and this version packs apple flavor in 3 separate ways, the same way I load up my apple fritters and vegan apple pie. The 3rd trick took me over a decade to think of, and I'm still a little salty about it.
Want to watch me make this exact batter start to finish, plus a bunch of other cake donuts? It's all in my vegan cake donut mastery class.
These were OUTSTANDING! Makes a lot of donuts-will cut the recipe in half next time. Thanks so much!
Jump to:
The Home Donut Making Equipment I Love
My #1 fave donut dropper for home use is the Belshaw Type-K. Those are pretty pricey, so a good alternative is this Type-K knock-off by Vevor. The build quality is great, but the size of the donuts are a bit smaller.
A frying thermometer is a must for cooking accurately at the right temperature, even if you cook in a countertop deep fryer.
For roll-and-cut donuts you will need a 3-inch donut cutter.
For most baked cake donuts, you will want to use a donut pan.
Lastly, if you want to avoid using much oil, you can use an air fryer.
Why you'll adore these apple cider doughnuts
🍎Triple Apple Power: Reduced cider, apple cider vinegar, and a fresh tart apple all pull their weight, so these taste like actual apples instead of cinnamon sugar-flavored air.
🔥Fried or Air Fried, Your Call: Fry them in a pot of hot oil for those crackly, old-fashioned edges, or roll and cut the dough and air fry it with way less oil. Same tender cake crumb either way, and it's the same move I use for all my vegan donut recipes.
🍩Day-Two Donuts That Don't Suck: Cake donuts with fresh apple in the batter stay soft way longer than yeast-raised ones, so the leftovers are still worth fighting over.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all my vegan recipes, these got hammered on by over 1,000 recipe testers before I let them out of the house. A suspicious number of those testers now own donut droppers. I'm not saying I'm a bad influence. I'm just saying.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
Apple cider donut ingredients
The apple cider
Unpasteurized cider from a farm stand has the fullest flavor, but any real, cloudy apple cider works. Boiling 2 cups down to 1 concentrates the flavor without adding extra liquid to the batter. That's apple trick number 1.
A tart apple
Trick number 3, and the one that took me forever: a fresh, peeled tart apple blended into the hot reduced cider. Honeycrisp or granny smith are my picks. Skip red delicious and golden delicious. They're mealy, flavorless little liars, and they bring nothing to the party.
Soy milk and apple cider vinegar
Curdling unsweetened soy milk with apple cider vinegar makes a vegan buttermilk that keeps the crumb tender. The acid is apple trick number 2: it sharpens the apple flavor and keeps all that sugar in check. Lemon juice or another mild vinegar can stand in if you're out of cider vinegar.
Vegan butter
Grab a high-fat, low-moisture vegan butter. Earth Balance sticks are my go-to here, same as in my vegan pie crust. Refined coconut oil works too if that's what you've got.
Egg replacer
Ener-G egg replacer gets creamed with the butter and sugar to help bind the batter, so the donuts hold a clean ring in the oil. Make sure your butter is soft, or little lumps of fat sneak into the batter and make lumpy donuts.
The spices
Cinnamon and nutmeg go into the batter, then more cinnamon goes into the sugar coating. If your nutmeg has moved apartments with you 3 times, it's time for a fresh jar.
*See the vegan apple cider donuts recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities and cooking directions.
Variations
Cardamom glaze with rosewater pistachios
Skip the cinnamon sugar, dip the cooled donuts in a cardamom glaze, and shower them with pistachios toasted with a splash of rosewater. Fancy enough for the Times, easy enough for a Tuesday.
Cranberry glazed donuts
Blend 1 cup of vegan royal icing with 2 tablespoons of bourbon cranberry sauce and dip away. I used to sell these and my vegan pumpkin donuts with this glaze every fall.
Refined sugar-free
Swap coconut sugar in measure for measure. For the coating, blitz the coconut sugar in a blender first so it's fine enough to stick. My wife skips processed sugar most of the time (which is why I'm always cranking out klepon and bubur sum sum), and this is the version I make for her.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
How to make vegan apple cider donuts
This is a 9-step date with a pot of hot oil, and the only hard part is not eating the first batch before it hits the cinnamon sugar. The step photos are below, and the exact amounts are waiting in the recipe card.
Step One
Appetite for Reduction:
Simmer 2 cups of apple cider in an uncovered saucepan over high heat for about 15 minutes, until it's reduced to 1 cup. Blend the hot reduced cider with the peeled, diced apple on high speed for 60-90 seconds, until smooth, then let it cool for 20 minutes.
Step Two
Sweet Creams (Are Made of This):
Cream the softened vegan butter, egg replacer, and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes on low speed. No stand mixer? A hand mixer or a whisk handles this part just fine.
Step Three
Apple Bottom Jeans:
Add the apple puree, soy milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Mix for 3 minutes on low speed, until well combined.
Step Four
Batter Late Than Never:
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Mix for 90 seconds on medium speed, just until combined. Over-mixed batter gets stringy and the donuts won't form a clean ring.
Step Five
Donut Stop Believin':
Use a bowl scraper to load the batter into the hopper of a donut dropper before you heat the oil, so the gluten gets a few minutes to relax.
No dropper? Pipe thick rings onto oiled 3-inch squares of parchment and slide them into the oil, paper and all, then peel the paper off with tongs. Or hold back some of the soy milk to make a soft, tacky dough you can roll and cut, which is also the move if you're air frying (see the FAQs).
Step Six
Drop It Like It's Hot:
Press a couple of test donuts right back into the mixing bowl. The first few are usually small and wonky. Scrape that batter back into the hopper so not a single donut goes to waste.
Step Seven
Hot Oil Summer:
Heat 3 inches of neutral, high-heat oil (canola, peanut, or palm shortening) in a high-sided pot like a dutch oven over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until it reaches 350-360°F (175-180°C) on a frying thermometer. Drop 4-6 donuts at a time and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the edges brown and bubbles pop up on top.
Step Eight
Catch 'Em on the Flip Side:
Flip the donuts with a spider or slotted spoon and fry the second side for about 2 minutes, until both sides are an even, reddish golden brown. Move them to a wire rack to drain and cool while you fry the rest.
Don't waste that pot of oil. Fry up some picarones, Mexican buñuelos, or pisang goreng before you turn off the stove.
Step Nine
Sugar, How You Get So Fly:
Let the donuts cool on the rack for at least 5 minutes. Stir 1 cup of fine granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon in a large bowl, toss the donuts in it until they're fully coated, and serve them warm.
Serving ideas
Warm apple cider donuts and a mug of hot mulled cider is the most aggressively autumnal combo in the galaxy. For a full fall brunch, pile them on a platter next to a pan of vegan cinnamon rolls and a pot of coffee strong enough to strip paint.
They also crush it on a Thanksgiving dessert table with vegan pumpkin pie and vegan apple crisp. Feeding a crowd of skeptical relatives? Put the donuts out first. Nobody interrogates you about eggs with a mouth full of cinnamon sugar.
Top tips
- Use a Donut Dropper: We're making donuts, not a salad. A dropper lets you keep the batter wet and loose, which gives you the most tender, perfectly round donuts. Live a little.
- Watch the Oil Temperature: Keep the oil at 350-360°F (175-180°C) and fry 4-6 at a time. Cool oil turns the donuts into greasy sponges, and a crowded pot makes them bump, crack, and soak up even more.
- Stop Mixing Early: Give the dry ingredients 90 seconds, tops. Over-mixed batter gets stringy and the donuts won't hold their shape.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Hold back some of the soy milk so you get a soft, tacky dough, then roll it out and cut 3-inch rings with a donut cutter. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C), brush the basket with a little oil, and cook the donuts in a single layer for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden. Toss them in the cinnamon sugar while they're still warm.
Yep. Bake the batter in a greased donut pan, or put rolled-and-cut donuts on a lightly oiled, parchment-lined baking pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-17 minutes. For an oil-free version, swap applesauce in for the vegan butter. It's not my favorite way to make them, and they love to stick to the parchment, so keep an eye on them.
Don't just swap in a gluten-free flour blend and pray. I built a separate gluten-free apple cider donut recipe that comes out so good nobody guesses, especially when the donuts are still warm.
Technically, yes. You'll lose that deep, cooked-down cider flavor, but they'll still be good. Just don't tell anyone I said it was OK.
🏠 At Room Temperature: Cake donuts keep way better than yeast-raised ones, probably thanks to the fresh apple in the batter. Store them in a loosely covered container (not airtight) for up to 2 days.
❄️ In the Freezer: Freeze them on a flat tray for 2 hours, then move them to an airtight container for up to 1 month.
🔥 Reheating: Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours, then warm them in the oven or toaster oven at 400°F (205°C) for 5 minutes.
You'll also love these vegan donut recipes:
The Best Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider reduced down to one cup
- 1 medium size Honeycrisp apple 145 grams, peeled and diced
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons egg replacer powder
- 1 ½ cups sugar I use evaporated cane juice
- 3 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating
Instructions
- Place 2 cups of apple cider into a saucepan and cook it uncovered over a high flame for about 15 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup.
- Place the hot apple cider reduction into a blender along with the peeled diced apple. I recommend using a tart apple such as a honeycrisp or granny smith which will brighten the flavor of the donuts, and balance and freshen up the heavily cooked mellow cider flavor. Blend on high speed for 60-90 seconds until smoothly pureed. Allow the contents of the blender to cool for 20 minutes.
- Place the softened, room-temperature vegan butter (aka margarine), egg replacer, and sugar (evaporated cane juice) into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the content of the mixer together for 2 minutes on low speed.
- When thoroughly creamed, add the contents of the blender, along with the soy milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar to the mixer and continue to mix for 3 minutes on low speed until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Mix for 90 seconds on medium speed until just thoroughly combined. Over-mixing will cause the batter to be stringy and the donuts will have a harder time forming perfectly.
- *If you do not have a stand mixer, cream the margarine, sugar and egg replacer together using a hand mixer or whisk. Whisk in the remaining liquid ingredients and then switch to a rubber spatula to mix in the dry ingredients
- For the best results, use a donut dropper to form and fry these donuts. I recommend using a plastic bowl scraper to transfer the contents of the mixing bowl into the hopper of the donut dropper. Doing this before heating the oil will give the gluten in the batter a little time to relax and will result in more perfectly shaped donuts. When using a donut dropper, always press out a couple initial donuts right back into the mixing bowl, as the first couple tend to be smaller and can be misshapen. You can use the bowl scraper or a rubber spatula to put the batter from those test donuts back into the hopper, so that nothing is wasted.
- Another way to form these donuts using the same consistency batter, is to prepare a dozen 3-inch squares of parchment paper. Lightly oil the parchment paper with coconut oil or canola oil. Place the batter into an icing bag with a large circular tip. Once your oil is hot (see below steps) form thick circles of the batter one at a time onto the lightly oiled parchment. You can then transfer the donuts, parchment and all right into the hot oil, and use a pair of tongs to peel the parchment off of the donuts. This is a trickier way to make the donuts, and I HIGHLY prefer using a dropper. But this method allows you to make a high-hydration batter version of these donuts that is much superior to the roll-and cut method.
- Pour a neutral-tasting, high-heat oil, such as canola oil, palm shortening, or peanut oil to a depth of 3 inches into a pot with high sides. A dutch oven is a good choice for this. The high sides will prevent excessive oil splattering which will make clean up easier.
- Heat the oil over a medium flame for 20 minutes, or until a 350-360 degree temperature has been reached. You can check the oil temperature with a candy thermometer.
- Once the oil is heated to 350-360 degrees, it’s time to fry the donuts! Fry only 4-6 donuts at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Not overcrowding the pot will make them easier to flip and reduce the fracturing that occurs when donuts bump into each other, which results in avoidable oil absorption. Fry for 2-3 minutes on the first side until you see bubbling and on the top side. I like to allow a little of the liquified battery to “spread” as it cooks which creates the more old-fashion style crispy exterior. Flip the donuts using a spider or slotted spoon and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the second side.
- Transfer the hot donuts to a cooling rack to cool while cooking subsequent batches of donuts.
- When all donuts are cooled for at least 5 minutes on the wire rack, mix together 1 cup of fine granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar topping to coat them thoroughly and serve.
Notes
Ignite the perfect frying blaze by heating oil to 350-360 degrees, ensuring a reddish-golden-brown allure in just 2-3 minutes per side. 🍎 Dimensional Apple Mastery:
Master pronounced apple flavor by reducing cider, adding apple cider vinegar for tang, and infusing a fresh zing with tart apples. Opt for Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for a captivating apple cider donut journey. 🌈 Magical Flavor Variations:
Elevate your donut experience with symphonies of flavor. Explore cinnamon sugar classics or venture into cardamom glaze with rosewater pistachios. Dive into a realm of creativity with fresh cranberry glaze, a blend of stewed cranberries, orange slices, cloves, sugar, and a hint of molasses. 🌟 Baking Spells and Freezing Charms:
Choose your path wisely—fry for traditional, moist donuts, or embrace baked magic. Freeze these wonders by wrapping in plastic after an initial freeze on a tray. Thaw and rekindle their magic in the oven for a journey back to donut heaven.
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Amanda Galipeau says
I know you give an alternative for making these without a donut dropper, but I really prefer to roll and cut cake donuts. I had amazing success by simply halving the quantity of soy milk, and chilling the dough!
Adam Sobel says
Yay! So glad you loved 'em ❤️
Govinda Estrella says
The best Vegan Appel Cider donuts ever!!!!
Adam Sobel says
Hariiiiiiibol! Love you Govinda. Miss seeing you around the Snail. Hare Krsna ❤️
LSJX says
any pro tips on making the coating of cinnamon sugar "stick" to a baked donut?
Adam Sobel says
Putting the sugar on when the donuts are still warm helps a lot, especially with baked donuts, which will still be releasing steam that will help the sugar stick.
Mary E Kadlubowski says
Hi,
Did you know that King Arthur Flour sells boiled cider? I use it in apple pies. When I can't get it, I just pour the cider in a crockpot and let it go all day...
I am trying to make sure I provide vegan options at all of my church food events, and it has been difficult. You are a tremendous help in making my church welcoming.
mary
Adam Sobel says
I had no idea! Luckily I live very close to a great orchard that has lovely tasting unpasteurized cider, but that's great to know.
suzanne says
First of all...YOU ROCK! 🙂
Haven't made these yet but am sure they will be great. Has anyone pointed out to you yet that on the image of the ingredients, above the reduced Apple Cider, you have listed Chives? I checked the recipe and those don't seem to be a part of it. You trying to see who's paying attention? 🙂
I know you're a fan of Earth Balance, but would try this using Miyoko's Creamery Euro Style Butter - unsalted, because it's certified organic and doesn't have sketchy ingredients that I'd prefer not to be using (Soy Protein Isolates for one thing).
Lastly, I compare all vegan Doughnuts I eat to Doughnut Plant Doughnuts (I am prejudiced...they are my fave). It's been so long since I've had yours, I can't say what the comparison would be (though I know I bought yours more than once so I'm sure they were really good). So when I make these, will see how they compare to Doughnut Plant Doughnuts (though I'm sure it's not going to be such a fair/accurate comparison as those are sourdough).
Best wishes always!
Adam Sobel says
Haha! I will edit that image. that's a mistake that no one has pointed out in the 2 years this recipe's been up on the blog!
Keep in mind- these are VERY different from donut plant- in that their donuts are also raised (leavened with yeast or sourdough starter), whereas apple cider donuts are an example of a cake donut (leavened with baking soda and baking powder).
For sure, if you want the most pro-level results, make these with a donut dropper!
Lemme know how you like them. -Adam
Pam says
Sounds yummy. Could these be baked in a donut pan?
Adam Sobel says
Absolutely! Follow the same instructions as are mentioned in my vegan pumpkin donuts
Susan Sacks says
These were OUTSTANDING! Makes a lot of donuts—will cut the recipe in half next time. Thanks so much!
Amanda Galipeau says
I made these roll and cut style today by reducing the soy milk by half, then wrapping the dough in plastic and chilling to make them easier to roll out. They were incredible, and so easy to make!
Adam Sobel says
So glad you made them and loved them, Amanda ❤️
Maria says
Hi Adam, Thanks so much for the recipe. Do you have a gram measurement for the flour? The baking world can't decide how much a cup of flour weighs, so it's always helpful to know how much flour you used in grams to get the desired outcome. I can't wait to try these! Thanks
Adam Sobel says
Yes, it's just a little shy of 1 kg. Approximately 940-950 grams for a single batch of this recipe if you are making it with a donut dropper.
Adam F says
Everybody I shared these donuts with said I could sell them in a donut shop so thanks to you Adam for giving us such a great recipe and instructions. I didn't invest in a donut dropper so just relied on the pastry bag method. They did seem to come out greasier than what I remember buying them from your truck so I don’t have that part dialed in yet!
Ashley says
Do you have to add water first the egg replacement powder or do you use just the powder? Thank you!
Adam Sobel says
Nope. It just gets creamed with the vegan butter as is.
Laura says
Hi Adam, was wondering what kind of spider to use like a widow spider or daddy long legs etc. First time I have heard the strainer referred to as a spider. And I thank you for that, no joke!
Adam Sobel says
LOL. Yeah, that's what we always call them in restaurants. Technically a spider is much bigger than a slotted spoon. Great for removeing a whole ton of stuff at once from hot water or oil.
Michele G. says
I typically use a donut pan but I tried these fried and they were so good. They are more dense when baked but also very good. I will make these again.