Apple Filled Donuts
These Apple Filled Donuts start with yeasted apple cider dough. The donuts are fried and stuffed with an apple pie filling. There’s cider in both the dough and filling for real, concentrated apple flavor. Easiest spread over two days: about 3 hours of active time on day one, then fry and fill on day two.
Table of contents
This recipe is an adaptation of my favorite Apple Cider Donuts. It’s basically the same donut stuffed with delicious apple pie filling.
I love both versions so you can’t go wrong either way.
This recipe is easiest when you break the work over 2 days. Make the dough and filling on day one, then fry and fill the donuts on day two. See the work ahead section below for specific instructions.
That being said, if it works for your schedule you can make the dough and filling. Then cut, rise, fry and fill the donuts the same day.
Ingredients
- Apple Cider – This is the key ingredient for big apple flavor. There’s cider in both the filling and the donut dough.
- All Purpose Flour – AP Flour has a medium protein content which gives these donuts a nice chewy texture but they’re not at all tough.
- Active Dry Yeast — Active dry yeast supports the slow, steady rise we want while chilling the dough overnight. If you plan to skip the refrigeration step and make the donuts the same day, you can use instant yeast for faster rise times.
- Apples – I used a random variety of apples from a local orchard. A firmer apple with noticeable acidity make a better tasting filling. Granny Smith are easy to find and are dependable. We want a filling with noticeable bits of apple, not apple sauce. So avoid very soft or bland apples like Macintosh.
- Spices – I used a mix of spices that I love, but you can substitute the same total amount with pre-mixed “apple pie spice”.
Process Photos
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
How to Make the Apple Filling
- Toss the apple cubes with sugar, cinnamon and salt and set it aside to macerate.
Why Macerate the Apples?
When apples are cooked the cell walls weaken and the water contained in the fruit leaks out. The structure breaks down and the apples become mushy. This is fine if you’re making apple sauce. But for the filling we want to maintain the shape of the apple bits.
When uncooked apples are tossed with sugar, the sugar is drawn into the fruit and reinforces the cell walls, allowing the apples to maintain their shape during cooking. Drawing in the spiced sugar also amps up the flavor of the apples.
- Cook the apples until they are tender yet firm.
- Add the cornstarch and cook until the filling thickens.
- Allow the filling to cool completely.
- The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
How to Fry and Fill the Donuts
- Roll the cider dough to 1/2″ thick and cut 4″ circles.
- Allow the donuts to rise at room temperature if you want to fry the same day.
- Refrigerate them overnight if you want to fry the next day.
- Heat 1 quart of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
- Fry the donuts a couple at a time, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffy. Immediately toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar coating.
Monitor the Frying Temperature
Use a thermometer to maintain the temperature at 350°F. If you fry the donuts too hot they won’t rise as much and if you fry them too cool they’ll absorb too much oil.
- As soon as the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a skewer to poke a hole in one end of the donut.
- Move the skewer around to make a pocket for the apple filling.
- Pipe the apple filling into the warm donuts.
Work Ahead Tips
- The filling can be made and held in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Make the dough and allow it to finish through the first rise. At this point you can handle the dough 2 different ways depending on your schedule:
- The day you make the dough, after the first rise, roll and cut the donuts then refrigerate them overnight. The second rise will happen in the refrigerator. The next day, allow them to come to room temperature while you preheat the oil.
- After the first rise cover the bowl and hold the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Roll, cut and raise the donuts on frying day.
- The donuts can be frozen immediately after cutting. Defrost and allow them to rise before frying.
More Donut Recipes
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Apple Filled Donuts
Yeasted donuts made with reduced apple cider dough, fried, and filled with a spiced apple pie filling — real apple flavor in every bite.
large donuts
Start Cooking
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 1 ½ pounds apples (peeled, cored and cut into ¼" cubes)
- 2 oz brown sugar (¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz apple cider (½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dough
- 32 oz apple cider (4 cups)
- 2 oz unsalted butter (cold)
- 4 oz warm water (½ cup)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 18 ¾ oz unbleached all-purpose flour (3 ¾ cups, see note)
- 1 large egg (room temp)
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
Coating Sugar
- 8 oz granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
Make the Apple Filling (day 1)
- Combine 1 ½ pounds apples with 2 oz brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a large sauce pan. Cover the pan and set aside to macerate for at least 1 hour and as long as 3 hours.
- Combine 1 oz apple cider with 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 oz apple cider and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the apples in the sauce pan. Cook over medium-high until the juices begin to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the apples are crisp-tender, stirring often. The apples should still hold their shape. The exact time will depend on the type of apple, estimate 10 minutes.
- Add the corn starch mixture to the apples. Increase the heat to medium-high and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until the juices are slightly thickened and become translucent. Transfer the apple filling to a container and cool to room temperature. Chill until ready to use. The filling can be made 1-2 days ahead.
Make the dough (day 1)
- In a large saucepan, bring 32 oz apple cider to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the 4 cups of cider are reduced to 1 cup. Transfer the reduced cider to a bowl and add 2 oz unsalted butter to the cider so that it melts. Set the bowl aside until the reduced cider is cooled to about 110°F (a little warmer than body temp).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl combine 4 oz warm water, 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast and 2 ½ oz unbleached all purpose flour. Mix until it forms a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes (while the cider is cooling).
- With the mixer running on low, add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon table salt and the reduced cider to the batter. Add another 10 oz unbleached all purpose flour and mix until it forms a thick batter.
- Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 6 ⅓ oz unbleached all purpose flour of flour. The dough will start out quite sticky. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough clings to the hook and clears the sides of the bowl. If working by hand mix in as much of the flour by hand as you can then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and continue kneading in the remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes.
- Knead into a smooth ball. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover and set the dough aside at room temperature for 1- 1 ½ hours until it's doubled in volume.
- Without kneading the dough (kneading will cause it to spring back as you cut) roll to ½" thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Use a 4" round cutter to cut donuts. Line the donuts on a well-oiled baking sheet, leaving space between the donuts for the dough to rise (I used 2 baking sheets). Reroll the scraps of dough and continue cutting donuts until all the dough is used up.
- Brush the tops of the donuts lightly with oil. Cover the sheet pans with plastic wrap. refrigerate the donuts overnight. If making the donuts the same day, continue with the next step now.
Make the Donuts (day 1 or 2)
- The donuts should begin to rise in the refrigerator overnight. You want them to be almost doubled in size. If the haven't finish rising leave them at room temperature until they're ready. The time will vary based on the temperature of the room and the temperature of your dough and how much they rose in the refrigerator.
- In small bowl combine 8 oz granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon ground cardamom. Set the sugar aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 quart vegetable oil to 350 °F in a large heavy pot. Fry the donuts a couple at a time, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffy.
- As you take each donut out of the oil, immediately roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Set on a cooling rack while you fry the rest of the donuts.
- Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a skewer to poke a hole in one end of the donut. Push the skewer until it's in the center of the donut and move it around to create a pocket in the donut. Use a piping bag with a large round tip to pipe the filling into each donut.
- Best eaten warm or within a couple of hours of frying.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
Storage
Apple Filled Donuts are best eaten slightly warm from fryer or within a few hours of frying. They will keep at room temperature for a day. Leftovers can be frozen. Rewarm previously frozen donuts in a low oven to revive the texture. Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
Hi there,
I’m super excited to try making these for Hanukkah! I just wanted see about skipping on the filling – I’ve got picky kid eaters and maybe just doing a jam on the side for dipping? Any ideas for a flavor that would go well? And would it change how I make / fry the dough? Thanks!
Hi Sara, this recipe for cider donuts is the same dough made without a filling.
Delicious