Everyone loves doughnuts, of all kinds, no doubt about that. As apple season is here these soft, fluffy Apple Doughnuts filled with spiced apples are simply one of the best treats you can enjoy this fall.
These doughnuts are fried plain, without any filling. I’ve prepared the filling separately, allowing you to customize them with your favorite flavors. Feel free to switch it up with seasonal fruits or get creative with options like chocolate, vanilla pastry cream, caramel, and more.
If you’re looking for a healthier option, you could also consider baking the doughnuts, although the texture may vary slightly.
How to make Apple Doughnuts
Prepare the doughnut dough by whisking together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir fresh yeast with 1 tsp sugar until it liquefies. Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup milk and then add it to the flour mixture.
Add the oil, egg, and the remaining milk, then knead until smooth and the dough slightly pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 1 hour at room temperature until it doubles in size.
How to make apple filling
For the apple filling, place apple pieces, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the apples are soft. Transfer the apples into a bowl and set aside to cool until ready to use.
How to shape the doughnuts
On a floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is ½ inch thick. Use a doughnut cutter or a 3-inch round cutter to cut out the doughnuts. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until no dough is left. Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 30 minutes.
How to fry doughnuts
In a bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pot or fryer to 320-350°F (160-180°C). Line another baking sheet with paper towels. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time upside down and fry until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Flip and fry the other side until golden brown. Remove each doughnut and drain it on paper towels. Repeat until all of the doughnuts are fried.
How to fill the apple doughnuts
While the doughnuts are still hot, toss each one with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer the apple filling into a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Use a skewer to create a hole on the side of each doughnut, then fill each one with apple filling.
Give these Apple Doughnuts a try—I hope you’ll enjoy making them as much as we did! Don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram posts or stories, so I can see your amazing results. Cheers.
For more apple treats check our full collection of Apple Recipes. For more fall desserts check our 50 Must-Try Fall Desserts collection.
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Apple Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnut Dough
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 1 tbsp (15g) brown sugar
- Zest of a lemon
- 15 g fresh yeast (1 tsp active dry yeast)
- 1 tsp (5g) sugar
- 2 tbsp (28ml) oil
- 3/4 cup (180ml) lukewarm milk
- 1 egg , beaten
Apple Filling
- 3-4 medium apples (about 600-800g) , peeled
- juice from half of lemon
- 2 tbsp (30g) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1g) ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/3 cup (80ml) water
Garnish
- 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the doughnut dough.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt and sugar.
- In a small bowl stir fresh yeast with 1 tsp sugar until it liquefies. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup milk and then add to the flour mixture. Add the oil, egg and rest of milk and start kneading until smooth and slightly pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 1 hour at room temperature (warm space) until doubled in size.
Prepare the apple filling.
- Place apple pieces, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft. Transfer apples into a bowl and set aside to cool until ready to use.
- On a floured surface, using a rolling pin roll the dough until ½ inch (1 cm) inch thick.
- Use a doughnut cutter or 3 inch (7.5 cm) round cutter to cut the doughnuts .
- Re-roll the rest of the dough and cut into doughnuts until no dough is left.
- Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for about 30 minutes.
- In a bowl mix together sugar and cinnamon.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pot or fryer to 320-350F (160-180C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Once hot, place 2, 3 doughnuts at a time upside down and fry until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Flip and fry the other side until golden brown.
- Remove each doughnut and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all of the doughnuts are fried.
- While still hot, toss each one with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Transfer apple filling into a piping bag fitted with a (9 mm) plain tip. Use a skewer to create a hole on the side of each doughnut.
- Fill each doughnut with apple filling. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
Could you give time and temp to bake doughnuts please
These were amazing! I used the apple filling to fill each donut to the brim, so there wasn’t enough for all of them. I recommend doing this and doubling the filling recipe.
Great recipe. These donuts were delicious, super moist. The recipe is so much simpler than other donut recipes but somehow still amazing. I went for a powdered sugar topping instead of cinnamon sugar and the result was great; not too sweet.
So glad you tried them out Pauline:) Happy New Year!