Apple Cider Doughnuts with Sourdough Discard (Baked)
These apple cider doughnuts with sourdough discard quickly became a favorite. They have all the cozy flavors you expect from a classic apple cider doughnut, including warm cinnamon, sweet apple notes, and a soft, tender texture. The addition of sourdough discard gives them extra flavor while helping reduce food waste, making them a great option for sourdough bakers looking for new ways to use their discard.
There is something special about baking with apples during the fall season. The crisp air, changing leaves, and abundance of fresh apples make it the perfect time to turn simple ingredients into comforting homemade treats. After bringing home a basket full of freshly picked apples, I couldn’t wait to start experimenting in the kitchen. While pies and crisps are always favorites, I wanted something a little different that would be easy enough to make on a busy weekend morning.
Unlike traditional fried doughnuts, these are baked, which means they come together with less mess and less effort. There is no need to heat a pot of oil or worry about frying temperatures. Simply mix the batter, fill the doughnut pan, and bake until golden. In just a short amount of time, your kitchen will be filled with the comforting aroma of apples and spices.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how versatile it is. These doughnuts are perfect for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee, as an afternoon snack, or even as a simple dessert. They are delicious on their own, but even better when coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture shortly after baking. The sweet coating adds the perfect finishing touch and gives them that classic bakery-style flavor.
Whether you have just returned from an apple orchard or simply picked up a jug of apple cider from the store, these baked apple cider doughnuts are a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of fall. They are simple, flavorful, and sure to become a seasonal favorite in your home.
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g Apple cider , boiled and reduced in half, until you’ll get 130g of thicker version of cider.
- 70 g sourdough discard, strait from the fridge.
- 30 g melted butter
- 50 g egg (1 large egg)
- 60 g sour cream
- 50 g brown sugar
- 160 g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamon
Sugar Topping
- 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamon
- 30g melted butter
Directions
To bring up stronger apple flavor, add the following step.
- Night before, boil 300g of apple cider on a medium/high heat, wait until half of it evaporates (it might take up to 30 minutes). Let it cool.
If you don’t have enough time, you can use straight apple cider, the flavor will still be there.
- Next day, or when cider has cooled off, mix all wet ingredients (cider, sourdough discard, egg, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla and sugar).
- Whisk until well incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, spices). Mix dough really well, let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the doughnuts mold, spread a thin layer of butter all over the mold and dust it with flour, to prevent doughnuts from sticking to the sides of the mold.
- Fill the mold about half way.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake the doughnuts for 13-15 minutes. Doughnuts are ready, when you poke the top of the doughnut and it bounces back.
- Take the doughnuts out of the oven, let them cool down for 10 min.
Topping
- Mix sugar with spices.
- Brush each doughnut with butter.
- Roll it generously in spiced sugar.
Enjoy your apple cider doughnuts with sourdough discard!
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 360g (1.5 cups) Pure apple cider not apple juice
- 420g All-purpose flour (100%)
- 10g Baking powder
- 2.5g Baking soda
- 3g Ground cinnamon
- 1.5g Ground nutmeg
- 5g Fine sea salt
- 45g Unsalted butter, melted and cooled (10.7%)
- 100g Granulated sugar (23.8%)
- 50g Light brown sugar, packed (11.9%)
- 2 Large egg yolks (at room temperature)
- 80g Full-fat buttermilk (19%)
- 80g Prepared Apple Cider Reduction (completely cooled – From the stage above)
- 1 Liter Neutral frying oil (Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil)
- 100g Granulated sugar
- 6g Ground cinnamon
- 45g Unsalted butter (melted, for brushing if opting for a less-oily sugar coat adherence)
Equipment
- 3-Quart Heavy Saucepan (Or a Dutch oven for safe, temperature-stable deep frying)
- Stand Mixer (Equipped with the paddle attachment to smoothly combine the wet ingredients and fold the flour gently)
- 3-Inch Doughnut Cutter (Or two separate round biscuit cutters to cleanly punch out the rings and holes)
- Deep-Fry / Candy Thermometer (Crucial for monitoring and maintaining a precise oil temperature)
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Baking Sheet (To catch excess cinnamon sugar)
Method
- 1:00 PM – Simmering the Cider: Pour all 360g of pure apple cider into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring it to a steady boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced down significantly to exactly 80g (about 1/3 cup).
- Cooling Phase: Pour the intensely fragrant, syrupy reduction into a small heatproof bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool completely down before mixing into the dairy elements.
- 1:35 PM – Sifting Dry Aromatics: In a large bowl, whisk together the 420g of all-purpose flour, 10g of baking powder, 2.5g of baking soda, 3g of ground cinnamon, 1.5g of ground nutmeg, and 5g of fine sea salt until perfectly uniform. Set aside.
- Paddle Attachment Mixing: Secure your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the 100g of granulated sugar, 50g of light brown sugar, and 45g of cooled melted butter. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute until sandy.
- Emulsifying Liquids: Add the 2 large egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the 80g of buttermilk followed by your 80g of cooled apple cider reduction. Mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth and emulsified.
- The Gentle Fold: Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed. Add the dry flour mixture all at once and mix *just* until the flour disappears and a very soft, sticky dough forms (roughly 30 seconds). Do not overmix, or the doughnuts will turn out tough.
- 2:10 PM – Sheet Pan Stabilization: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it lightly with flour. Tip the sticky dough out directly onto the paper. Using floured hands, pat the dough out into a uniform rectangle roughly 1/2-inch thick.
- The Cold Firming Rest: Slide the baking sheet straight into the refrigerator. Let the dough chill uncovered for a full hour. This firms up the butter and hydrates the flour starches, turning a sticky cake batter into a cooperative dough.
- 3:10 PM – Cutting the Shapes: Remove the cold dough from the fridge. Dust a 3-inch doughnut cutter with flour. Press it firmly straight down into the dough without twisting to cleanly stamp out a doughnut ring and center hole. Re-dust the cutter frequently and repeat until you have 12 rings. Collect the leftover scraps, gently press them back together to 1/2-inch thickness, and punch out your final rings. Keep the rings chilled while heating the oil.
- 3:25 PM – Heating the Fat Matrix: Pour your frying oil into a heavy 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven until it reaches a depth of 2 inches. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat over medium heat until the oil stabilizes precisely between 350°F and 360°F (177°C–182°C). Prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towels next to the stove.
- The Golden Fry Cycle: Carefully drop 2 to 3 doughnuts into the hot oil, ensuring you do not crowd the pan. Fry for 60 to 90 seconds until puffed and a deep golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip them over using a slotted spoon or chopstick and fry the second side for an additional 60 seconds.
- Draining and Tossing: Use your slotted spoon to lift the hot doughnuts out of the oil, holding them over the pot for a moment to drain excess oil, then transfer them onto the paper towels. Drop the independent doughnut holes in and fry for roughly 60 seconds total, rolling them continuously.
- 3:40 PM – The Sweet Cinnamon Finish: While the doughnuts fry, whisk together your 100g of granulated sugar and 6g of ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. While the doughnuts are still hot/warm to the touch, drop them directly into the cinnamon-sugar mix and turn to coat them generously on all sides. Serve immediately while fresh and warm!
Nutrition
Notes
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How do you make the apple cider?
It’s just Apple juice, but from real apples, not from concentrate
Thank you – I was trying to figure out where the fresh apples came into it!!!!
It’s look Yummy 😋😋
and delicious😍 i well I will try to make it😅
It’s so delicious. Definitely try it 🙏
Checking on definition. Discard sourdough is unfed or from leftover sourdough feedings?
It’s leftover starter, I’m collecting in the fridge, then using it in pancakes 🥞 or something else😊
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you mean it’s the sourdough starter that you completed after the week (or longer) process, and you just didn’t use it all, or it’s the part you took out before feeding the actual starter again? E.g., if I wanted to, could I just use your sourdough starter process and then use the final product for the doughnuts?
Can this be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze them, but without covering in sugar.
Would apple cider vinegar work?
No, but apple purée or apple juice will definitely work.
Made these today and loved them, as did my five and three year olds ; )
Happy to hear you liked them. Thank you 🙏
Made these this morning exactly as directed, though I used three mini loaf pans instead of a doughnut mold (and shared them with neighbors!). Absolutely wonderful! This will certainly be a fall staple. Thank you!
CaroleAnne, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so glad you liked it 🙏
Fantastic recipe, I used apple puree and we gobbled them. Thanks for a great idea to use sourdough discard.
Aviva, thank you for your feedback. Happy 🙏
Hello,can I frie them ?like a deep fried
Hi!
I’m not sure, because batter is too runny.
I want to make these for the apple festival, will they hold up overnight already baked?
They will need to be reheated in microwave before eating then.
Hello! Can the batter be left overnight to ferment without the baking soda. Next day add to it and bake? What are your thoughts? Thank you! I definitely will make them
Hello. I just made these and they’re super delicious. I just wish they had more of an apple taste to them. Perhaps there’s a way ro incorporate some applesauce?
I appreciate that they are a billion times healthier than fried, inflammatory donuts because I ate like…5. Lol
These apple cider doughnuts look amazing! I love the idea of using sourdough discard; it gives such a unique flavor. Can’t wait to try this recipe during fall! Thanks for sharing, Natasha!
I would love to print this recipe but I don’t see a printable version. If I try to print it’s 17 pages!😂
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love that you incorporated sourdough discard — such a clever way to reduce waste while creating something sweet. Can’t wait to try this recipe for fall! 🍏🍩
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love the idea of using sourdough discard – what a great way to reduce waste while baking something sweet! Can’t wait to try this recipe for fall! 🍏🍩
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love that you’ve incorporated sourdough discard into the recipe—what a fantastic way to reduce waste while baking something so tasty. I can’t wait to try these out this fall! Thank you for sharing!
These were pretty easy to make and very tasty! I got about 9 1/2 donuts out of the recipe – maybe my pan is a little smaller.
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love the idea of using sourdough discard—such a great way to reduce waste and add flavor. Can’t wait to try this recipe this fall! Thank you, Natasha!
Wow, these apple cider doughnuts look amazing! I love the idea of using sourdough discard—such a creative way to reduce waste while making a delicious treat. Can’t wait to try this recipe out this fall! 🍏🍩
I just tried these apple cider doughnuts, and they turned out amazing! The sourdough discard adds a unique flavor and texture that I didn’t expect. Perfect for autumn! Thanks for the fantastic recipe, Natasha!
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love that you used sourdough discard for extra flavor. Can’t wait to try this recipe for a cozy fall treat! 🍎✨
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love the idea of using sourdough discard in the recipe. Can’t wait to give them a try this fall! Thank you for sharing!
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love that you’re using sourdough discard in the recipe – such a creative way to reduce waste. Can’t wait to try making these for the fall season! Thank you for sharing!
These apple cider doughnuts look absolutely delicious! I love that you used sourdough discard—what a creative way to reduce waste and add flavor. Can’t wait to try this recipe and indulge in the fall vibes! 🍏❤️