Apple Filled Donuts

Inspired by classic apple pie, these apple filled donuts are fried to golden perfection and tossed in cinnamon sugar for a sweet finish.

If Fall had a flavour, it would be apple. Ok, or maybe pumpkin spice, but apple is definitely #1 for me. Apples can be enjoyed in so many different ways, from savoury dishes to sweet treats.

Today we’re going to show you how to make your own apple filled donuts at home! These are perfect for a weekend breakfast or dessert, and they’ll bring all the flavours of Fall right into your kitchen.

These spiced apple donuts are soft and tender with a crisp exterior. These donuts are fried to a golden perfection, then stuffed with a sweet, spiced apple pie filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet
finish.

So gather up your ingredients and let’s get started!

Why You Will LOVE This Apple Filled Donut Recipe!

• Soft and tender donuts with crisp outsides
• Just perfectly spiced
• Loaded with homemade apple filling
• Even better than Krispy Kreme Cinnamon Apple Filled Doughnuts!
• So good they are worth the effort
• Perfect fall dessert
• Makes a big batch you can freeze for later!

Can you Bake Apple Filled Doughnuts?

Yes! If you prefer to bake your donuts instead of frying them, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the cut doughnuts onto the baking sheet and let rise for 45 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter then bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and proceed as directed.

Variations of the Apple Filled Donut

Change it up, try some of these ideas:

• Caramel Apple Filled Donuts: Make your apple filling with caramel sauce instead of the brown sugar.
• Glazed Apple Donuts: Make a simple caramel glaze for the donuts instead of the cinnamon sugar topping.
• Swap the Fruit: Try using pears or peaches instead.

Cake Donuts vs Yeast Donuts

There are two different types of donut: cake and yeast.

A cake donut is made with a sweetened dough that’s leavened with baking powder and fried until crispy on the outside with a soft, cakey inside.

A yeasted donut is your classic glazed donut, and as the name implies, made with a yeast dough. These are typically cut out into a shape before being frying.

Yeast donuts are typically light and airy, where cake donuts tend to be more dense.

What Kind of Oil is Best for Frying Cake Donuts?

The best oil to use for deep frying your old-fashioned donuts is one that has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor.

Canola Oil – Inexpensive and perfectly checks off all the boxes which is why I recommend it’s use in this recipe.

Sunflower Oil – This is more expensive than Canola oil but will give comparable results.

Vegetable Oil – Another good, cheap oil that ticks all the boxes.

Shortening – This is probably the best option for deep frying donuts as it is the least likely to produce oily donuts. That said it is high in trans fats.

Avoid deep frying using butter as the smoke point is quite low, plus it is expensive. You will also want to avoid more expensive oils like olive oil as you need quite a bit for deep drying donuts.

What is the Best Temperature to Fry Donuts?

You will need roughly 4 cups of oil to fry your donuts. Set your heat to medium-high and let the oil get hot, about 5 minutes.

Donuts fry best at a temperature between 350ºF-375ºF, you will want to use an instant thermometer to accurately measure the temperature of your oil. 

An alternative way to test your oil is by dipping the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it starts bubbling around the handle, the oil is good to go.

If you see smoke, your oil is too hot. Remove it from the heat for a few minutes before proceeding. If it doesn’t bubble at all then it needs to heat up more.

It’s important you start with your oil at the right temperature to make sure the donuts get a nice crisp outside layer and soft fluffy interior.

How Do I Make Fluffy Donuts?

If you’ve tried making donuts before, and they’ve ended up all hard and chewy, you’re probably worried the same thing might happen with these donuts.

Well, the trick to getting the most pillowy soft and fluffy donuts is to make sure the donuts are well-proofed, that they’ve had enough time to rest before you go ahead and fry them.

Also, while frying donuts remember to not put in too many donuts into the oil and overcrowd it.

Even if it takes a little extra time, consider frying them in batches, so that they get enough space to move.

Tips for making the BEST Fried Donuts

1. Clean up your work area and make sure you don’t have anything flammable near by your stove top.
2. Use a large, heavy-bottom dutch oven or stock pot with high sides.
3. Use an instant thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.
4. You will need about 3 inches of oil in your pan – just enough to fry the donuts, without splashing out.
5. Fry only a few doughnut holes at a time – it is easier to manage and will ensure even cooking.
6. Ensure your ingredients are all at room temperature, or warm, before starting.
7. With yeast based recipes such as this one it is very important to make sure your liquids are the correct temperature to ensure the dough rises properly. If the apple cider/milk is too hot it will kill the yeast. If they are too cold, the yeast won’t activate and the dough won’t properly rise. The correct temperature is between 105°-110° F.
8. Do not over-work your dough, it can result in dense donuts. Get it just combined then stop.
9. Line a baking sheet with paper towel and place under your wire rack to catch any excess oil off the fried donuts.
10. You can chop up canned apple pie filling if you like, but I find they tend to be more sauce than apple which isn’t really ideal.
11. If your donuts aren’t warm when you fill them, then you will have to cut a small hole in the side of the donuts for the piping tip.

How to Store Leftover Donuts

These donuts are best consumed the day they are made, but may be heated the next day in the microwave for 10 seconds to restore freshness.

Leftover apple filled donuts should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

If you want to keep them for longer, donuts can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To store donuts, first let them cool completely to room temperature. Then, place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, and store them in the freezer.

Equipment Needed to Make Fried Donuts

Dutch oven – A large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot helps the oil hold its temperature.

Spider tool – You want this straining tool to scoop out the donuts and leave the oil behind.

Donut cutter – A 3-1/2 inch doughnut cutter is a must-have for making donuts that are consistently perfect in size and shape.

How Can I Shape Donuts Without a Donut Cutter?

If you don’t have a donut cutter on hand, you can use a wide-mouth canning ring to cut out the donuts. To make the hole you can use a large piping tip. You could also use a set of cookie cutter rings or biscuit cutters.

About the Ingredients for Apple Filled Donuts

Apple cider – You can substitute apple juice 1:1 if necessary but apple cider will give the best flavour.

Milk – Whole milk is best when baking but you may use warm water instead or lower fat milk.

Sugar – Plain old granulated white sugar is best.

Yeast – Use active dry yeast here for best results. You can also use instant yeast if you like and skip the proofing.

Eggs – Must be at room temperature for best results!

Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is best, but you can use artificial if that is what you have on hand.

Cake flour – If you don’t have any cake flour on hand you can use all-purpose flour with cornstarch to achieve the fluffiness that cake flour gives these donuts. To make your own cake flour substitute, measure out your flour, then remove 2 Tablespoons. Add back in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Then sift your flour twice over so it is nice and fluffy like cake flour. Ready to use!

Salt – Balances out all the flavours.

Spices – We use a combination of warming spices in the dough that pairs with the filling and the cinnamon sugar topping.

Butter – Room temperature butter, if you use salted, reduce the additional salt. Don’t substitute with oil or margarine, the butter brings a lot of flavour.

Apples – You want to use soft, sweet apples for the filling. I used Royal gala, but McIntosh, Fuji, Pink lady, Cortland, and honey crisp are all great options.

Brown sugar – Gives a sweetness with more depth than white sugar, perfect for the apple filling.

Cornstarch – To thicken the apple juices, you can use flour instead if you like.

Looking for More Homemade Donut Recipes?

If you love this old fashioned donut recipe, check out more of my favourite homemade donuts!

There is nothing better in this world than a plate of warm, freshly-made old fashioned glazed donuts with crispy exteriors and soft insides!

Dulce De Leche Donuts featuring a buttery tender dough that is stuffed with dulce de leche and fried up into a golden, fluffy masterpiece.

Lemon curd donut holes are a lemony delight – soft donut holes are filled with sweet and tart lemon curd, and covered with a sugar glaze.

How to Make Apple Filled Donuts

Yields: 22 Donuts | Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Rise time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup warm apple cider
• ⅓ cup warm whole milk
• ⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 large eggs + 2 yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

For the Apple Filling:

• 3 cups diced apples
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

For the Topping:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

To Make the Donuts:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine warm apple cider, warm milk, 2 Tbsp of sugar and yeast.

Whisk on low speed until just incorporated. Let proof for 5 minutes, until frothy.

Once the proofing time is up, add the remaining sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.

Swap the mixer attachment to a dough hook. Add the flour, then on top of the flour add cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Knead until the dough starts to come together.

Add the butter and knead for an additional 5 minutes.

The dough will be sticky at this point. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and cover well.

Let rise for 1 hour. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a clean, floured surface.

Roll the dough out to ½” thickness, then use a biscuit cutter or a 3” round cookie cutter to cut out donuts until all the dough has been used.

You may have to reroll the dough a couple times to use it all up, just be sure not to overwork the dough.

Once all of the dough has been used, place the cut donuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with at least ½” between them.

Let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

To Make the Filling:

In a large mixing bowl combine diced apples, brown sugar, butter, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, apple cider and salt. Mix until the apples are coated. Transfer the mixture into a medium sized saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat.

Cook down for 10 minutes, then add in the cornstarch and cook for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To Make the Topping:

In a small mixing bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Assembly:

Towards the end of the donut’s rise time, preheat 3” of oil in a large stockpot to 375°. Once the donuts have finished rising and the oil is heated, place 2-3 donuts into the oil. Fry for 1 ½ minutes, then flip and fry for an additional 1 ½ minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and place onto a cooling rack, with paper towels underneath it.

Repeat the frying process with the remaining donuts.

In between frying donuts, fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip with the filling mixture.

While the donuts are still warm, place the piping tip into the side of the donut and fill until the piping tip is pushed back. Repeat until all of the donuts are filled.

Roll each filled donut into the topping mixture, then serve.