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Meet your new favorite fall dessert: Apple Pie Donuts! These pillowy, golden donuts made with fresh apple cider and warm fall-inspired spices are filled with a buttery and warmly seasoned apple pie filling before being finished off with a light, crunchy cinnamon sugar coating.

Apple Filled Donuts Recipe

While I love a traditional apple cider donut in the fall, we’ve made those nearly every year for the past decade, so this fall I wanted a fresh new take.

Rather than a traditional cake-style apple cider donut, these are a yeasted apple cider donut with a homemade apple pie filling. They are still made with apple cider and have my favorite feature of an apple cider donut (the cinnamon sugar coating) but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. By using warm apple cider to make the donut batter, it intensifies the flavor of the donuts while also effectively activating the yeast with the cider’s natural sugars.

Apple pie donuts are a golden, fluffy donut recipe filled with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples in a brown sugar syrup and dusted with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating. They are perfect for any fall occasion – from cozy get-togethers with friends to a sweet treat to enjoy with the family after enjoying the crisp autumn air.

While I recommend frying (as the directions below instruct), these apple pie donuts can be baked or air-fried, if desired. (You can find the instructions for those methods in the FAQ section below.)

Apple Pie Donuts FAQs

Can I make the donut dough ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it, letting it come back to room temperature before shaping.

Can these apple pie donuts be baked instead of fried? Absolutely, though they won’t be as light and fluffy on the inside due to the longer cooking time.

To bake the donuts instead of frying, brush them lightly with oil and bake at 375°F until golden, about 15-18 minutes.

To air-fry the donuts instead of frying, air fry at 375°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.

What apples work best for the filling? Firm, tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp hold their shape during cooking and balance the sweetness.

Can I freeze apple pie donuts? Yes, I recommend freezing the dough before frying, however if you need to freeze after cooking, do not fill with the apple pie filling as the donuts will become soggy once thawed.

Store in an airtight freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers (this set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain) with a square of parchment paper or wax paper in between each donut to prevent them from sticking together. Store the apple pie filling separately. Can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.

How to store these apple pie donuts: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days. Bring to room temperature or rewarm gently in the oven or microwave before serving to restore their texture.

Apple Pie Donut Ingredients

For the donut batter:

• Active Dry Yeast
• Warm Apple Cider (110° to 115°F)
• Unsalted Butter, melted
• White Granulated Sugar
• Egg and Egg Yolk
• Whole Milk
• Salt
• Ground Nutmeg
• Ground Cinnamon
• All-Purpose Flour
• Vegetable Oil, for frying

For the apple pie filling:

• Large Apples, peeled, peeled and diced
• nsalted Butter
• Salt
• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon
• Apple Cider
• All-Purpose Flour

For cinnamon sugar coating:

• White Granulated Sugar
• Cinnamon

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: Coat the donuts in sugar when they are still hot, to make sure it will stick to it.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Saucepan
• Electric Mixer
• Mixing Bowl
• Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– I always use a dutch oven for deep frying as it holds temperatures easily without burning
• Spider Strainer

How to Make Apple Pie Donuts

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and warm apple cider. Allow the yeast to bubble and proof for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Once the yeast and cider mixture is frothy, stir in the butter, sugar, eggs, milk and flour mixture.

Knead the dough in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for about 4-6 minutes, until the dough is elastic and no longer sticky to the touch. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 12 portions, then cover and let rise again for 20 more minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a fryer or dutch oven until the oil reaches between 350°F and 375°F.

Fry each donut in until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Cook 2-3 donuts at a time to avoid overcrowding.)

Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

As the donuts cool, prepare the apple pie filling. (Alternatively, you can do this while the donut dough is rising, just rewarm the filling before stuffing the donuts.)

Peel and dice the apples into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking and texture in the filling

In a large skillet, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the apples and sauté for about 10 minutes, adding the apple cider as needed to prevent burning.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, then cook 1-2 more minutes until apples are coated in a thick sauce.

Allow the filling to cool slightly as you take a chopstick or wooden spoon and poke a hole through to the middle of the donuts. Wiggle the chopstick around to make room for the apple filling.

Fill a piping bag with the filling and cut the tip off so that there is enough room for the apples to come through.

Press the piping bag into the hole in each donut and squeeze in the apple pie filling, shaking the donuts slightly if needed.

Repeat with all donuts until all 12-14 donuts are filled.

Pin this Easy Apple Pie Donut Recipe for a sweet fall treat that tastes straight out of a bakery:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our apple pie donuts recipe:

I hope your family loves this easy apple pie donut recipe as much as mine did!

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