these air fried apple cider donut bites are an apple cider donuts cuter little sister. they are easy to make, have all the goodness of the regular donut and are perfect for fall.
I have a confession to make, I don’t think I have ever had an apple cider donut. I know. So, I decided it was time to change that. The apple cider donut is a bit different because it is a cake style donut, not a yeast donut. I have to be honest I am more partial to a yeast donut BUT these air fried apple cider donut bites are truly addictive.
The Dough
This dough is unlike a regular donut dough. It is very sticky and can be a little more frustrating to work with. To alleviate some of the aggravation you want to keep flour on hand, at least ¼ cup, and a dough scraper. This will make it much easier when working with it. However, if you don’t have a dough scraper you can use a sharp knife. Don’t be intimidated by this dough because it comes out perfectly when air fried.
The Apple Cider
I am not a big apple drink fan. I don’t like apple juice and I don’t really like apple cider (unless its sparkling apple cider) BUT apple cider is of course a crucial ingredient. Make sure to pick something you think tastes good. I kind of skimped and went with a cheap food store brand one. It worked great but I am sure a higher quality apple cider would’ve made it even more delicious.
Alternative Cooking Methods
I love my air fryer it is truly perfect for this recipe. You don’t need to deep fry to get something delicious. However, I know some people don’t have air fryers. So, if you want to bake these you can – I would suggest putting the oven at 350°F and baking for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. You can also deep fry these until they turn golden brown. If you deep fry them you can just roll them directly in the cinnamon sugar after they are done cooking. I do love that the air fryer requires less work and less mess but use whatever method works for you.
More Desserts
Air Fried Apple Cider Donut Bites FAQ
- Can this be made gluten free? I didn’t test this with gluten free flour but if you want to try to use gluten free all purpose flour you can.
- How long do these keep? They really are best when enjoyed fresh but I would say if you warm them up within 2 to 3 days still delicious.
- Can I make this into donuts instead? Of course! Just cut them out like you would a cookie.
- What else could I add to these? I think a glaze drizzled over top would be delicious.
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Air Fried Apple Cider Donut Bites
Ingredients
Donut Bites
- 2 cups (480ml) apple cider
- 3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (100g) organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (33g) vegan butter, melted
- ½ cup (150g) vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (200g) organic granulated sugar
Other
- ¼ cup (30g) all purpose flour for dusting
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (66g) vegan butter, melted
Instructions
- Add the apple cider to a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling lower to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes, until it is reduced by half. It will reduce from 2 cups to 1 cup. Then transfer into a measuring glass or something safe for hot liquids and allow to cool.
- In a big bowl combine all the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking power, baking soda, organic brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Then add in your wet ingredients: cooled down and reduced apple cider, melted vegan butter, vanilla extract, and vegan yogurt.
- Mix until well combined. The dough will be thick and sticky. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 8 hours.
- When ready to make the donuts add about ⅛ cup (15g) of flour to your work surface. Dump the dough out, it will still be sticky but should be much firmer than when you first made it.
- Use a dough scraper or you can carefully use a large knife to help you work the dough. However, dough scrapers are a great little kitchen accessory and very cheap. Divide the dough in half and then work it in a thick rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Use the dough scraper to cut horizontally about 1 inch to make a long snake shape. Then cut about 1 to 2 inch cubes of dough out. These will be your bites. If the bite looks too big you can cut it in half. If you need a visual watch the YouTube video. Keep extra flour nearby as you may need to use to flour your surface or dip the dough scraper into it.
- Once you make about 10 to 20 you can add them into your air fryer depending on how big your basket is. Air fry at 400°F (212°C) for 7 minutes until golden brown. Optional: you can spray the basket and the bites with a spray oil. Repeat this process until all the bites are cooked. I got about 70 bites but you can make as many as you like.
- Meanwhile, melt the vegan butter and prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing the cinnamon and sugar in a large flat bowl.
- Once the bites come out toss them in the melted vegan butter, allow excess to drip off, and then roll in cinnamon sugar. Repeat until are coated.
- Once they are all coated you can enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Vegan butter used was Earth Balance
- Vegan yogurt used was Siggi’s non-dairy vanilla and cinnamon. You can use any vegan yogurt you like just make sure the flavor is either vanilla, plain, or something that will work well with apple cider donuts.
- You may need to adjust cooking time and temp based on your air fryer, make 1 batch and see how they come out adjust from there
- For alternative cooking methods see the section above
- These will last about 3 to 4 days on counter in a container
Did you try this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @plantifullybased to let me know how it went. If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
Brought these to the family Thanksgiving. They were a hit! Highly recommend. Will definitely make again 🙂
So glad you liked them! Thank you for sending a pic on IG and leaving a comment on the blog seriously means so much!!! 💕💕
I loved these. I made a few substitutions to reduce the overall sugar in the recipe so I used coconut sugar in place of brown sugar and monk fruit sugar in place of the regular sugar and it came out great. My partner and I had to stop ourselves from eating all the donuts at one sitting.
Hi Erin very glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for trying them and taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
I don’t have an air fryer, can these be made in the oven somehow? Thank you!
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried so I can’t say. If you want to try it out just follow the instructions for baking and then see how they are looking the finished cooking time. If they look like they need more time check them at 5 minute incremements.