Apple Brandy Doughnut Holes Recipe

By
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, where she develops recipes and owns and operates three businesses: a bean-to-bar chocolate company, an ice cream company, and a collective food production space. Previously, she wrote brunch and British food recipe columns for Serious Eats.
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Updated May 02, 2025
Overhead view of a plate piled high with apple brandy doughnut holes.

Serious Eats / Sydney Oland

Fresh, hot doughnuts make for a great brunch on a chilly day, but the process of proofing and rising yeast tends to be a bit too daunting for your average Sunday morning. This quick and easy version of classic apple cider doughnuts can hit your table in under an hour, so you can have freshly fried, relatively effortless doughnuts with your morning coffee. Plus, you know, brandy. Can it get much better?

December 2013

Recipe Details

Apple Brandy Doughnut Holes Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins
Active 45 mins
Resting Time 15 mins
Total 60 mins
Makes 25 doughnut holes
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Ingredients

For the Apple Brandy Doughnuts:

  • 1/2 cup apple cider

  • 1 medium apple, grated (about 1/2 cup)

  • 2 tablespoons brandy

  • 3 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil

For the Cinnamon Sugar :

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine apple cider, grated apple, and brandy and cook over medium high heat until reduced to 3/4 of a cup. Allow to cool.

  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl whisk together egg, sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are evenly combined, and then let sit for 15 minutes.

  3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 200°F (95°C). Heat oil in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C). Using two spoons drop batter into oil and cook until first side is browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until second side is browned, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then transfer to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter until all doughnuts are cooked.

  4. In a large bowl combine sugar and ground cinnamon. When ready to serve toss hot doughnuts into cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3663 Calories
128g Fat
563g Carbs
58g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 3663
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 128g 164%
Saturated Fat 44g 220%
Cholesterol 311mg 104%
Sodium 2474mg 108%
Total Carbohydrate 563g 205%
Dietary Fiber 28g 100%
Total Sugars 186g
Protein 58g
Vitamin C 73mg 365%
Calcium 676mg 52%
Iron 24mg 135%
Potassium 1404mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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