Apple Pie Donuts (with brown butter vanilla bean glaze)
The Donut That Tastes Like Fall Decided to Go All In
Apple pie has been the defining fall dessert for long enough that it barely needs an introduction. What it needed, apparently, was to be stuffed inside a freshly fried brioche donut and dipped in a brown butter vanilla bean glaze. This recipe is the version of apple pie that you can hold in one hand, eat standing at the kitchen counter, and finish before you’ve had a chance to think about whether you want another one. You do.
The apple pie filling inside is cooked down with cinnamon, butter, and a cornstarch slurry that thickens it to exactly the right consistency for piping, jammy and concentrated and sweet without being loose enough to run out the moment the donut is bitten into.
The Apple Filling Needs to Cool Before It Fills Anything
The filling is made while the dough rises, which is the right sequencing because it needs to be fully cooled before it goes anywhere near a piping bag or a donut. Warm apple filling piped into a freshly fried donut melts the interior of the donut slightly from the inside out and produces a soggy, collapsed result rather than the clean, distinct layer of filling surrounded by soft dough that makes a filled donut worth eating.
Granny Smith apples are the right choice here for the same reason they work in the Irish apple cake on this blog. Their tartness plays against the sugar and cinnamon in the filling rather than being overwhelmed by them, and their firm texture holds up through the cooking process well enough that the finished filling has distinct pieces of apple rather than a smooth, uniform paste. The cornstarch slurry thickens the liquid the apples release during cooking into a glossy, spoonable sauce that coats each piece and pipes cleanly without being stiff.
Frying Without Rushing
Two to three donuts at a time in the hot oil is the discipline that produces an even, medium golden brown exterior rather than a pale, greasy one. Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature sharply, which means the donuts absorb more oil before the exterior has a chance to set and develop color. With the right number in the pot and the oil held consistently at 350°F, each donut takes approximately two minutes per side, turning once without pressing down on the surface.
A medium golden brown is the target, not deep brown. These donuts continue to carry heat after they come out of the oil, and a donut that looks perfectly golden in the pot will look slightly darker by the time it has drained and cooled. Pulling them at medium golden means they land at the right color by the time they’re ready to fill and glaze.
Brown Butter in the Glaze Is the Move That Makes It
A plain powdered sugar glaze is a fine thing and does its job without complaint. A brown butter powdered sugar glaze with vanilla bean paste is the reason people remember the donut the next day. The nuttiness of the browned butter comes through clearly in the glaze even after the powdered sugar and cream are whisked in, adding a toasty, caramel-adjacent depth that plays directly into the cinnamon apple filling inside and makes the entire donut taste like it was conceived as a single unified thing rather than three separate components assembled at the end.
The glaze should be thin enough that a dipped donut comes out with an even, translucent coating rather than a thick, opaque shell.
Filling the Donuts Without Making a Mess
Poking a hole in the side of the cooled donut with a butter knife rather than cutting all the way through creates a pocket rather than a channel, which means the filling has somewhere to go and something to hold it in place. Work the knife back and forth gently to create enough interior space for a generous amount of filling without breaking through the opposite side.
Transfer the cooled apple filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe slowly, pulling the tip back slightly as the filling goes in to distribute it through the interior rather than depositing it all in one spot. A well-filled donut feels noticeably heavier than an unfilled one. Dip the top immediately into the glaze while the donut is still at room temperature, where the glaze will adhere and set cleanly rather than sliding off a warm surface.
Apple Pie Donuts (with brown butter vanilla bean glaze)
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 180 g Milk (warm)
- 6 g Active Dry Yeast
- 80 g Granulated Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 113 g Softened Butter (1 stick)
- 6 g Salt
- 2 quarts Refined Coconut Oil (for frying)
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 Granny Smith Apples
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 70 g Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 4 tsp Cornstarch
- 6 tbsp Water (divided)
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 56 g Butter (½ stick)
- 400 g Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 4 tbsp Water
Instructions
- First, prepare the dough. Add the warm milk and yeast to a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. Meanwhile, add the flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Once the yeast has bloomed for 5 minutes, add the milk and yeast mixture to the stand mixer bowl.
- Allow the dough to mix on a low speed until everything is combined. Once all of the flour has been absorbed, increase the speed to medium and add the butter 1 tbsp at a time.
- Let the dough mix for around 15 minutes, or until it has gained enough strength to pass the windowpane test. This means you can stretch the dough thin enough for light to pass through without the dough breaking.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 1.5-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, prepare the apple pie filling. Cut your apples into small pieces. Preheat a skillet over medium heat, and add the butter allowing it to melt.
- Add the apples, sugar, 3 tbsp of the water, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Allow the apple to cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch in the remaining 3 tbsp of water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the apple mixture. Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the apple filling has thickened and the apples are soft. Set aside to cool.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, dump it onto a well floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is roughly 1/2-3/4” thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut the dough into individual donuts and place them on floured parchment paper. You can re-roll the dough to ensure no dough goes to waste. Cover the donuts with plastic wrap and allow them to rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the refined coconut oil to 350°F in a large pot or high-walled skillet. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, place 2-3 donuts into the hot oil at a time (do not over-crowd the pot). Allow the donuts to fry for around 2 minutes on each side, until the exterior is a medium golden brown. Once fried on both side, place the donuts on a slotted rack to cool.
- While the donuts cool, prepare the glaze. Brown the butter, then add it to a medium sized bowl. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, heavy cream, and water. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Now it’s time to fill and glaze! Transfer the cooled apple filling to a piping bag. Using a butter knife, poke a hole into the donut to make an opening for the filling. Pipe the apples into the donut, then dip the top into the glaze. Enjoy!
