Vampire donuts combine apple cider donuts topped with powdered sugar and then filled with raspberry filling. These festive Halloween donuts are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday with a spooky vampire fangs or teeth dessert.
I can't believe that Halloween is just around the corner. We've been so busy around here that I haven't had a chance to make many fun Halloween-themed desserts.
I don't even have Halloween decorations up yet. So this week, I thought it would be fun to make some festive Halloween desserts while also giving you the simplest (and most delicious) apple cider donuts recipe that you can find!
These cute vampire donuts are easy to make, and they are so tasty. I love how the powdered sugar looks on top of these donuts.
These apple cider donuts are baked, not fried, which keeps the recipe pretty simple while also making it a healthier option. And with their red fruit filling oozing out of two fang holes, it doesn't get much more Halloween than these!
These vampire donuts were inspired by my Halloween bat cookies. I figured vampires turn into bats, right? If I already have bat cookie sandwiches, I might as well make a vampire-themed treat, too.
If you're a fan of donuts, you'll want to check out these glazed pumpkin donuts, spider donuts, cake mix donuts and my tasty air fryer biscuit donuts.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- They use simple ingredients, so it's easy to find everything you need.
- They're super easy to make, so you'll be in and out of the kitchen fast.
- They're an adorable Halloween treat that everyone will love.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. They're all basic baking staples and most of them are probably in your kitchen right now.
- Apple cider: For a kick of flavor and great texture.
- Classic fall spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add to the fall flavor.
- Milk and lemon juice: To create your own buttermilk.
- Basic icing ingredients: Butter, cream, and powdered sugar.
- Blood: Raspberry jam, maple syrup, and red food coloring.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for detailed ingredients and amounts.
How to Make Vampire Halloween Donuts
These vampire donuts are quite easy to make. They're baked, so there's no need for frying, and the batter, icing, and "blood" are all simple, as well. I'm going over the highlights here, but you can find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Combine milk and lemon juice to make buttermilk.
- Simmer a cup of apple cider until it's reduced by half and cool to room temperature.
- Combine the dry donut ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the apple cider. Then mix them into the dry ingredients.
- Add the milk and lemon mixture, the apple cider reduction, eggs, vanilla, and butter to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix together just to combine.
- Pipe the batter into a prepared donut pan with a piping bag or resealable bag with an end snipped off.
- Bake the donuts until golden and springy to the touch. Then, turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Mix the icing ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Dip the tops of the donuts into the icing and refrigerate until the icing hardens a bit.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Combine the "blood" ingredients. When ready to serve, poke two holes in each donut with a straw.
- Use a syringe to fill each hole with the "blood" mixture until it dribbles a bit down the side of the donuts.
Substitutions and Variations
- Change the donut flavor: Add lemon, orange, pear, pineapple, lime, apple, or white grape juice in place of cider to change the flavor of the donuts.
- Change the "blood" flavor: Use any red jam like strawberry, plum, or cherry mashed up to crush any large chunks to change the flavor of the "blood".
- No holes or "blood": Get rid of the Halloween theme and serve these donuts any time of year.
If you like cute Halloween recipes, then check out these Halloween Rice Krispies Treats made to look like candy corn!
Storage
Refrigerator: Store these donuts in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend that you store them plain and decorate right before serving.
Freezer: Freeze these donuts without the frosting in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Vampire Donuts
These donuts are the perfect addition to any Halloween spread. They're perfect with coffee or milk. They pair well with other great sweet or savory Halloween dishes like:
- Cream Cheese Halloween Brownies
- Witch Hat Cookies
- Mini Pumpkin Pie Pops
- Mummy Meatloaves
- Mummy Cherry Hand Pies
- Air Fryer Mummy Dogs
Tips
- To get the fake blood the perfect color. I used vibrant red liquid food coloring for these Vampire donuts. If you are looking for the same food coloring that I used you can find it on Amazon.
- Don't over mix your donut batter. You want to limit the gluten so the donuts remain light and tender.
- Serve up decorated donuts within 24 hours or wait to decorate closer to serving time.
FAQ
You can find donut pans at any department store or even your local thrift shop. I love to watch for sales around the holidays and pick up a few cheap baking goodies. You can also find donut pans online. I bought my donut pans from Amazon. They have them made out of silicone too.
You need a syringe that you would use to give your children their medication. I ordered my medicine syringe on amazon.
You can, but the frosting will be a bit hard when you serve. I prefer to decorate the donuts before serving to keep the frosting nice and creamy.
Watch How to Make
More Delicious Donut Recipes
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Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Vampire Donuts
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- piping bag or gallon size resealable bag
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup butter or 1 stick
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ¼ teaspoon cloves, ground
ICING and DECOR
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter
- 3 Tablespoons cream
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 straw
- 1 syringe like the kind that comes with childrens medicine
- 1 Tablespoon Raspberry jam
- 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
- Red food coloring
- ¼ - ½ cup powdered sugar
- cooking spray
Instructions
Make the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gather together all of your ingredients and measure them.
- Pour one cup of apple juice or apple cider into a small saucepan, heat until boiling then turn the heat down just a bit and simmer until the juice has been reduced by half. Let cool to room temp.
- Pour the lemon juice into the milk and let sit for a couple minutes.
- Pour all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until combined.
- Add the milk and lemon mixture, the apple cider reduction, eggs, vanilla, and butter to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix together until everything is fully combined.
- Spoon your batter into a piping bag or into a 1 gallon zip top bag and snip one bottom corner.
- Prepare a donut pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan.
- Bake the donuts in a preheated oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes until fully baked. The cake should be springy to the touch. Turn the donuts out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before decorating.
Make the Icing and Dip the Donuts
- Combine the melted butter, cream, and powdered sugar.
- Mix until all of the sugar has dissolved. (If the icing is too thick, add a bit more cream, if it is too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.)
- Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip the top of the donut into the freshly made icing.
- Place dipped donut onto a plate or tray, finish dipping the remainder of the donuts then place the tray of dipped donuts into the fridge for 15-30 minutes or until the icing has hardened a bit.
- While the donuts are in the fridge, mix together the raspberry jam, maple syrup, and red food coloring.
Decorate the Donuts
- Remove the donuts from the fridge, using a sifter, sift powdered sugar onto the tops of all of the donuts.
- Using a straw, punch two holes halfway down into the donut. Make the holes about an inch apart.
- Right before serving, use a syringe, fill the two holes with the jam/maple syrup mixture, just enough so that it begins to drip out of the donuts.
Video
Notes
- To get the fake blood the perfect color. I used vibrant red liquid food coloring for these Vampire donuts. If you are looking for the same food coloring that I used you can find it on Amazon.
- Don't over mix your donut batter. You want to limit the gluten so the donuts remain light and tender.
- Serve up decorated donuts within 24 hours or wait to decorate closer to serving time.
Nutrition
This post was originally published August 2021. It was republished in October 2022 with new content.
Jackie says
I was babysitting my nephew and he is obsessed with Vampires so I made these doughnuts for him and his brothers and they went nuts. What a clever idea with the teeth marks and the oozing out filling. These looked so good I almost didn't want anyone to eat them. They were delicious though. Thanks for helping create memories!
Karin and Ken says
I’m so happy you all enjoyed them. They’re a hit around here too! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. All the best. Karin
Linda says
I love donuts so I tried The Vampire Donuts. It was easy to make no problem. I really enjoyed them with the jelly inside the middle. taste great!
Karin and Ken says
I love how easy they are too! Definitely delicious. Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. All the best. Karin