These apple cider donut muffins taste like apple cider donuts in muffin form! They have a rich apple flavor from reduced apple cider and warm Fall spices. They're tall, bakery-style muffins that are easy to make.
What's better than biting into a warm apple cider donut on a chilly day at the orchard? These apple cider muffins have the same cinnamon-sugar coating and cider flavor as the classic fried donuts, but you can make them at home!
This recipe makes super tall bakery-style muffins similar to my apple cider donut bread, but they're an easier treat to take on the go.
If you're a fan ofย appleย recipes, you'll also love apple spice cupcakes, caramelย appleย crumb cake, apple butter bread, andย appleย pie stuffed cheesecake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Real apple cider flavor- These muffins get their flavor from fresh apple cider that is cooked down into a syrup on the stove for a more concentrated flavor, like my apple cider cupcakes!
- Tall, fluffy muffins- Plenty of cider, applesauce, and sour cream make the muffins moist and fluffy, and baking them at a high heat for the first 5 minutes creates tall, bakery-style muffins.
- Quick and easy to make- This recipe doesn't require a mixer, and the muffins are ready in under an hour!
Key Ingredients
- Apple cider- You can use homemade or store-bought unfiltered apple cider. You'll find the most flavorful cider at apple orchards, but they sell it at grocery stores year-round. Check that it's apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar or apple juice.
- Oil- Use a flavorless oil, like canola or vegetable oil, to let the apple flavor shine.
- Granulated sugar- Sweetens the muffins and keeps them moist. Don't reduce the amount.
- Brown sugar- You can use dark or light brown sugar for more moisture and a subtle molasses flavor.
- Applesauce- Make sure to choose unsweetened applesauce.
- Sour cream- For a moist and tender texture, use full-fat sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt is the best substitute.
- Spices- I used a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Expired spices lose a lot a flavor, so make sure they're fresh!
For the full ingredient list and quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the apple cider in a saucepan over medium heat. Set it aside to cool when the volume reduces by half.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 425ยฐF. Whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Whisk the oil, sugar, and brown sugar together in a separate bowl. Then stir in 2 large eggs and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Vigorously whisk in the applesauce, sour cream, and reduced apple cider until smooth.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry, folding with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Step 6: Grease a muffin pan and fill every other well to the top with batter. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ยฐF, baking for 10-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 7: While the muffins bake, melt butter in a small bowl and whisk cinnamon and sugar together in another.
Step 8: Transfer the muffins to a wire rack, then brush them with melted butter while they're still warm but easy to handle. Then roll in cinnamon sugar and enjoy!
Top Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure the eggs and sour cream are room temperature so the batter comes together and bakes up evenly. Pull them out of the fridge 1 hour before starting.
- Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour makes muffins dry, so it's important to measure it with a scale or the spoon and level method (explained in the recipe card below).
- Don't overmix. Fold in the flour mixture until the white streaks just disappear into the batter. If you mix too much, more gluten will develop and make the muffins tough.
- Use every other muffin cup. For example, if you have a 12-cup pan, only fill 6 of them. This allows hot air to get around the muffins, making them rise higher.
Storage Tips
The apple cider muffins are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Once completely cool, store them in a single layer, placing a piece of paper towel in the container to absorb any condensation that can make the tops soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!ย Place cooled muffins in aย freezerย bag or sealed container. They last in theย freezerย for up to 3 months.
Definitely! Just use a miniย muffin tinย andย bakeย them for 10-15 minutes at 350ยฐF.
This should work, but theย applesย will add more moisture, so the muffins will take a bit longer toย bake.
More Fall Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Best Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Equipment
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Ingredients
Muffins
- 472 grams apple cider
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 112 grams oil
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 72 grams unsweetened applesauce
- 72 grams sour cream room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Pour the apple cider into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the liquid reduces by about half, about 15-20 minutes. Set it aside to cool slightly before adding it to the batter.472 grams apple cider
- Preheat your oven to 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Grease a standard 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. For the tallest muffins, plan to fill every other muffin cup so the heat can circulate evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until well combined. Set aside.300 grams all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth.112 grams oil, 100 grams granulated sugar, 100 grams light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk in the applesauce, sour cream, and cooled reduced apple cider. The mixture should be smooth and well combined.72 grams unsweetened applesauce, 72 grams sour cream
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the batter together until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the muffins tough. The batter will be thick.
- Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, divide the batter evenly among every other muffin cup, filling each one all the way to the top.
- Bake at 425ยฐF for 5 minutes to give the muffins a tall rise. Without opening the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a wire rack.
- While the muffins are still warm but easy to handle, whisk together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush the tops and sides of the muffins with melted butter, then roll or sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 100 grams granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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