Apple Cider Donut Muffins

These muffins still have that baked donut texture full of apple cider flavor and fall spices! Put your favorite fall sweater on and enjoy them with a warm cup of apple cider or coffee for the quintessential fall breakfast!

For more muffin recipes, try Lemon Raspberry Muffins, Double Chocolate Tahini Muffins, Pistachio Muffins with Oat Streusel, and Small Batch Banana Carrot Muffins.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need about two cups of all-purpose flour for these muffins. 
• Baking Powder: You'll need 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
• Fall Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cardamom.
• Apple Cider: You'll need to start with about 3 cups, which will be reduced down to about 1 ½ cups.
• Unsalted Butter: You'll add one stick to the reduced apple cider, which is then used in the batter and for dipping the muffins after they're baked.
• Brown Sugar: You can use light or brown sugar, which ever you have on hand will work.
• Granulated Sugar: You'll need granulated sugar for both the batter and the topping. 
• Whole Milk Plain Yogurt: Yogurt adds flavor, moisture, and a dense donut-like texture in these muffins.
• Buttermilk: I like to use buttermilk to give it a little more depth of flavor, but you can use regular whole milk instead. 
• Vanilla Extract: Always always always use vanilla.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this apple cider donut muffin recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the muffin batter. Start by reducing the apple cider, then add the unsalted butter to the reduced apple cider and set aside. In a large sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 256g of the apple cider/butter mixture, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully combined. 

STEP 2: Bake and top. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before dipping in the spiced sugar topping.

Expert Baking Tips

• You'll need to start with about twice as much apple cider than what is used in the recipe, because you'll need to reduce it down to half the volume in order to concentrate the flavor.
• I used buttermilk in this recipe, but if you do not have it on hand, you can use regular whole milk.
• You can also change up the spice to your preferences!

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x