Apple Cider Donut Muffins
The first week of September in Kansas City is a liar. The calendar says fall, the thermometer says 91, and my kids are wearing shorts to school while I am aggressively lighting a candle that smells like a hayride. I have made peace with it. If the weather will not cooperate, the oven will.
Which brings me to these. Apple cider donut muffins are the recipe I make when I want the whole cider mill experience without driving to Louisburg and standing in a line with 400 other people. Same cinnamon sugar crust, same soft spiced middle, none of the parking situation. My youngest ate two standing at the counter and then asked when we were going to the donut place, so I am counting that as a win.
Heads up, a couple of links below are affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny commission at no cost to you.
Why you will love these
They taste like the real thing. That is the whole pitch, and it comes down to one step most recipes skip: you reduce the cider down to a syrup before it goes in the batter. Two cups of cider simmered to half a cup is concentrated apple flavor instead of watered down apple sadness. It is twenty minutes of doing nothing while you unload the dishwasher.
They also come together in one bowl plus a whisk, they use pantry stuff you probably already have, and they are forgiving. I have overbaked these by three minutes and they were still good. The cinnamon sugar coating covers a multitude of sins.
What you will need
For the cider reduction: 2 cups apple cider. Real cider, the cloudy kind, not clear apple juice. The juice will not give you the same tang.
For the muffins: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
For the coating: 6 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
One tool note. I finally replaced my warped old pan with a decent heavy nonstick 12 cup muffin pan and the difference in how evenly these bake is not subtle. A large cookie scoop is also the fastest way to get twelve muffins that are actually the same size.
How to make apple cider donut muffins
1. Reduce the cider. Simmer 2 cups of cider in a small saucepan over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until you have about 1/2 cup of thin syrup. Let it cool all the way down. Warm reduction will scramble your eggs, ask me how I know.
2. Prep. Heat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan.
3. Whisk the dry. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all three spices in one bowl.
4. Whisk the wet. Melted butter with both sugars, then eggs one at a time, then sour cream, vanilla, and the cooled cider reduction. It should look glossy.
5. Combine gently. Fold the dry into the wet just until the streaks disappear. Thick batter is correct here. Stirring it smooth is how you get rubbery muffins.
6. Bake. Fill each cup about three quarters full and bake 16 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick has a few moist crumbs on it.
7. Coat while warm. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then brush each top with melted butter and roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Be generous. This is the part that makes them taste like a donut.
Tips, swaps, and make ahead
Make the reduction ahead. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days. I do it Sunday while I am already in the kitchen and then muffins on a weekday morning take twenty five minutes.
No sour cream? Full fat plain Greek yogurt works one for one. Buttermilk works too, the crumb just comes out a touch lighter.
Coat only what you are eating. The cinnamon sugar goes damp overnight. Leave the extras plain, then butter and roll them right before serving the next day. Ten seconds in the microwave first and nobody will know they are day old.
Want them extra donut-ish? Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger to the dry mix. It sharpens everything up.
Storage. Airtight at room temperature for 3 days, or freeze the uncoated muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw, warm, then coat.
The quick recipe details
Prep 20 minutes, cider reduction 20 minutes, bake 18 minutes, makes 12 muffins. Full printable version below.
Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Method
- Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let it bubble away for 15 to 20 minutes until it reduces to about 1/2 cup and looks like thin syrup. Set it aside to cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease it well.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and the cooled cider reduction. Whisk until it looks glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick. Do not overmix or the muffins turn tough.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups, filling each about three quarters full. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. While they cool, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in one bowl and stir the sugar and cinnamon together in another.
- Working one at a time and while the muffins are still warm, brush or dip the tops in melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Coat generously. Serve warm.
Notes
The takeaway
You do not have to wait for the weather to feel like fall to let your house smell like it. These take one bowl, one pan, and about an hour of mostly hands off time, and they will make everyone in your kitchen suddenly very interested in what you are doing.
If you make them, tell me how they went, and if you have a cider mill in the metro you swear by, drop it in the comments. I am always looking for an excuse to go get a gallon.
So glad you are here.
xo, Pam
