Apple Cider Donut Muffins Recipe – These delicious apple cider donut muffins are light, fluffy and covered in an amazing cinnamon sugar coating!

I positively could not be more excited to share this recipe with you! These Apple Cider Donut Muffins are absolutely delicious! This recipe is just so perfect for this time of year. So let me tell you a little bit about these scrumptious muffins!

You know those apple cider donuts that are all the rage in bakeries throughout the fall and winter? Well, imagine having an unimaginable craving for those little babies but not being able to find your donut pan and refusing to deep fry them.

They say that the best inventions come from desperate measures.

Wait. Maybe I am the only one that says that. Regardless of who came up with that phrase, these muffins are amazing and I can’t wait for you to make them too!

Apple Cider Donut Muffins Recipe

These muffins remind so much of the apple cinnamon muffins that have been absolute favorites for years, but these are made a little differently. I think you’ll love these just as much!

How to Make Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Thankfully, these muffins are so easy to make at home!

Ingredients

• flour – I use all-purpose flour for these muffins.
• baking powder – is used in these muffins to help them rise during baking for that beautiful domed muffin.
• baking soda – since this recipe uses buttermilk, you’ll also use baking soda to help your muffins rise perfectly.
• salt – salt is also used to help flavor this muffin recipe.
• ground cinnamon – is used to flavor these muffins perfectly for the apple cider donut flavoring.
• butter – for this recipe, I use unsalted butter that has reached room temperature. I’ve also shared a resource on how to soften butter quickly in a pinch for baking.
• oil – use your preferred cooking oil coconut oil, canola oil, etc., in this recipe.
• brown sugar – brown sugar is used to lend that delicious molasses flavor found in brown sugar.
• sugar – you’ll also use granulated sugar or a baking sugar substitute such as Splenda for baking.
• eggs – you’ll need two large eggs for these muffins.
• vanilla extract – I love to use my own homemade vanilla extract in baking (tip: it also makes a great and delicious gift!), but be sure to use vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring in this recipe. I think it makes a huge difference in baking.
• apple cider concentrate – for this recipe, I make a quick and easy apple cider concentrate. I share how to make it below in the recipe. You can also substitute apple cider; however, it will not have as pronounced flavor as the apple cider concentrate.
• buttermilk – if you do not have buttermilk on hand, use my quick and easy recipe for making your own homemade buttermilk substitute.
• For the topping – butter, sugar, cinnamon

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Prep. Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray the muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or coat well with butter and flour, making sure to discard any excess flour from the pan after coating.
• Sift dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. 
• Cream butter, oil, sugars, and eggs. Cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate it before adding the other.
• Mix wet ingredients. Mix vanilla, apple cider concentrate (or apple cider), and buttermilk in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Make batter and bake. Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pan, filling about 1/2 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 
• Make topping. Prepare the topping for the muffins while the muffins are baking. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in another bowl and set aside. 
• Serve. Once the muffins have been baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes in the muffin tin. As you remove each muffin, brush the top of the muffin with melted butter. Roll the sides of the muffin in the cinnamon sugar, and then roll the top of the muffin in the cinnamon sugar. Place onto a plate to finish cooling. 

How to Make Apple Cider Concentrate

To make these, I begin by making an apple cider concentrate to really impart so much of the apple cider flavor into these muffins. It is so easy to make and you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks so that you have it at the ready! If you just need these in your day and don’t have time to make the concentrate, you can always use the apple cider without making it into the concentrate. The apple cider flavor is definitely not as strong, but they are still amazingly delicious!

You’ll need the following:

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• Heat apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until it has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. 

Once I have the batter made for the apple cider donut muffins, I divide it among the 12 cups of the muffin pan and bake. After they have baked, I let them cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes while I melt the butter and mix together the cinnamon sugar topping.

Then, I remove each muffin from the pan, brush the tops with melted butter and roll the top and sides in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I place them on a plate and repeat until all of the muffins have been coated.

They are scrumptious warm or at room temperature, and simply out of this world with a cup of coffee or warm apple cider! YUM!

More Favorite Muffins to Try

Blueberry Muffins 

Perfect Pancake Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

More Muffin Recipes

Here’s my Apple Cider Donut Muffins Recipe. I hope you make them soon and make them often!

Enjoy!
Robyn xo