These Apple Cider Muffins are a cozy way to bring the flavors of fall to your kitchen. Made with apple cider and warm spices, they bake up soft, moist, and full of sweet apple flavor. A light cinnamon-sugar topping adds a delicious finishing touch and a little extra crunch.
They are easy to make and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat with a warm cup of coffee or tea. Whether you are baking for a fall gathering or simply craving something homemade, these muffins make every bite feel like autumn.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Triple the apple flavor Using cider, applesauce, and shredded apples means these actually taste like apples, not just vague cinnamon bread.
- Cider donut vibes without the fry oil The buttery cinnamon-sugar coating gives you all the joy of a donut without the deep-frying panic.
- No mixer required You can stir these together with a whisk, which means fewer dishes for you to aggressively ignore in the sink later.
- Incredibly soft texture Thanks to the oil and applesauce doing the heavy lifting, you get incredibly moist apple cider muffins from scratch.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- 12-count muffin pan The standard kind, though mine has permanent baked-on stains that I fondly call “character.”
- Small saucepan. The saucepan reduces the cider and concentrates its flavor.
- Box grater. A grater creates fine apple shreds that blend into the batter.
- Pastry brush. A brush spreads melted butter over the warm tops.
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 3/4 cup fresh apple cider – The cloudy stuff from the produce section, NOT hard cider and for the love of everything, NOT apple cider vinegar.
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – Standard pantry staple, just do not pack it into the cup.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder – Check the expiration date unless you want flat hockey pucks.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda – Works with the powder to give these a nice tall lift.
- 3/4 teaspoon salt – Do not skip this, it is mandatory to make the apple flavor pop.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – We are leaning heavily into the cozy vibes here.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice – A little goes a very long way.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves – Smells like the holidays, tastes like regret if you accidentally dump too much in.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg – Freshly grated if you are fancy, from a five-year-old jar if you are me.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil – Keeps them wonderfully soft for days on end.
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar – Pack it in the measuring cup like you are building a sandcastle.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar – For straight-up sweetness.
- 2 large eggs – Room temperature if you remember; I usually forget and run them under warm water in a panic.
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce – Sneaky extra moisture so they do not dry out.
- 1 and 1/2 cups peeled and shredded apple – About two normal apples, and please squeeze the extra juice out of them first.
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts – Entirely optional, leave them out if nuts in baked goods upset you.
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar – To roll the baked muffins in for that donut crunch.
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – Mixes with the sugar for the ultimate crust.
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – Melted, acting as the delicious glue.
How To Make Apple Cider Muffins
Boiling down the cider takes a minute, but I promise the flavor payoff is worth the mild inconvenience.
- Reduce the cider: Simmer the apple cider in a saucepan until it reduces to a quarter cup. If you accidentally boil it completely away while watching TikTok, just start over—it happens to the best of us.
- Preheat and prep: Crank the oven to 425°F and line your muffin tin. Yes, we are starting them hot to get that tall bakery-style dome, so trust the process.
- Whisk the dry stuff: Toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a big bowl. A few lumps are fine, you do not need to sift anything because who actually owns a sifter?
- Mix the wet stuff: In another bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, eggs, applesauce, and cooled cider, then combine it with the dry ingredients and fold in the apples. Stop mixing the second you do not see dry flour anymore—overmixing is the enemy of fluffy fall spiced muffins.
- Fill the liners: Divide the batter evenly, filling the cups all the way to the top. It feels dangerously full, but I promise they will not overflow if you measured your flour right.
- Bake high, then low: Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 350°F without opening the door. This little temperature trick is the secret to tall muffins, so no peeking!
- Cool and coat: Let them cool slightly, then brush the tops with melted butter and dunk them aggressively into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. If you tear a muffin top off during this process, you are legally obligated to eat the evidence immediately.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Cool the cider completely I once poured hot reduced cider straight into my egg mixture. I made accidental sweet scrambled eggs. Let the cider cool in the fridge for ten minutes before mixing.
- Squeeze your shredded apples Apples hold a ton of water. I highly recommend gently patting your shredded apples with a paper towel before folding them in, otherwise the batter can get a little too soggy.
- Do not skip the high-heat start If you just bake these at 350°F the whole time, they will taste fine but look sad and flat. The initial blast of heat is non-negotiable for that pretty dome.
Make It Yours
- Add chopped pecans instead of walnuts for a richer crunch.
- Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for a sweeter muffin.
- Replace the cinnamon sugar with maple glaze.
- Add a little orange zest for brighter fall flavor.
Perfect Pairings
These go perfectly with an oversized cozy sweater on a chilly Sunday morning.
- A giant mug of black coffee balances the buttery cinnamon sugar lid.
- Salted butter turns a warm muffin into a weeknight dessert disguised as a snack.
- Hot apple cider doubles down on the apple flavor.
- A lazy afternoon gives these fall spiced muffins the attention they deserve.
How to Store
❤
- Fridge: Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freezer: Freeze muffins without the cinnamon sugar topping for up to three months.
- Reheat: Microwave a muffin for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Storage note: The cinnamon sugar softens after the first day, so fresh coating gives the best crunch.
Apple Cider Muffins
These apple cider muffins prove that fresh cider, shredded apples, and a little patience can create a bakery-style fall breakfast at home. This easy apple cider spice muffin recipe reduces the cider for deeper flavor, uses applesauce and oil for tenderness, and finishes with buttery cinnamon sugar. Whether you serve these moist apple cider muffins from scratch with coffee or pack them as fall spiced muffins for a weekend gathering, this apple spice muffins recipe deserves a permanent place in your autumn baking rotation.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Reduce the apple cider: In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/4 cup (60g/ml), about 20 minutes. It won’t necessarily be any thicker, but it should be a bit darker. Pour the reduced apple cider into a heat-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup, and set aside (or refrigerate to speed things up) to cool to room temperature before using in step 4.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and reduced apple cider until combined. Pour the oil mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Fold in the shredded apple and chopped walnuts (if using).
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin liners, filling all the way up to the top.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15–16 minutes more. Cool the muffins in the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins from the pan to the rack.
- Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Lightly brush the top of a warm muffin with melted butter then dip the top into the cinnamon-sugar. Peel off the liner and roll the entire muffin in the cinnamon-sugar to fully coat. (Or coat just the tops.)
- Cover lightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The sugared coating draws out moisture, so the muffins become a bit sticky by day 2.