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Best Baked Apple Cider Donut Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar

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These Baked Apple Cider Donut Muffins deliver everything you love about a classic apple cider donut, but they are baked, not fried. That means less mess, less guilt, and more time to enjoy that warm, spiced flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) fresh apple cider, reduced to 1/3 cup
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 57g) unsalted butter, melted (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour the 3/4 cup of fresh apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about 1/3 cup (about 15-20 minutes). Set aside to cool.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your muffin tin with butter or non-stick spray, or line it with muffin liners.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the buttermilk. Finally, whisk in the reduced apple cider.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Fill the muffin tin: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
  7. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through for even baking.
  8. Cool and coat: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack. While still warm, use a pastry brush to coat each muffin with melted butter. Immediately roll the buttered muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.

Notes

Don’t skip reducing the apple cider—it concentrates the flavor. Coat the muffins while warm for the best cinnamon sugar crust. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use coconut oil and almond milk with lemon juice.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider donut muffins, baked donut muffins, cinnamon sugar muffins, fall muffins, apple cider recipe, easy muffin recipe

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