We didn’t make it out to a pumpkin patch this year. And while I can live without the hayride, I still wanted those apple cider donuts. You know the ones: warm, covered in cinnamon sugar, and best enjoyed with a cup of coffee on a chilly fall morning.
So I made apple cider donut muffins at home. And voilà — a little taste of that fall outing, right in our kitchen.
Are they exactly the same as a freshly fried donut from the pumpkin patch? No. But a tender muffin made with real apple cider, brushed with butter, and rolled all over in cinnamon sugar is a pretty enjoyable substitute.
Happy Halloween, friends. Whether you made it to the pumpkin patch or stayed closer to home this year, there’s still time for something sweet.
Start with real apple cider
The first step is simmering apple cider until it reduces from 1½ cups to ½ cup. This concentrates the cider flavor without adding too much liquid to the batter. Measure the reduction rather than relying only on the clock; the timing will depend on your pan and heat.
Let it cool until barely warm before mixing it with the eggs and sour cream.
The cinnamon-sugar finish
These muffins get their donut finish after baking. Once they’re cool enough to handle, brush a thin layer of melted butter over the tops, sides, and bottoms, then roll them in cinnamon sugar. No bare spots!
Bake without paper liners so you can coat the entire muffin, and grease the pan thoroughly so they release easily.
Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Yield: 9 generously sized muffins, or 12 smaller standard muffins
Oven: 425°F to start, then 350°F
Ingredients
Muffins
1½ cups apple cider, reduced to ½ cup
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup neutral oil
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature (sit in a bowl of hot water for 5 mins to get to room temp)
½ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon-sugar coating
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan. Simmer uncovered over medium heat until reduced to ½ cup, approximately 15–25 minutes. Measure to check. If it reduces too far, add enough cider to reach ½ cup. Set aside to cool until barely warm.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Thoroughly grease 9 cups of a standard muffin pan, including the surface around the cups. Do not use paper liners. For smaller muffins, grease all 12 cups.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, and both sugars. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the sour cream, vanilla, and cooled cider reduction.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry flour remains. Divide among 9 muffin cups for generously sized muffins, keeping the batter below the rims. If your pan has smaller wells, use additional cups rather than overfilling.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F. For 9 larger muffins, begin checking after 15 additional minutes; they may need approximately 18–22 minutes at 350°F. For 12 smaller muffins, begin checking after 12 additional minutes. The tops should spring back lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, without wet batter. Use these cues rather than the clock alone.
Let the muffins rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack. Allow them to become cool enough to handle but still warm before coating.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Brush a thin layer of melted butter over one muffin’s top, sides, and bottom. Roll in the cinnamon sugar, gently pressing it onto any bare spots. Repeat with the remaining muffins. You may have some coating left over.
Notes and storage
Spice option: I used cardamom because I didn’t have nutmeg. If you prefer, replace the ⅛ teaspoon cardamom with ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Cider: Use nonalcoholic apple cider, not apple cider vinegar.
Flour: Weigh the flour, or spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping and packing it.
Best fresh: The cinnamon-sugar coating has its best texture the day it’s added. Once completely cool, store muffins airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days; the coating will soften.
Make ahead: Freeze completely cooled, uncoated muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm gently before brushing with butter and rolling in cinnamon sugar.
