Apple Cider Muffins

By Lucy Parissi

5 from 1 vote

, Updated Nov 22, 2025

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These Apple Cider Muffins taste just like your favorite fall fair donut — fluffy soft, warmly spiced and bursting with apple flavor. Easy to make and perfect with a cup of coffee as a treat! Looking for more autumnal bakes? Try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Here’s What You Will Need

• Fresh apple cider or cloudy apple juice, not hard alcoholic cider!. You can use it as is but for best results, cook it down for a more intense concentrated apple flavor. I also like to include a little apple cider vinegar.
• Applesauce and apple butter – For moisture, natural sweetness and even more apple goodness! You can replace the apple butter with extra applesauce if you like.
• Vegetable oil or melted butter keeps these apple muffins soft and tender.
• Light brown sugar – Brings warmth and depth.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves (or apple pie spice)
• Large eggs at room temperature
• Flour, baking powder and baking soda – make sure you measure accurately and check your raising agents are fresh!
• Vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract (a must in bakes!)
• Cinnamon sugar – coat the warm muffins in melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar for that apple cider donut look and feel!

How to Make Apple Cider Muffins

1. Place the applesauce, reduced apple cider, apple butter, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine or briefly beat together with a hand mixer.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold together to combine until the batter is mostly smooth. Don’t overmix!
3. Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes, stir together once more and divide between the muffin cases, filling all the way to the top.
4. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 10-12 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Brush the muffins with a little melted butter and dip into a bowl of cinnamon sugar to add that golden crunch that makes them all the more irresistible! Enjoy warm with a cup of hot apple cider, coffee or tea.

Recipe Tips

• Top Tip: Resting the batter allows the flour to absorb all the wet ingredients and makes for perfectly domed beautifully soft muffins. It also helps dissolve any smallish lumps that may have been left when folding the ingredients together.
• Top Tip: Filling the muffin cases all the way creates that bakery-style muffin top we all crave. Make sure to grease the top of the muffin pan so they don’t stick!
• You can use sweetened or unsweetened apple sauce. Leftovers will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze in ice cube trays or freezer bags for up to 3 months. Use it up in my Pumpkin Apple Bread or Pumpkin Sourdough Bread.
• I used my homemade apple butter but store-bought would work too. Or you can simply substitute with extra applesauce.
• Storing and freezing: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in plastic wrap individually and store for up to 3 months.
• Holiday Baking Inspo: You can never have too many holiday baking recipes…Here are some cozy fall favorites from the archives: Mini Pecan Pies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Apple Cider Muffins, Pecan Pie Bars, Apple Cinnamon Bread, Easy Apple Scones.

If you’re craving apple cider donuts but want something quick and homemade, these Apple Cider Muffins are your new go-to bake! Please leave a comment and rating if you try this recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on  @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.

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5 from 1 vote

Apple Cider Muffins

By Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

These Apple Cider Muffins taste just like your favorite fall fair donut — fluffy soft, warmly spiced and bursting with apple flavor. Easy to make and perfect with a cup of coffee as a treat!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

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Equipment

• Muffin Pan
• Digital scales
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Applesauce
• Apple Butter
• Cake release
• Cookie Scoops

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (250ml) fresh apple cider or cloudy apple juice
• ▢ ½ cup (120g) applesauce See Note 1
• ▢ ¼ cup (60g) apple butter See Note 2
• ▢ 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil , or any neutral oil
• ▢ 2 large eggs , room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Dry Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups + 1 tbsp (260g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• ▢ 2 tsp apple pie spice See Note 3
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• ▢ ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ cup (65g) unsalted butter melted

Instructions 

• Place the apple cider in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until it is reduced by half, about 7-10 minutes. Cool before using.
  1 cup (250ml) fresh apple cider
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Mist the surface of your muffin tin with cake release or grease with a little oil and add paper liners.
• Place the apple sauce, apple butter, vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, apple cider vinegar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix vigorously to combine until the sugar is dissolved using a wooden spoon or hand mixer.
  ½ cup (120g) applesauce, ¼ cup (60g) apple butter, 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.
  2 cups + 1 tbsp (260g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp apple pie spice , ¼ tsp salt
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet and gently fold into the batter until just combined. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
• Gently stir the batter once more. Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter between the muffin liners filling all the way to the top.
• Bake for 10 minutes at the higher temperature, then reduce to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
• Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Brush the top of the muffins with a little melted butter and dip into the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm!
  ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon, ¼ cup (65g) unsalted butter

Notes

• NOTE 1: You can use sweetened or unsweetened apple sauce. Leftovers will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze in ice cube trays or freezer bags for up to 3 months. Use it up in my Pumpkin Apple Bread or Pumpkin Sourdough Bread.
• NOTE 2: I used my homemade apple butter but store-bought would work too. Or you can simply substitute with extra applesauce.
• NOTE 3: If you don’t have apple spice blend handy, use a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half a teaspoon ground nutmeg and large pinch cloves. 
• STORING & FREEZING: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in plastic wrap individually and store for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.

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