Fall apple cider doughnut muffins
All the flavor of an orchard apple cider doughnut, none of the deep-frying — a tender cinnamon-sugar-rolled muffin that bakes in 18 minutes.
Apple cider doughnut muffins are the bake that runs my October. We make them after we pick apples, when there's a half gallon of cider in the fridge that's getting close. They taste like the orchard doughnut window without the deep fryer, and a kid can roll them in cinnamon sugar.
Why this works
Reducing the cider down to a syrup concentrates the apple flavor — without it the muffin tastes like a generic cinnamon muffin. Brown butter adds nutty depth. Sour cream keeps the crumb tender. A two-stage cinnamon-sugar bath (melted butter dip, then sugar roll) mimics the orchard doughnut finish.
At a glance
- Yield
- 12 muffins
- Prep
- 25 minutes
- Cook
- 18 minutes
- Total
- 1h
Ingredients
- Apple cider
- 475 g (2 cups, reduced to 120 g)
- All-purpose flour
- 300 g
- Baking powder
- 10 g
- Baking soda
- 3 g
- Cinnamon (batter)
- 1 tbsp
- Nutmeg (freshly grated)
- 1 tsp
- Fine sea salt
- 5 g
- Unsalted butter (browned)
- 115 g
- Granulated sugar (batter)
- 150 g
- Brown sugar (batter)
- 50 g
- Large eggs
- 2
- Sour cream
- 120 g
- Vanilla extract
- 2 tsp
- Unsalted butter (coating, melted)
- 85 g
- Granulated sugar (coating)
- 150 g
- Cinnamon (coating)
- 2 tbsp
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan + liners (or grease well)
- Small saucepan for cider reduction + brown butter
- Two bowls for the coating (butter and cinnamon sugar)
- Whisk + spatula
Directions
Common questions
Baker notes
- Reduce a double batch of cider while you're at it — it keeps in the fridge a week and makes the muffins twice as fast next time.
- Eat them warm. They're great cold too, but warm-with-coating is the orchard experience.
- Freeze without the cinnamon sugar coating. Refresh in a 300°F oven 5 minutes, then coat.
- Add 1/2 cup small-diced apple to the batter for extra texture.
FAQ
Can I bake these as a loaf instead?
Yes — pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes. Coat the top slice-by-slice.
Do I need fresh cider, or will store-bought work?
Store-bought unfiltered cider works great. Avoid 'apple juice' — it's too thin and sweet.
Where to go next
These muffins are the reason we go to the orchard in the first place. Make them the morning after picking, when the cider is fresh and the kitchen still smells like apples. Once you've nailed the reduction, the recipe is muscle memory.
Crosodo Blog entries are recipe and craft notes from working cottage bakers. Recipes assume working with an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — see our state directory for legal details.