These apple cider spice muffins have deep apple flavor and a moist texture thanks to a triple-dose of apple: apple cider, applesauce, and shredded apple. A medley of warming spices shines through, while a roll in cinnamon-sugar adds the sweetest touch. They’re like fall-favorite apple cider donuts, but in muffin form!
Hello, apple season! This is one of the best times of year for baking, and you better believe I was buying apple cider as soon as I saw it at the store. Was it still August and a balmy 95°F outside? Yes. Was I going to bake with apple cider anyway? Also yes.
Apple Cider Spice Bread opens the Quick Breads & Muffins chapter in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101. It was such a favorite during testing that I couldn’t resist creating a muffin version too. With a few simple tweaks, you can enjoy both versions all season long.
(The biggest difference is that the bread version highlights orange zest for a citrusy note, while the muffins lean into a stronger spiced flavor without it! You also need baking powder in addition to baking soda for the muffins.)
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Muffins
- Tons of pure, fresh apple flavor from 3 different sources of apples
- Warmly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves
- Extra soft & moist thanks to shredded apple, applesauce, and oil
- A buttery cinnamon-sugar topping gives apple cider donut vibes
- No mixer needed
- Dairy-free recipe (if you skip the melted butter in the topping)
- Very adaptable recipe—add nuts, raisins or dried cranberries
One reader, Rebecca, commented: “These delightful muffins are all the best flavors of fall for me! The flavors are well-balanced and such a wonderful way to start or end the day! ★★★★★“
One reader, Erin, commented: “Wow! My family and I couldn’t wait for these to cool before we had to try them. They were delicious! Super moist, so much apple flavor, and an amazing mix of spices. Can’t wait to whip these up again. ★★★★★“
One reader, Kerri, commented: “These muffins turned out perfectly—a lovely soft and springy texture, beautifully moist without being oily, and so much apple goodness infused with cinnamon and warm fall spices. I also loved the bit of crunch the sugar coating gives it—it’s a nice pop of sweet texture. This recipe is a keeper for sure. ★★★★★“
Ingredients You Need:
- Apple Cider: Be sure to use fresh apple cider, the kind sold at farm markets or in a refrigerated case in the grocery store’s produce section. Not hard (alcoholic) cider… and definitely not apple cider vinegar!
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise.
- Salt: Balances all the other flavors.
- Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves—the same mix you’ll find in salted caramel apple pie
- Oil: The muffins taste dry and rubbery without some fat. Just as if we’re making apple zucchini bread, use vegetable oil. Avocado oil is a great choice, too.
- Brown & White Sugars: Using half white and brown sugars provide enough sweetening, and the brown sugar lends additional flavor.
- Eggs: Provide structure.
- Applesauce: Even more apple flavor!
- Shredded Apple: You need about 1 and 1/2 regular-size apples. Peel and then shred them with a box grater. I like to use a mix of some tart and some sweet, such as 1 Granny Smith and 1/2 a Honeycrisp. For more suggestions, see this post on the best apples to use for baking.
- Optional Walnuts: I LOVE the added texture these give the muffins, but if you have an allergy or simply don’t want to use them, just leave them out.
Reduce the Apple Cider First
Apple cider, either store-bought or this homemade apple cider, is certainly delicious to drink but it won’t add enough flavor to baked goods. The trick to apple cider spice muffins is to flavor them with concentrated apple cider. Apple cider that has been reduced down on the stove is potent, adding big flavor without excess liquid.
Reducing a liquid ingredient down on the stove to concentrate its flavor is nothing new, and perhaps you’re familiar with the concept from one of these recipes: strawberry cake, apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies, or Guinness chocolate cake.
You can reduce the cider a day or two in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the muffins. That will save you cooling time, too, because the cider must cool for a few minutes before you add it to the batter.
To reduce your apple cider, simply follow these simple steps:
- Pour 3/4 cup (180ml) apple cider into a small saucepan.
- Simmer on medium heat and set a timer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Begin checking at 10 minutes, and then every 3-5 minutes after that until you have 1/4 cup (60ml) of cider reduction (approximately 20 minutes).
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before using in the batter. Pour it into a heat-safe glass liquid measuring cup or bowl and refrigerate it to speed up the cooling process.
After that, the remaining steps are super simple. Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another, then combine them. You don’t even need a mixer!
Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling each liner all the way up to the top.
My No. 1 Trick for Tall Muffins
Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C), then reduce the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) for the remaining bake time. This initial high oven temperature lifts the muffin top up quickly and creates a tall dome, which is why filling the muffin liners to the top is imperative.
Most muffins bake between 350°F–375°F for the entire time. Setting the oven to 425°F initially and then lowering the temperature after 5 minutes guarantees muffins with tall domes on top. I do this in all my muffin recipes, both on my website and in my cookbook.
The crown on top of these apple cider spice muffins is a brush of melted butter, then a roll in cinnamon-sugar, like the coating on these homemade cruffins and these Nutella-stuffed muffins.
Leftover Apple Cider?
If you’re not drinking it, I have some ways to use it up!
- Apple Cider Spice Bread in Sally’s Baking 101
- Skillet Apple Cider Chicken
- Baked Apple Cider French Toast
- Honeycrisp Apple Sangria
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Apple Cider Sangria
Or freeze apple cider in an ice cube tray, so you can make any of these delicious recipes even when it isn’t in season!
Be sure to check out the apple cider spice bread in Sally’s Baking 101—page 213—which features an apple cider glaze on top!
Apple Cider Muffins
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (includes cider)
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These apple cider spice muffins have deep apple flavor and a moist texture thanks to a triple-dose of pure apple: apple cider, applesauce, and shredded apple. Like fall-favorite apple cider donuts, in muffin form! Be sure to use fresh apple cider, not hard cider and not apple cider vinegar.
Ingredients
Muffins
- 3/4 cup (180g/ml) fresh apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) peeled and shredded apple (about 1.5–2 apples)
- 3/4 cup (90g) chopped walnuts (optional)
Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- 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.
- Make the muffins: 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.
- Make the topping: 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.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can reduce the apple cider in step 1 up to 3 days in advance. Cool, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the muffins. For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Small Saucepan | 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Box Grater | Pastry Brush
- Apple Cider: Use fresh apple cider, the kind sold at farm markets or in a refrigerated case in the grocery store’s produce section. Not hard (alcoholic) cider and not apple cider vinegar.
- Applesauce: If you do not have applesauce, you can replace with mashed banana, sour cream, or plain yogurt. I haven’t tested the muffins using apple butter instead of applesauce.
- Mini Muffins: For around 30 mini muffins, line mini muffin pans with liners or spray with nonstick spray. Prepare batter as directed and fill liners to the top. Bake at 350°F (177°C) the entire time (skip the initial high temperature) for 11–13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Loaf: If you have a copy, see Apple Cider Spice Bread in Sally’s Baking 101 for the loaf version.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
Reader Comments and Reviews
So delicious! It was fun to have my toddler help me make these and enjoy the apple cores as I shredded them. The cinnamon sugar topping was a fun treat. Definitely made me think of the apple cider donuts were like to get from a farm back home!
—sorry if this double posts, I didn’t get an email confirming that it posted/connected to my account.
These are Tasty! I did skip the outer sugar coating. I recall not loving the butter sugar coating on the apple cider doughnuts. I might try it on a few just to taste the recipe as written.
Delicious! It was fun to make apple cider muffins after apple picking. They are moist and the spices are perfect. Cinnamon sugar on top made them a “5”.
This recipe has to be one of the best ways to use apple cider. With the spices and the depth of apple flavor they truly are a fall happening. They are a hit and definitely will make again as I have apple cider on hand. The cinnamon and sugar coating finishes them off.
Be patient! The cider will reduce! These are good and remind me of one of Sally’s mini muffin recipes.
Wow! This came together really fast for me, minus reducing the apple cider. They’re delicious. I’ll be freezing some so I can pull them out periodically. I did accidentally fold in the shredded apple and walnuts before combining with the dry ingredients (mom of a toddler and young child brain) cause I read fold then combine and not combine then fold and they still turned out perfectly fine.
These are absolutely the best way to use apple cider. These muffins have everything from the spices to the depth of apple taste. They are a big hit around here and will have to make again since I have plenty of apple cider on hand.
This recipe sounds delicious, but how do you make the fresh apple cider?
Hi Shawna, here is our recipe for homemade apple cider. Enjoy!
Super yummy! My house smells like fall! This was a good one to do with kids, too. They liked grating the apples and brushing the butter on at the end
My husband said these are the best muffins he’s ever had! Very moist and delicious!
delicious! great kick-off to fall baking.
Question, is there a reason to not bake them without a liner as I do for all my other muffins? Thanks for the help!
Hi Bar, you can use nonstick spray instead of muffin liners if you prefer!
These were simple and quick to make! It was like taking a bite out of fall time.
Muffins turned out super moist with a great apple flavor. I love the addition of the cinnamon sugar on top. I will definitely make these again.
These were so good!!
Super yummy,highly recommend!
Incredible! These are super moist and full of apple flavor. The walnuts add the perfect crunch!
So happy that I was able to attend a BFS class that had Sally as the guest Baker! She made the Apple Cider Spice Bread from her new book, that is perfect for welcoming in the fall! I made these muffins today and they are so fantastic, thanks Sally.
These apple cider muffins are absolutely delightful! I’ve been meaning to make them since the baking challenge started on September 1st, and I’m kicking myself for waiting this long. The flavor, the texture, and the aroma are all top tier—this recipe is pure perfection. The brushed butter tops and cinnamon-sugar coating take them to a whole other level of cozy deliciousness. I’ll definitely be making these again (and again)!
These muffins are moist & delicious. A definite keeper.
Easy fall recipe and so good! My family ate them all quickly. Will definitely be making them again.
Great fall recipe! Perfect for a quick sweet breakfast. Made it before work as a quick and fresh treat.
So moist and so fall!!! This recipe was easy to follow and make! Everyone in my house is wanting me to make them again!
Great flavor, easy to follow directions! Will definitely make these again!
Very moist muffins, not too sweet. Definitely tasted good, just not my favourite texture or taste. Nice easy sugar topping at end.
Making the cider reduction a day ahead really helped when it came time to make these. Very moist and yummy
These were so flavorful! And they turned out perfectly using 1-to-1 gluten free flour.
I used 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Also didn’t use the sugar mixture on top. The muffins probably didn’t fluff up like they would with complete all purpose flour but these were still very delicious. The perfect amount of spice. I will make these again!
Love this recipe!
Perfect for a fall rainy day.
I will definitely be making this again.
These were great and lasted a long time! My husband actually preferred them after a couple days when the muffins fully absorbed the sugar and became more moist. Great recipe.
Great apple spiced muffins, I like the addition of allspice and cloves to give a more complex flavour. Good way to use all the lovely Autumn apples beside pie and crumble!
Also, I baked some of the mixture in a doughnut mould baking tray which worked great too if you want the authentic apple cider doughnut look!
These muffins were absolutely delicious! Perfectly sweet and moist!!!!
My husband said these are one of the best things he’s ever had. They were DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to make them again.