These spiced apple cider muffins are the perfect recipe using apple cider. These fall muffins taste like an apple cider donuts and are gluten free.
Besides hot coffee, fall foliage and comfy sweaters, one of the things that really always told me it was fall was apple cider donuts. Back in NJ, we would always head to a shop that had the best of the best. Whenever I find them elsewhere, it takes me right back!
These spiced apple cider muffins taste JUST like those sugary, cinnamon sweet soft cake donuts made right at home.
What’s the difference between apple cider and apple juice?
Apple cider is different from apple juice because it has more of a true apple flavor. It still contains the sediments and flavors from processing the apple. In apple cider, the apples are ground up and juiced. What remains is apple cider.
Apple juice is simply apple cider that is further processed by removing the any solids and processing it further by pasteurizing and in most cases adding sugar.
Using apple cider in recipes is much more flavorful than using plain apple juice.
How To Make Apple Cider Muffins:
These spiced apple cider muffins are made to be gluten free with the help of a gluten free flour blend. See below for a non gluten free apple cider muffin substitute.
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin tin or cupcake liners.
- Add one cup of spiced apple cider to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Let apple cider reduce until only ½ cup is left. Let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar granulated sugar, cinnamon.
- In another bowl, add the wet ingredients: cooled, apple cider concentrate, melted butter, vanilla extract, ¼ cup milk (can be dairy free) 1 egg.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients slowly until a batter is formed. This is best done with a stand mixer but can also be done by hand.
- Add apple cider muffin batter to each muffin tin and fill about ⅔ full on each. Add to oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- While muffins are baking melt ¼ cup butter in a small bowl. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in another.
- Once muffins are cooled, dip the tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mix to coat top.
- Apple cider muffins will last up to 1 week in sealed container.
Substitute for Gluten Free Apple Cider Muffins:
Simply replace the gluten free flour blend with all purpose flour 1:1 in this recipe to make an apple cider donut that is not gluten free.
Recipe Questions:
What if I cant find spiced apple cider? Apple cider is usually found year round in grocery stores, but spiced apple cider may only be available in the fall months. If you can’t find spiced apple cider, simply add the following to the dry ingredients: ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp additional ground cinnamon.
Can I substitute apple cider vinegar for apple cider in a recipe? Please don’t! They are 2 very different types of liquid that taste completely different. However, if you have any extra apple cider vinegar around, feel free to make my apple pie flavored apple cider vinegar shots to help with digestion and overall health!
Also Check Out:
- Gluten Free Fried Cake Donuts
- Gluten Free Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- 3 Ingredient Nutella Brownies
Spiced Apple Cider Muffins
Spiced Apple Cider Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 1.5 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 cup Spiced Apple Cider to make concentrate
- ½ cup Butter melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Milk can be non dairy milk
- 1 egg
- TOPPING
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin tin or cupcake liners.
- Add one cup of spiced apple cider to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Let apple cider reduce until only ½ cup is left. Let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar granulated sugar, cinnamon.
- In another bowl, add the wet ingredients: cooled, apple cider concentrate, melted butter, vanilla extract, ¼ cup milk (can be dairy free) 1 egg.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients slowly until a batter is formed. This is best done with a stand mixer but can also be done by hand.
- Add apple cider muffin batter to each muffin tin and fill about ⅔ full on each. Add to oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- While muffins are baking melt ¼ cup butter in a small bowl. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in another.
- Once muffins are cooled, dip the tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mix to coat top.
- Apple cider muffins will last up to 1 week in sealed container.
I have these in the oven… didn’t have the heart to thaw a cider just for these, so I used apple juice and added some extra cinnamon and a little nutmeg. They smell amazing and the batter is tasty! Can’t wait for breakfast.