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Best Easy Honeycrisp Apple Cider Donut Muffins

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These Easy Honeycrisp Apple Cider Donut Muffins capture the warm, nostalgic flavor of apple cider donuts in a lighter, fluffier muffin form. With a crackly cinnamon-sugar coating and tender pockets of apple, they’re perfect for fall mornings or any time you crave a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup apple cider (reduced to ¼ cup)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 cup Honeycrisp apple, peeled and finely diced (about 1 medium apple)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 cup of apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to about ¼ cup. This takes about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well with butter or cooking spray.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the cooled reduced apple cider.
  5. Alternate the dry and wet: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add the buttermilk and stir again. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold until you no longer see streaks of flour. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  6. Fold in the apples: Gently fold in the diced Honeycrisp apple until evenly distributed.
  7. Fill the muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Each cup should be about ¾ full.
  8. Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool slightly: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for another 2-3 minutes.
  10. Make the cinnamon-sugar coating: While the muffins are cooling, mix the ½ cup granulated sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon together in a small shallow bowl. Melt the ¼ cup butter in another small bowl.
  11. Coat the muffins: Working one at a time, brush or dip the top of each warm muffin into the melted butter, then immediately dip it into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place the coated muffins on the wire rack.
  12. Serve and enjoy: These are best eaten the same day, preferably while still slightly warm.

Notes

Don’t skip the cider reduction—it concentrates the apple flavor and prevents soggy muffins. Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Coat muffins while still warm for the crackly sugar crust. For dairy-free, use melted coconut oil and dairy-free milk with lemon juice. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider muffins, honeycrisp apple muffins, fall muffins, cinnamon sugar muffins, easy muffin recipe

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