These apple cider muffins are soft, moist, packed with apple cider flavor, with a rich cheesecake center, and tall bakery style muffin tops. The muffins get brushed over with apple cider and butter, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar - just like a classic apple cider donut. The muffins are so tender and buttery. Apple cider gets simmered down and concentrated to add apple flavor that you can actually taste. I've also added some shredded apple into the batter for moisture and even more apple flavor. Cinnamon and cardamom help elevate the apple flavor without overwhelming, adding the perfect amount of warmth. They're perfect to make for when the weather gets chillier in the fall months.
The best part is that the muffin batter comes together easily in one bowl, without an electric mixer. You don't need an electric mixer for the cream cheese filling either!
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🍎 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Apple cider flavor you can actually taste: Reduced apple cider, shredded apples, and a touch of cinnamon and cardamom allow the apple cider flavor to shine!
- Cream cheese filling: There's no better way to elevate a muffin than with a molten, rich, creamy cream cheese filling.
- Bakery style muffins: These muffins rise up tall in the oven and are so tender and soft; rivalling any bakery style muffin.
- Cinnamon sugar: The muffins get brushed over with an apple cider and melted butter mixture, and rolled in cinnamon sugar for an apple cider donut style finishing touch that is just irresistible.
- Easy, no mixer recipe: You don't need a mixer to make these apple cider muffins, they're so quick and easy to whip up!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Apple Cider: You'll need a whole two cups for these apple cider muffins. It gets simmered down to ½ a cup for concentrated apple flavor. Don't confuse apple cider with apple cider vinegar! Apple cider is more similar to apple juice, but with a stronger apple flavor and a darker color. I do this in my apple cider donut bundt cake recipe as well and it gives the best flavor!
Butter and oil: Butter gives these muffins the best, buttery flavor while oil keeps them soft and tender.
Plain Greek yogurt: Makes these muffins extra moist and tender because of the additional acid and protein. You can substitute this with sour cream if that's what you have, it works great as well!
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Granulated and brown sugar: A combination of these two sugars give these muffins the perfect amount of sweetness, tenderness, and brown sugar flavor.
Peeled and shredded apple: I peeled and shredded (on the coarse setting) two granny smith apples. They add moisture and make for a more interesting bite. Shredding them helps them blend into the crumb better so that you don't experience large chunks of apples. Go for a tart, hard fleshed apple like Granny Smith for better flavor and texture.
Cinnamon: A bit of ground cinnamon in the batter helps bring out the apple flavor, without overpowering it. I first tried to use more spices such as nutmeg and cloves, but found that they overpowered the apple cider flavor and turned into regular spice muffins - which isn't the intention here. The apple flavor really shines!
Cardamom: A small touch of ground cardamom adds a more complex warmth that isn't overpowering and complements the apple flavor perfectly. If you don't have cardamom you can omit this, but it really is delicious!
Cream cheese: Typically I'm very specific with the type of cream cheese you use in recipes such as cheesecake (full fat, brick style), but here it doesn't matter as much since the success of the recipe doesn't depend on whether or not the cream cheese sets. Full fat cream cheese is the best option, but a lower fat cream cheese will also work fine.
Sour cream: Sour cream gets mixed into the cream cheese filling to make it extra creamy and smooth. Alternatively, you could use plain Greek yogurt.
👩🍳 How to make apple cider muffins
Apple cider muffin batter step by step
Prep: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a regular sized muffin tin with muffin liners in alternating holes.
Step 1: Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer until reduced. In order for this to happen pretty quickly, I keep it on medium heat and make sure that it's bubbling. This takes me around 12 minutes. The reduced amount should measure to half of one cup.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, oil, Greek yogurt, salt, and vanilla extract. Measure ⅓ cup of the reduced apple cider and add it in (reserve the rest of the apple cider for later). Whisk together to combine.
Step 3: Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Use the whisk to fold the flour through to get a mostly smooth batter.
Step 4: Add the shredded apple to the batter and use a spatula to fold it through. Set the muffin batter aside while you mix together the cream cheese filling.
Cream cheese filling step by step
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix to combine. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a large opening. Alternatively use a zippered bag.
Step 2: Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners, filling up the muffin liners to the very top.
Step 3: Insert the piping bag halfway into the muffin batter and squeeze, pulling the piping bag up. The muffin batter should fill out and have a mound on top.
Step 4: Bake in the preheated oven 390°F (200°C) for 15-16 minutes. If you insert a toothpick into the side, avoiding the cream cheese filling, it should come out clean with a few crumbs attached.
Let the muffins cool for 3 minutes inside the muffin pan. Carefully remove them before baking the rest of the muffins.
Cinnamon sugar coating
Step 1: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the melted butter and remaining apple cider mixture in a separate bowl.
Brush the muffins tops with the butter mixture.
Step 2: Roll the top in the cinnamon sugar, avoiding getting the cinnamon sugar on the cream cheese filling. Enjoy!
✔️ Expert muffin tips
- Check that your baking powder isn't expired for maximum lift and rise for those bakery style muffin tops.
- Don't overmix the muffin batter: overmixing can cause a dense muffin that shrinks after baking. Mix just until the batter comes together and is mostly smooth.
- Don't skip reducing the apple cider! This is an important step that will give your muffins all of that delicious, concentrated apple cider flavor. If you don't reduce the apple cider your muffins will taste like regular vanilla muffins with shredded apples.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These muffins are great to make ahead. Keep in mind that you need to store them in the fridge once they cool down because of the cream cheese center. They're delicious eaten cold out of the fridge or gently heated up to make the muffin crumb soft and fluffy because heating softens the butter inside the muffin.
Store the apple cider muffins in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
🍏 What is apple cider and how does it compare to apple cider vinegar, alcaholic apple cider, or apple juice?
Apple cider, apple cider vinegar, alcoholic apple cider, and apple juice all sound very similar and it can be quite easy to mix them up! Here's a quick comparison on each of these so that you can easily tell them apart:
- Apple cider (non-alcoholic): This is typically found in the produce or juice section of the grocery store, in larger plastic containers. It's always refrigerated and has a darker beige-brown color. It's a type of juice, but it's much darker than apple juice. The flavor is concentrated, sweet, and more "appley" than apple juice. It's usually only found seasonally during apple harvest season.
- Apple cider vinegar: This is a vinegar made from apple cider and is used as a vinegar in salads or wherever you use vinegar.
- Alcoholic apple cider: Most commonly sold in sparkling form in cans, it's more akin to beer than non-alcoholic apple cider. This will not work in this recipe
- Apple juice: This is a juice made from apples, commonly found in the juice section of the grocery store. It's lighter tasting and not as thick and sweet as apple cider. I've found that some of the refrigerated apple juice varieties taste very similar to apple cider. So if you're in a pinch, that would work fine in this recipe.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Just omit the cream cheese filling and bake them up like normal. I've tried this and they turned out delicious!
This can be because of two things: your oven is too cold (get an oven thermometer to check) or most likely, your baking powder is old. I find that even when baking powder hasn't expired yet but is close to expiry, it doesn't have as much lift as a fresh container of baking powder. To extend the life of baking powder I like to store it in the fridge.
Yes of course, use a 1:1 gluten free flour mix for the best results.
🍂 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Apple Cider Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple Cider Muffin Batter
- 2 cups non-alcoholic apple cider not to be confused with apple cider vinegar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup neutral oil light olive or canola oil
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt plain
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour 270g
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup peeled and shredded apple from about 2 apples
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter melted
- remaining apple reduced apple cider
Instructions
Apple Cider Muffin Batter
- Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer until reduced. In order for this to happen pretty quickly, I keep it on medium heat and make sure that it's bubbling. This takes me around 12 minutes. The reduced amount should measure to ½ cup.2 cups non-alcoholic apple cider
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a regular sized muffin pan with muffin liners in alternating holes.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil, Greek yogurt, salt, and vanilla extract. Measure ⅓ cup of the reduced apple cider and add it in (reserve the rest of the apple cider for later). Whisk together to combine.2 large eggs, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup neutral oil, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Use the whisk to fold the flour through to get a mostly smooth batter.2 ¼ cup all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Add the shredded apple to the batter and use a spatula to fold it through. Set the muffin batter aside while you mix together the cream cheese filling.1 cup peeled and shredded apple
Cream Cheese Filling and Assembly
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix to combine, use a wire whisk to get it smooth without any lumps.6 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a large opening. Alternatively use a zippered bag.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners, filling up the muffin liners to the very top.
- Insert the piping bag halfway into the muffin batter and squeeze, pulling the piping bag up. The muffin batter should fill out and have a mound on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven (390°F, 200°C) for 15-16 minutes. If you insert a toothpick into the side, avoiding the cream cheese filling, it should come out clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Let the muffins cool for 3 minutes inside the muffin pan. Carefully remove them before baking the rest of the muffins.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Combine the melted butter and remaining apple cider mixture in a separate bowl and whisk together.¼ cup butter, remaining apple reduced apple cider
- Brush the muffins all over the top with the butter mixture. I did this while they were still hot, but cool enough to touch.
- Roll the top in the cinnamon sugar, avoiding getting the cinnamon sugar on the cream cheese filling. Enjoy!
Notes
- Check that your baking powder isn't expired for maximum lift
- Don't overmix the muffin batter
- Don't skip reducing the apple cider
Hello
I made these for an office baking competition and won! I used honey crisp apples instead of granny smith. It was very sweet-on-sweet; next time, I'll definitely use the recommended granny smith to get the contrast in flavors. Doubling the recipe was no issue except for the time to reduce the cider (+1 hour) and the baking time (with only one muffin tin). Thanks for developing something so yummy!
Mary
Oh wow congratulations on winning!! I'm so happy that you loved the recipe. Thank you so much for adding the notes on doubling the recipe!
Katherine
I liked these a lot! The proportion of batter to frosting was perfect - I ran out of both at the same time. I did accidentally double the butter in the batter, but think it would have been a good ratio either way (still tasted great with the extra butter, hah!). I don't usually love pastries with apple pieces in them, but chopped small and blended with the batter made them more subtle. I did expect the batter to taste more appley than it did though, so if you like apple bits in your pastries you might enjoy the recipe with ~25% more granny smith.
Small note on the recipe instructions. Although the written steps include adding 1/3 cup of the reduced cider to the batter, the listed ingredients in that section does not include it. I almost missed that step!
A.T.
These are amazing! Making them for a second time in the same week. That apple cider reduction is magical stuff.
Alison
Made these muffins yesterday, without the cream cheese filling, and they came out really good! Super moist and delicious!! They are a little too sweet for my liking (I like things a little less sweet). Really good recipe though.
Aneta
Hi,what Can I use insted apple cider in that recipe.Where I live its imposible to find apple cider -only apple juice and cider vinegar?
Thank you
Mary
Try finding refrigerated apple juice that isn't from concentrate! That tastes very similar to apple cider. If you can't find that, then regular apple juice could work decently well but it won't be the same 🙁
Victoria
These were amazing, they took a while because reducing the apple cider took time but I will definitely make them again. They tasted as good as the apple cider donuts I get in the mountains but I dont have to drive for them.
Mary
Thank you, so happy you loved them!
EJ
These are one of the best things I’ve ever baked before! The muffins are so soft and moist. I also loved the bakery style tops on the muffins.