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    Home » Baking & Desserts

    Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

    Published: Sep 24, 2020 · Modified: May 19, 2023 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If there's ever a fragrance that epitomizes a season for me, it is apples scented with warm spices simmering on the stove in Autumn. The day could either be glowing with the sun through changing leaves or it could be gray and rainy with us tucking in with candles lit. The warm fragrance permeates house and heart at the same time! And it's exactly the feeling you get when you make these Spiced Apple Cider Muffins.

    Spiced Apple Cider Muffins out of the oven on a rack

    This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click them and purchase something, I get a little commission. Thank you for your support.

    Have you ever had apple cider doughnuts? One of the best memories I have is eating apple cider doughnuts at an apple picking farm on a crisp fall afternoon. They were rolled in cinnamon sugar and absolutely lip-smacking! These muffins are very similar, easier to make (no frying!), gluten-free option given, and just as tasty.

    SIMPLICITY rules with this recipe

    Dry ingredients measured in a bowl

    It just calls for mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ones in another, then combining them gently before spooning them into the muffin tin. That's easy, right?

    Wet ingredients for Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

    You can make this recipe gluten-free! Here are some tips:

    • Use the same brand of 1:1 gluten-free flour blend every time you make a recipe to ensure your results. Each brand has a different blend of grains and starches so the results WILL vary. I usually use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Flour Blend.
    • Use straight up grass-fed butter. There are so many great health benefits to consuming grass-fed dairy! I honestly can't believe the difference using it makes in the texture over using avocado or coconut oil. Of course, if you are careful with consuming dairy, you'll have no choice.

    Spice (nutmeg, specifically) tips:

    Nutmeg spice comes from the seed of the nutmeg tree and has a warm, almost sweet fragrance, somewhat musky. It is used to flavor desserts, sauces, potato dishes, meats, beverages... many things! Nutmeg is quite versatile in its applications, actually, although we often get hung up on using it just for desserts in the fall or in Christmas cookies.

    It seems kind of picky and uppity to grate nutmeg from the seed, but the taste difference between pre-ground and freshly ground is worth the less-than-10 seconds of grating on the microplane.

    • Freshly grated nutmeg is incredibly rich, earthy and complex.
    • Pre-ground nutmeg loses flavor quickly so freshly grated will give so much more taste to your dish.
    • If you can find nutmeg in the bulk section of a grocery store, that's the way to buy it because you can choose only a couple at a time. That's the way to keep it as fresh as possible. However, if you buy it on Amazon in a larger package (via the link above), arrange to share it with some friends so that you ALL have fresh whole nutmeg!
    Whole nutmeg with microplane and spice jar

    How to prepare your muffin tin for baking Spiced Apple Cider Muffins:

    Buttered and sugared muffin tin for Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

    To mimic the cinnamon sugar coating on traditionally fried Apple Cider Doughnuts, prepare your muffin tin by buttering it, then sugaring it.

    Spiced Apple Cider Muffins in the tin ready for the oven

    Only fill the muffin cups half to three-quarters full, then bake for 18-20 minutes. Be careful when you turn them out of the cups because that sugar coating will be HOT!

    Serve them up with hot tea, coffee, or tall glasses of milk ... and make them often!

    Spiced Apple Cider Muffins with two glasses of milk

    Other recipes you might like:

    • Gluten-free Cranberry Orange Muffins
    • French Apple Pie (Tarte Aux Pommes)
    • Italian Plum Cake
    • Blueberry Banana Bread

    Recipe

    Featured Image - Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

    Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

    Tammy Circeo
    These muffins are reminiscent of apple cider doughnuts, easier to make and just as tasty. They are perfect for an Autumn snack that you can enjoy within about a half hour of thinking that you wanted a bite of something delicious to go with your tea.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breads
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins

    Ingredients
      

    • butter for buttering the muffin tin
    • organic cane sugar for sugaring the muffin tin
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg see notes
    • 1 egg slightly beaten
    • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
    • ¼ cup apple sauce, or apple butter
    • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
    • 3 Tablespoons apple cider
    • 3 Tablespoons plain yogurt
    • 1½ Tablespoons butter melted

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Lightly coat the muffin tin with butter, then sprinkle sugar and coat each cup.
    • Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
    • Mix the egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, apple/ cider, yogurt, and oil in a large bowl, then add the dry ingredients,. Stir just to moisten. Divide the batter into the muffin tins, filling each half to three-quarters full.
    • Bake 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly. Carefully remove from the tins. The sugar coating on the bottom of the muffins will be very hot so be cautious! Let cool for a few minutes on a wire rack.
    • Best if eaten immediately!

    Notes

    On freshly grated nutmeg: 
    • Freshly grated nutmeg is incredibly rich, earthy and complex.
    • Pre-ground nutmeg loses flavor quickly so freshly grated will give so much more taste to your dish.
    • If you can find nutmeg in the bulk section of a grocery store, that's the way to buy it because you can choose only a couple at a time. That's the way to keep it as fresh as possible. However, if you buy it on Amazon in a larger package (via the link above), arrange to share it with some friends so that you ALL have fresh whole nutmeg!
      Keyword apple cider muffins, muffins
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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      About Tammy Circeo

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Lori

        October 02, 2020 at 6:57 pm

        This one is going into permanent rotation at our house! Thanks for the great recipe.

        Reply
        • Tammy Circeo

          October 02, 2020 at 11:51 pm

          From someone who I know loves great flavors, this is high praise! T'is the season for coziness.

          Reply
      2. Carolyn De Rusha

        September 30, 2020 at 8:33 am

        5 stars
        So good. Will make them often.

        Reply
        • Tammy Circeo

          September 30, 2020 at 12:03 pm

          🙂 I'm glad you liked them! As soon as a tin of muffins comes out of the oven, the Grands dive into them and there's rarely any leftover!

          Reply

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      I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

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