Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

It's apple cider muffins season! The weather has turned chilly and brisk, the leaves are falling from the trees, and I'm ready to cuddle up by the fire with a good book and a warm treat fresh from the oven.

Jump to:

• 🧃 What is apple cider?
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🍲 Apple cider reduction
• 🔪 Shredding the apple
• 🥄 Streusel topping
• 🥣 Making the muffin batter
• ⏲️ Baking
• ❓ FAQ
• 📝 Recipe

This easy recipe makes moist, fluffy muffins flavored with apple cider, shredded apple, and all your favorite apple pie spices (how's that for apple-icious!), all topped off with a cinnamon streusel for a sweet crunch on top. Enjoyed alongside a cup of hot tea, or even a glass of apple cider, will make everyone want to go for a walk in the woods, wrapped in a warm scarf, kicking up colorful leaves all the way.

Earlier this fall, I made my mom's Jewish Apple Cake, which is a-ma-zing...but this time of year, there's no such thing as too many yummy apple recipes, so let's add an apple cider muffin recipe to our recipe box, shall we? There's so soft and delicious...think of them as individual apple cider donut cakes!

🧃 What is apple cider?

You're probably asking yourself, what is the difference between apple juice and apple cider anyway? Well, the answer is a little murky...literally.

While most states don't have a standard legal definition of what constitutes apple juice vs apple cider, generally speaking, cider is unfiltered (and sometimes unpasteurized), as opposed to apple juice, which undergoes both of those processes. That's why you'll notice that most apple ciders have a bit of a murky appearance, with some pulp and sediment floating around.

While you can easily find apple cider in your local supermarket, especially in the fall months, somehow the apple cider from a local orchard always tastes better.

🧾 Ingredients

Muffins

• Apple cider
• Egg
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Ground cardamom
• Salt
• Apple
• Extra melted butter for greasing muffin pan

Note: One time I made these and totally forgot to add the allspice and cardamom, and they were still absolutely delicious!

🧈 Cinnamon sugar streusel

• All purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Cinnamon
• Unsalted butter
• Chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans, whatever you like! (optional)

🍲 Apple cider reduction

The first step to making these delicious apple cider muffins is to make an apple cider reduction. It's easy! In a small pot, simmer 1-½ cups of apple cider until it has reduced all the way down to ½ cup. For me, this took about a half hour. By reducing it this way, the flavor of the apple cider will be intensified (this is definitely a good thing!).

Once your cider has reduced to ½ cup, place it in the fridge to cool down a bit while you collect the rest of the ingredients for the muffin batter and shred the apple.

🔪 Shredding the apple

Although apple cider is delicious, I also wanted to include real bites of apple in these muffins. I chose to shred my apples, so that there were just little bits throughout all the muffins, but you can also chop them into tiny pieces if you prefer.

To shred them, just remove the skin using a vegetable peeler...then, using the larger side of a grater, shred the apple all the way around until you've almost reached the core. Set aside while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

🥄 Streusel topping

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients using a fork or spoon. Continue mixing until small crumbs form. That's it! Set aside for now.

🥣 Making the muffin batter

While you can mix these apple cider muffins by hand, I've found that it's much easier using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. First, mix together the egg, both sugars, butter, milk, and vanilla until all ingredients are incorporated together.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and salt). With the mixer still turning on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. This will come together quickly, so don't overmix. Then, with the mixer still turning, slowly pour in the apple cider reduction. Finally, mix in the shredded apple.

Grease your muffin pan with melted butter and fill each cup to about two-thirds full. Sprinkle cinnamon streusel on top of each one.

⏲️ Baking

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy with a glass of apple cider or a steaming mug of hot tea, and relax, ahhhhhh........

These muffins will stay delicious for several days when kept on the countertop, and if you'd like them warm, just zap them in the microwave for a few seconds!

❓ FAQ

Love yummy fall desserts? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes:

• Mom's Jewish Apple Cake
• Cinnamon Roll Donuts
• World's Best Apple Pie
• How to make Croissants (and pain au chocolat!)
• The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Easy Zesty Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Cake in a Mug
• Peach Upside Down Cake
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Did you make these Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel? Let us know in the comments below!

📝 Recipe

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