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Apple cider muffins
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5 from 12 votes

Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

It's apple cider muffin season! Moist, fluffy muffins with apple cider, shredded apple, and your favorite apple pie spices, with a cinnamon streusel on top.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Apple Cider Reduction30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cider muffins, cinnamon streusel
Servings: 16
Calories: 205kcal

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 1-½ cups apple cider
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • teaspoon allspice
  • teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and shredded
  • Extra melted butter for greasing muffin pan

Cinnamon Sugar Streusel

  • cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • cup chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans, whatever you like! (optional)

Instructions

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 c of apple cider until it has reduced all the way down to ½ c. For me, this took about a half hour. 

Cinnamon Sugar Streusel

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

Muffins

  • 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.
  • 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.

Notes

  • Shredding the apples: 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.
 
  • Variation: One time I made these and totally forgot to add the allspice and cardamom, and they were still absolutely delicious!
 
  • Freezing muffins: Place the baked muffins in a sealed container and freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply remove as many muffins as you'd like from the freezer and place on the counter until they reach room temperature. Note: The streusel may fall off during the freeze-thaw process, so you might want to just freeze the muffins and add the streusel afterward (brush the tops with a little melted butter and sprinkle streusel on top).
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg