Apple Cider Donut Muffins: 24 Easy Vegan Mini Bites
These mini apple cider donut muffins are what happens when I crave orchard cider donuts but don’t want a pot of hot oil on the stove. They bake in about 12 minutes, they’re soft and cakey inside, and every one gets brushed with melted vegan butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar while it’s still warm. One batch makes 24 little bites, which is either a party platter or a very good week of snacks.
The secret is one simple step. Before the cider goes into the batter, I boil it down from 1 1/2 cups to 1/2 cup. That concentrated cider gives apple cider donut muffins a deep, tangy apple flavor that plain cider just can’t match.
Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes (15 to reduce the cider, 12 to 14 to bake) | Total: 55 minutes | Serves: 24 mini muffins (12 servings) | Diet: vegan, egg-free, dairy-free
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Donut Muffins
- Real cider flavor. Reducing the cider makes the apple taste loud and clear.
- No frying. All the cinnamon sugar crunch of a donut without the oil or the mess.
- No eggs or dairy. Applesauce and plant milk keep them tender.
- Perfect size for kids. Two or three bites each, great for lunchboxes and fall parties.
- Cheap to make. The whole batch costs about $4.
Ingredients
You need a jug of apple cider and basic baking staples. If you can only find apple juice, see the FAQ, but real cider gives these apple cider donut muffins the best flavor.
For the Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup (360ml before reducing)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2.5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (0.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3g)
- 1/3 cup neutral oil or melted vegan butter (75ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (60g)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (80ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (42g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (4g)
Ingredient Notes
Apple cider: Look for cloudy, unfiltered cider in the produce section in the fall. Shelf-stable cider works too.
Plant milk and vinegar: The mix curdles slightly into a vegan “buttermilk” that reacts with the baking soda for a fluffy crumb.
Nutmeg: Just a little gives that classic cider-donut-shop taste. Freshly grated is lovely if you have whole nutmeg.
How to Make Apple Cider Donut Muffins
- Reduce the Cider. Simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until it measures 1/2 cup. Pour it into a measuring cup and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Heat the Oven. Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan well.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients. Whisk the cooled cider, oil, applesauce, milk and vinegar mixture, and vanilla in a second bowl.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold just until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
- Fill the Pan. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each almost to the top. A small cookie scoop makes this quick.
- Bake. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Coat in Cinnamon Sugar. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush each warm muffin with melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Measure the reduced cider. Pour it into a measuring cup to check you’ve got 1/2 cup. Too little and the batter is dry, too much and the muffins taste flat. If you overshoot, top it up with a splash of fresh cider.
Cool the cider first. Hot cider melts into the batter too fast and starts the baking soda working early. Ten minutes on the counter is enough.
Grease the pan well. Mini muffin cups stick. Brush every cup with oil or use a baking spray with flour.
Coat them warm. Warm muffins grab the butter and sugar best. If they cool off, a 10-second microwave zap helps.
Don’t overbake. Mini apple cider donut muffins go from tender to dry quickly. Pull them as soon as the tops spring back.
Variations
- Regular size: Bake in a 12-cup standard muffin pan for 18 to 20 minutes. Dip just the tops in butter and cinnamon sugar.
- Donut pan: Pipe the batter into a greased donut pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes.
- Glazed: Skip the cinnamon sugar and dip the tops in a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons reduced cider.
- Apple bits: Fold in 1/2 cup finely diced apple for little pockets of fruit.
- Spiced up: Add 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and a pinch of cloves.
Apples and cider are the stars of fall baking in my kitchen. For the nutrition side of things, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a helpful page on apples and their health benefits.
Why Reducing the Cider Matters
Apple cider is mostly water. When you pour a cup of it straight into a muffin batter, the apple flavor gets lost behind the flour, sugar and spices, and you end up with a nice cinnamon muffin that doesn’t taste much like apples. Simmering the cider cooks off that extra water and leaves behind a thick, tangy syrup that carries the flavor all the way through the bake.
It also changes the texture. Because the reduced cider is concentrated, I don’t need as much liquid overall, so the crumb stays tender and cakey instead of wet. This is the same trick bakeries use for their cider donuts, and it’s what makes these apple cider donut muffins taste like the real thing.
While the cider simmers, pull out your bowls and grease the pan. By the time the dry ingredients are whisked, the cider is usually ready to cool. Keep an eye on it near the end, since it can go from reduced to scorched in a minute or two once it gets syrupy.
What They Cost
At my store: apple cider $1.40 for the portion I used, flour $0.40, sugars $0.70, oil $0.35, vegan butter $0.50, applesauce, milk and spices about $0.60. That’s around $4 for 24 apple cider donut muffins, so less than 20 cents each.
Serving Ideas
Apple cider donut muffins are lovely with a mug of hot cider or coffee on a cool morning, and they’re my go-to treat to bring to a school bake sale or a soccer game in October. For a fall snack board, set them out with a bowl of baked cinnamon apple chips, apple slices and a few clementines. They also make a sweet addition to a brunch table next to vegan pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
Storage
Room temperature: Keep coated muffins in a container with the lid slightly open for up to 2 days. Sealing them tight makes the sugar damp.
Freezer: Freeze uncoated apple cider donut muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw, warm for 10 seconds in the microwave, then brush and coat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use apple juice instead of cider for apple cider donut muffins?
Yes, but the flavor is milder and sweeter. Reduce the juice the same way and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to bring back a little tang.
Do I have to reduce the cider?
You can skip it and use 1/2 cup straight cider, but the apple flavor will be faint. Reducing is the one step I never skip.
Why are my mini muffins dry?
They were probably baked a minute or two too long, or the flour was packed into the cup. Spoon and level your flour, or weigh it.
Can I make them gluten free?
A cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend works. The muffins will be slightly more delicate, so let them cool 10 minutes before coating.
How do I keep the cinnamon sugar from falling off?
Brush each muffin generously with melted butter while it’s warm, then roll it right away. Work a few at a time.
Bake a Batch This Fall
These apple cider donut muffins bring the best part of an orchard trip home: warm spice, real apple flavor and a sugary crunch. They’re easy enough for a weeknight, cheap enough to make often, and small enough that nobody feels bad grabbing three. For more snack ideas, browse my vegan snack recipes.
If these little muffins made your kitchen smell like an orchard, share the recipe with a friend who loves cider donuts, and follow me on Pinterest for more cozy fall snacks on a budget. When you bake them, rate them in the recipe card below and drop a comment telling me how many you ate warm. Happy baking!
