Description
Dense, moist muffins packed with the intense flavor of reduced apple cider, coated in cinnamon sugar for a cozy autumn treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (for coating)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (for coating)
- 1 cup chopped apples (optional)
- ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half (about 1 cup). This takes 20-25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.
- In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, sour cream, vanilla, and the cooled reduced cider until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula until just moistened. Do not overmix. Fold in optional add-ins if using.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Tops should be golden brown.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes.
- While muffins are still slightly warm, brush tops with melted butter and roll in the mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Notes
Reduce the cider properly to concentrate flavor. Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Coat muffins while they are warm, not hot or cold, for best sugar adhesion. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: fall baking, apple cider muffins, donut muffins, autumn recipes, seasonal baking, cinnamon sugar muffins