Apple cider muffins are made with applesauce to create the ultimate moist muffins! They are spiced with apple pie spice and topped with streusel topping. This homemade muffin recipe is quick and easy to make for breakfast or a weekend brunch.
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Apple cider is one of those cozy spiced flavors that often brings memories of visiting the pumpkin patch. If you find yourself buying apple cider donuts or making apple cider cinnamon rolls in the fall, I think you will love this muffin recipe.
As a busy mama and self taught baker, I enjoy how quickly muffins come together for breakfast. These applesauce muffins bake up tall and impressive, much like a bakery muffin. While they certainly aren’t healthier than an apple cider donut, the apple cider streusel might just make you like them better than a cinnamon sugar topping.
Please remember this is a breakfast recipe, like my peanut butter muffins or apple cider banana bread. The apple muffins are sweeter than some of my other muffin recipes, but they aren’t apple cider sugar cookies or apple snack cake!
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🍎 ingredient notes
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
I tested these muffins with a few different ingredient versions. While I often love butter in muffins, the oil and applesauce texture won by a landslide with my testers.
- Applesauce ~ unsweetened applesauce brings a ton of moisture and flavor to these apple cider muffins! I did not test homemade applesauce, but suspect it should work fine.
- Apple pie spice ~ this spice combination is very common to find in the US. If you don’t have it or can’t find it, I provide a homemade version in the recipe card notes below using cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
- Oil ~ vegetable or canola oil can be used. The oil adds a ton of moisture and a lightness to the muffins.
- Apple cider drink mix ~ I keep Alpine Spiced Cider packets in my pantry, which is what I use. It adds a ton of flavor to the streusel topping! I have been meaning to try and create my own drink mix; I’ll let you know if I make a good one.
💭 do I have to use whole wheat flour?
No, if you don’t want to use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour can be substituted. Please see the notes section of the recipe card for how to.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
🥣 how to make this muffin recipe
In a medium size bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and apple pie spice. Set aside. In a large size bowl whisk together the applesauce, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together with a spatula until combined. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes {I cover with a tea towel}.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a 12 well muffin pan with liners.
While the batter rests and the oven preheats, make the streusel: add the old fashioned rolled oats, brown sugar, apple cider drink mix and melted butter to a bowl and mix together until a clumpy mixture forms.
When the 15 minutes are up, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin liners {I like to use a large cookie scoop}, they will fill to almost the very top of the liners. Top each muffin with a generous teaspoon of streusel.
Bake for 7 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 350°F, keeping the muffins in the oven the whole time, and bake another 12-15 minutes more or until a toothpick in the center of the muffin comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
👩🏻🍳 tips for homemade muffins
- Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. This rest time helps the muffins to get a bakery-like muffin top.
- Do not over mix the batter when combining the wet and dry ingredients. Over mixing = tough muffins!
- Use muffin liners; these PaperChef liners are my favorite!
- Fill the muffin wells to the very top. This helps to achieve tall muffins.
- Bake at a high temperature to start, which will give the apple cider muffins an extra burst of heat initially and helps to create that nice muffin top.
- Allow the finished muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
🫙 how to avoid soggy streusel when storing
Muffins will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days. They have a lot of moisture in them and can get a little soggy when stored in an airtight container. My trick is to line the container with paper towels and add a slice of bread. The bread absorbs the extra moisture, which helps to keep the streusel and muffins from getting soggy.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Apple Cider Muffins with Streusel Topping . It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Apple Cider Muffins with Apple Cider Streusel
Moist apple cider muffins made with applesauce, spiced with apple pie spice and with streusel topping; great for breakfast or a weekend brunch!
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour* (120g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice**
- 1 ½ cups applesauce, room temperature (375g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup vegetable oil ( 177mL)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
apple cider streusel
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats (50g)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (50g)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider drink mix***
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (21g)
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl stir together the all-purpose flour (2 cups/250g), whole wheat flour (1 cup/120g), sugar (1 cup/200g), baking powder (1 tablespoon), kosher salt (½ teaspoon) and apple pie spice (1 tablespoon). Set aside.
- In a large size bowl whisk together the applesauce (1 ½ cups/375g), eggs (2 large), vegetable oil (¾ cup/177mL) and vanilla (1 teaspoon).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together with a spatula until combined. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes (I cover with a tea towel).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a 12 well muffin pan with liners.
- While the batter rests and the oven preheats, make the streusel: add the old fashioned rolled oats (½ cup/50g), brown sugar (¼ cup/50g), apple cider drink mix (1 tablespoon) and melted butter (1 ½ tablespoons/21g) to a bowl and mix together until a clumpy mixture forms.
- When the 15 minutes are up, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin liners (I like to use a large cookie scoop), they will fill to almost the very top of the liners. Top each muffin with a generous teaspoon of streusel.
- Bake for 7 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 350°F, keeping the muffins in the oven the whole time, and bake another 12-15 minutes more or until a toothpick in the center of the muffin comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*If you would like to use only all-purpose flour, it would be 3 cups/375g
**Apple pie spice can be substituted with 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom.
***I use Alpine Original Spiced Apple Cider packets.
Muffins will stay fresh uncovered at room temperature for up to 1 day. An airtight container can make the streusel a little soggy; adding paper towels to the bottom of your container and adding a slice of bread will help to absorb moisture.
The muffins also freeze well in a zip-top bag or airtight container for 2-3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Michelle says
I made these for the boys since we had an open bottle of apple cider hanging in the fridge, and they were not only simple to make, but super delish! Will have this on repeat especially during the fall!
Tasia says
Woo hoo, so happy you and your boys loved them Michelle!