These Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins are what you get when a muffin and an apple cider donut have a baby! They’re soft and spongy like a donut, with the perfect amount of apple cider and warm fall spice.
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Made with freshly milled soft white wheat, reduced apple cider, applesauce, brown sugar, and apple pie spice, then finished with a buttery cinnamon sugar coating, they’re seriously delicious.
No frying and no special donut pan needed!
Why You’ll Love This Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins Recipe
Key Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Coating Options
I’ve made these with cinnamon sugar coating the whole muffin and with just the tops coated, and honestly, I like them both ways! So, I decided to include both options so you can choose whichever you like best.
For the tops only:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
For the tops and sides:
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Tip: If you want cinnamon sugar on the whole muffin but don’t want to use the extra butter, I’ve found that the cinnamon sugar sticks to the sides just fine while the muffins are still warm. Brush the tops with butter, then coat the entire warm muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Or, for a richer coating, brush the tops and sides with butter before coating.
Tips for the Best Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Reduce the apple cider. Don’t use 1 1/2 cups of cider directly in the batter. Simmering it down to about 1/2 cup gives you much more apple flavor without making the batter too wet.
Use soft wheat for a tender muffin. I used soft white wheat for this recipe, and I recommend trying it with soft white first. Once you know how the recipe should turn out, you can experiment with other soft grains, such as spelt or einkorn.
Let the batter rest. Resting the batter for 20 minutes gives the freshly milled flour time to fully hydrate.
Start with a hot oven. Baking the muffins at 425°F for the first 5 minutes gives them an initial boost of heat to help create taller muffin tops. Then, lower the temperature to 350°F to finish baking without opening the oven.
Coat them while they’re warm. The cinnamon sugar and butter stick best while the muffins are still slightly warm.
New to Baking with Fresh Milled Flour?
If you’re not sure how much wheat to mill or which wheat berries to use, check out my Fresh Milled Flour Conversion Chart. It includes an easy conversion guide, how much wheat to mill, and which grains work best for different types of recipes.
How to Make Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Here’s how to make these fresh milled flour apple cider donut muffins. I’ll walk you through each step below, and you’ll find the full recipe and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Reduce the apple cider.
Pour 1½ cups apple cider into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until 5 ounces remain, about 30–35 minutes.
While the cider is reducing, you can go ahead and start making the muffin batter.
Make-ahead tip: You can also reduce the apple cider ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the muffins.
2. Mill the flour and mix the dry ingredients.
Weigh out 260 grams of soft white wheat berries and mill into flour. In a small bowl, combine the freshly milled flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix the wet ingredients (except cider).
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla.
4. Make and rest the batter.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix just until everything comes together. Be careful not to overmix.
Cover the batter and let it rest for 20 minutes to give the freshly milled flour time to hydrate. You can do this while the apple cider is reducing to save time.
Don’t add the reduced cider yet. Apple cider is acidic, so adding it now would start reacting with the baking soda while the batter rests. Waiting until after the hydration time helps save that reaction for when the muffins go into the oven.
5. Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan.
While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners or generously butter each muffin cup.
Make sure the oven is fully preheated and your pan is ready before adding the reduced cider to the batter. Once you add it, you’ll want to fill the muffin cups and get them into the oven right away.
6. Add the reduced cider.
After the batter has rested and the reduced cider has cooled slightly (I put mine in the fridge to cool faster), gently mix the 5 ounces of reduced cider into the batter just until combined.
7. Fill the muffin pan.
Immediately divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. For larger, bakery-style muffin tops, divide the batter among 9 muffin cups instead, filling them fuller.
You can also make mini muffins by dividing the batter among a mini muffin pan. See the mini muffin instructions below for baking times.
8. Bake.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.
9. Add the cinnamon sugar coating.
Melt the butter and set aside. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. While the muffins are still warm, use a pastry brush to coat them with melted butter, then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can coat just the tops or the tops and sides.
Can I Make Mini Apple Cider Donut Muffins?
Absolutely! These make great mini muffins, especially if you want smaller, bite-sized apple cider donut treats.
Fill a greased or lined mini muffin pan to the top. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for about 5–7 more minutes. Check them early since mini muffins bake much faster.
They’re ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once they’re cool enough to handle, brush them with the melted butter and roll them in cinnamon sugar. For mini muffins, I especially like coating the whole muffin!
How to Store Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins
These muffins are especially good served fresh while the cinnamon sugar coating is still slightly crisp. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2–3 days. Keep in mind that the cinnamon sugar coating will soften as the muffins sit.
For longer storage, freeze the muffins in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. For the best cinnamon sugar coating, I recommend freezing the muffins without the coating. Let them thaw at room temperature, then warm them slightly before adding the melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
More Fresh Milled Fall Recipes
Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins
Equipment
- Grain mill
- Kitchen scale
- Muffin pans
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 260 grams soft white wheat berries
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1½ cups apple cider (reduced to 5 ounces)
- 6 tbsp melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating (see notes for coating options)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider.Pour 1½ cups apple cider into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until 5 ounces remain, about 30–40 minutes.While the cider is reducing, you can go ahead and start making the muffin batter. Make-ahead tip: You can also reduce the apple cider ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the muffins.
- Mill the flour and mix the dry ingredients.Weigh out 260 grams of soft white wheat berries and mill into flour. In a small bowl, combine the freshly milled flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients (except cider).Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Make and rest the batter.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix just until everything comes together. Be careful not to overmix.Cover the batter and let it rest for 20 minutes to give the freshly milled flour time to hydrate. You can do this while the apple cider is reducing to save time.Don’t add the reduced cider yet. Apple cider is acidic, so adding it now would start reacting with the baking soda while the batter rests. Waiting until after the hydration time helps save that reaction for when the muffins go into the oven.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan.While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners or generously butter each muffin cup.Make sure the oven is fully preheated and your pan is ready before adding the reduced cider to the batter. Once you add it, you’ll want to fill the muffin cups and get them into the oven right away.
- Add the reduced cider. After the batter has rested and the reduced cider has cooled slightly, gently mix the 5 ounces of reduced cider into the batter just until combined.
- Fill the muffin pan.Immediately divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. For larger, bakery-style muffin tops, divide the batter among 9 muffin cups instead, filling them fuller.You can also make mini muffins by dividing the batter among a mini muffin pan. See the mini muffin instructions below for baking times.
- Bake.Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon sugar coating.Melt the butter and set aside. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. While the muffins are still warm, use a pastry brush to coat them with melted butter, then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can coat just the tops or the tops and sides. (See below for amounts for each option.)
