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Baked apple cider doughnut muffins with tall golden domes and crumbly brown streusel on a ceramic plate

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Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins with Browned Butter Streusel

Recipe by Chloe Davis

These muffins capture everything you love about a fall apple orchard visit—warm spices, deep apple flavor, and a sugary crunch—without ever pulling out a deep fryer. Swapping traditional applesauce for rich apple butter gives the batter an intense, concentrated cider flavor, while a quick browned butter streusel mimics that iconic, nutty fried doughnut finish.

  • Total Time55 minutes
  • Yield12 muffins (serves 12) 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Browned Butter Streusel

  • 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (70g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Muffin Batter

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or ginger)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (240g) store-bought or homemade apple butter
  • 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: In a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams and toasted brown specks form at the bottom, about 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Mix the streusel: To the slightly cooled browned butter, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss the mixture gently with a fork until coarse, crumbly clumps form. Set aside.
  3. Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  4. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
  5. Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, vigorously whisk the apple butter, dark brown sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and well emulsified.
  6. Combine and rest the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula just until the flour disappears—a few small lumps are perfectly fine. Let the batter sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.
  7. Assemble and bake: Divide the rested batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling them nearly to the very top. Generously press a handful of the streusel onto the top of each muffin.
  8. Bake with a temperature drop: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for exactly 5 minutes. Leaving the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
  9. Cool: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Why it works: Standard applesauce adds great moisture to muffins, but dilutes the flavor. Swapping it for concentrated apple butter acts like an instant apple cider reduction, while the two-temperature baking method (an initial 425°F blast) rapidly activates the leavening agents to create beautiful, tall bakery-style domes.
  • Storage and reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To restore the streusel’s signature crunch on day two or three, pop the muffin in a 350°F (175°C) oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes before eating.

Nutrition (per serving — estimates)

Calories: 336 | Total Carbs: 53g (Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g) | Fat: 12g (Saturated: 4g) | Protein: 4g

Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Resting Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast & Brunch
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 336
  • Sugar: 30g
  • Fat: 12g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Carbohydrates: 53g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 4g

Find it online: https://delicious.alfityan.org/2026/09/28/apple-cider-doughnut-muffins-with-crunchy-browned-butter-streusel/