Cinnamon Streusel Apple Cider Muffins — Warm Fall Breakfast Recipe

It’s apple cider muffin season! The air turns crisp, leaves carpet the ground, and it’s the perfect time to curl up by the fire with a good book and a warm muffin fresh from the oven.

This easy recipe yields moist, fluffy muffins infused with an apple cider reduction, shredded apple, and warming apple-pie spices. A cinnamon streusel adds a sweet, crunchy finish. Pair them with hot tea or a glass of apple cider for a perfect autumn treat.

Earlier this season I made Mom’s Jewish Apple Cake — it’s wonderful — but there’s always room for one more apple recipe. These muffins are like little apple-cider donut cakes: tender, flavorful, and cozy.

🧃 What is apple cider?

The difference between apple juice and apple cider is mostly about processing. Cider is typically unfiltered and sometimes unpasteurized, giving it a cloudy look with some pulp, while apple juice is filtered and clarified. Orchard-fresh cider often has a brightness and depth of flavor you don’t always find in store-bought varieties.

🧾 Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 ½ cups apple cider (for reduction)
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and shredded
• Extra melted butter for greasing muffin pan

Note: If you omit small spices like allspice or cardamom, the muffins are still delicious.

🧈 Cinnamon sugar streusel

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), optional

🍲 Apple cider reduction

Begin by simmering 1 ½ cups apple cider in a small pot until it reduces to about ½ cup. This concentrates the flavor and takes roughly 30 minutes. Chill the reduction while you prepare the other ingredients.

🔪 Shredding the apple

For small, tender bites of apple throughout the muffins, shred the apple using the large side of a grater. Peel and core the apple first, then grate around the core and set the shredded apple aside.

🥄 Streusel topping

Combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until you have small crumbs. Set aside.

🥣 Making the muffin batter

Using a mixer or whisk, beat the egg with both sugars, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and salt.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined—don’t overmix. Then slowly pour in the cooled apple cider reduction and fold in the shredded apple.

Grease a muffin pan with melted butter and fill each cup about two-thirds full. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of the cinnamon streusel.

⏲️ Baking

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

🍽️ Serving suggestion

Serve warm with a pat of butter, a cup of coffee, or a steaming mug of tea. These muffins also complement a fall brunch spread alongside other cozy bakes and seasonal desserts.

🧺 Storage

Store muffins at room temperature for several days in an airtight container. To warm, microwave for a few seconds. For longer storage, freeze baked muffins in a sealed container for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature; you can brush tops with melted butter and reapply streusel after thawing if desired.

❓ FAQ

Love fall desserts? Try more seasonal favorites from the recipe collection.

• Mom’s Jewish Apple Cake
• Cinnamon Roll Donuts
• World’s Best Apple Pie
• How to Make Croissants (and pain au chocolat)
• The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Easy Zesty Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Cake in a Mug
• Peach Upside Down Cake
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Did you make these Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel? Let us know in the comments below!

📝 Recipe

Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged; copying full recipes to social media is prohibited.