Easy Apple Cider Donut Muffins with Fresh Milled Flour

You’re going to love this apple cider donut muffin recipe. There’s just something about apple cider donuts that makes fall feel like fall. Maybe it’s the smell of cinnamon, spices, and apples at an apple orchard somehow feels just right. Let’s bring that same delicious apple cider donut flavor right into your own kitchen without making a trip to the orchard!

These muffins have all the cozy flavors of a traditional apple cider donut, with a soft, tender muffin texture and a generous buttery cinnamon-sugar coating.

Our apple cider donut muffins are made with freshly milled soft white wheat, reduced apple cider for a more concentrated apple flavor, and a little apple butter to help keep everything moist and tender. Once they’re baked, we top them with melted butter and roll in a spiced cinnamon sugar. Dare I say they are *chef’s kiss*.

Your kitchen is going to smell amazing, and you may find yourself making a hot drink just to have an excuse to eat one.

Want more fresh milled muffin quick bread recipes? Try out Pumpkin Spice Muffins, Chocolate Beet Muffins, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, Zucchini Muffins, Pumpkin Raisin & Pecan Muffins, Maple Pecan Banana Bread, or Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread.

Try out our other apple recipes like apple butter, applesauce, apple pie filling, apple scrap vinegar, sourdough apple pie cupcakes, apple pie oat bars, sourdough apple pie cobbler, or apple cider mini muffins.

New to baking with freshly milled flour? Take a walk through our Beginner’s Guide or our Grain Guide.

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Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Donut Muffins

• Real apple cider flavor: Reducing the apple cider concentrates its flavor, giving the muffins a delicious apple taste instead of just a hint of cider.
• Apple Butter: Gives them even more spiced fall flavor and moisture.
• Made with fresh milled flour: Soft white wheat creates a tender muffin while letting you enjoy the flavor and goodness of freshly milled whole grains.
• That irresistible cinnamon-sugar coating: A little melted butter and spiced cinnamon sugar turn an ordinary muffin into something that tastes like it came straight from your favorite apple orchard.
• Perfect for fall baking: These are wonderful for breakfast, weekend brunch, afternoon snacks, or serving when friends and family stop by.
• Beginner-friendly fresh milled flour recipe: If you’re still learning to bake with freshly milled wheat, this is a fun recipe to add to your collection.

What Makes Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins Special?

The secret to getting that classic apple cider donut flavor is concentrating the apple cider before adding it to the batter. Instead of pouring regular apple cider straight into the mixing bowl, we’ll simmer it on the stovetop until it reduces. This removes some of the water while concentrating the apple flavor. It’s a simple extra step, but it makes a big difference.

The other important ingredient is freshly milled soft white wheat. Soft white wheat is one of my favorite choices for muffins and quick breads because it produces a softer texture than many stronger wheat varieties. It also has a mild flavor that works beautifully with apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I also like adding a little apple butter to the batter because it gives it some moisture and another little layer of apple flavor without making them taste like applesauce muffins.

Fresh Milled Apple Cider Donut Muffin Recipe

Tools

• Grain Mill
• Mixing Bowl
• Saucepan
• Muffin tin + paper liners (or grease it well)
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons or Kitchen Scale
• Cooling Rack
• Whisk
• Cookie scoop or large spoon
• Ramekins or bowls for cinnamon sugar and butter

Ingredients

Muffins

• 450 g Apple Cider, reduced to approx. 150-160 g
• 120 g Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 120 g Apple Butter
• 2.5 g Lemon Juice (1/2 tsp)
• 85 g Butter, melted and slightly cooled (6 Tbsp)
• 10 g Vanilla Extract (2 tsp)
• 270 g Soft White Wheat
• 2 g Salt (1/2 tsp)
• 1 ⅛ tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Allspice
• 1/8 tsp Ginger
• 8 g Baking Powder (2 tsp)
• 3 g Baking Soda (1/2 tsp)

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

• 100 g Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp Allspice
• 1/8 tsp Ginger
• 43 g Butter, melted (3 Tbsp)

Notes

• Makes 12 muffins
• Make sure to give the batter a short rest (about 10 minutes) before baking. Freshly milled flour continues absorbing the liquid in the batter, so those few extra minutes give everything a chance to settle in.
• Don’t skip the high heat blast for first 5 minutes of baking, it helps them rise well.
• I have not tried but you could try using applesauce in place of apple butter, but you’d need to strain it, so it is very thick! Too much liquid can cause the muffins texture to change.
• Room temp ingredients work best
• Weigh wheat berries before milling

How to Make Fresh Milled Flour Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Reduce Apple Cider: Heat 450 g of apple cider in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Lower to medium-low and keep at a simmer for 20-30 minutes (time can vary) until it has reduced to about 150-160 g of apple cider. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using.

Mix Wet Ingredients: Add sugar, eggs, reduced apple cider, apple butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and melted butter to mixing bowl. Mix well.

Add Dry Ingredients: Whisk in the freshly milled flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir until everything is incorporated, but don’t overmix.

Rest the Muffin Batter: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, mostly full so you’ll get those nice, rounded tops. I also like to use muffin liners. Then, here’s the step I don’t recommend skipping, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb some of the moisture, which helps create a softer texture once the muffins are baked. While the batter rests, preheat your oven to 420°F.

Bake: Bake the muffins at 420°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking for approximately 10-12 more minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. That initial burst of heat helps encourage those pretty muffin tops.

Cool and Mix Topping: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. While they are cooling, melt the butter and make the spiced cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack.

Coat Muffins: Take a warm muffin and dip it in the melted butter, then immediately roll it in the spiced cinnamon sugar. Place back on rack to finish cooling.

Serve: Serve warm or let cool and cover to enjoy later.

Tips for the Best Apple Cider Donut Muffins

A few little things can make a big difference when baking with fresh milled flour.

• High heat first 5 minutes of baking helps them rise well
• Use soft white wheat or trade out for spelt. Those are my favorite choices when I want a tender muffin made with fresh milled flour.
• Weigh your wheat berries before milling. Freshly milled flour can be fluffy and difficult to measure consistently by volume. A kitchen scale makes the recipe much more predictable.
• Don’t add extra flour just because the batter looks soft. Fresh-milled flour needs time to absorb moisture. Give the batter its resting time.
• Don’t overmix. Stir until the dry ingredients disappear, then stop.
• Coat the muffins while they’re warm. If you wait until they’re completely cool, the butter and cinnamon sugar won’t cling as well.
• Use real apple cider. Look for unfiltered or fresh apple cider rather than apple cider vinegar or apple-flavored juice. You can substitute the cider with real apple juice, although the flavor may be slightly different. I recommend using unsweetened apple juice and reducing it in the same way as the cider.

How to Store Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Once completely cooled, store the muffins in loosely covered container at room temperature for about 2–3 days (if they last that long!). I like to store mine in a glass cake stand.

To freeze them, let the muffins cool completely and do not coat. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. For the best texture, thaw at room temperature and warm briefly before coating and serving.

Where to Buy Wheat Berries

We love trying all kinds of wheat varieties and from all different places. Below are some of our favorites.

• Guardian Grains: Use code Hintofhomestead for 15% off your purchase
• Mockmill: Organic berries available
• Wheat Montana: Can buy on Amazon or in many stores
• Farmers’ Storehouse: Lots of varieties
• Country Life Natural Foods: Free shipping over $99
• Breadtopia: Often have durum for pasta-making
• Grand Teton: Tons of options on grains

Fall baking is one of my favorite reasons to slow down, turn on the oven, and fill the kitchen with all those wonderful spiced scents. These fresh milled flour apple cider donut muffins are such a fun way to enjoy the flavors of a classic apple orchard treat right at home. They’re soft, buttery, full of apple flavor, and finished with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar.

And if you make them, don’t be surprised if your family starts requesting them long after apple season is over. Mine would probably vote to keep them on the menu year-round!

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