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Best Brown Butter Apple Cider Donut Muffins: Easy Recipe

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These brown butter apple cider donut muffins taste exactly like the apple cider donuts you’d stand in line for at an orchard, but without the deep fryer or the sticky fingers. The brown butter gives them a rich, almost caramel-like depth, and the apple cider makes them impossibly moist with a tangy sweetness.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup apple cider
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
  2. Brown the butter: Place the ½ cup of unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly. The butter will melt, then foam, then start to crackle. After about 5-7 minutes, you’ll see brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan, and the butter will smell nutty and rich. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Reduce the apple cider: In a small saucepan, bring the ¾ cup of apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer until reduced to about ⅓ cup (about 8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of packed light brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Set aside.
  5. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, reduced apple cider, 1 room-temperature egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ¼ cup of whole milk until smooth and well-combined.
  6. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold together gently, just until no streaks of flour remain (about 10-12 strokes). A few lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
  7. Fill the muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
  8. Bake the muffins: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops should be golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
  9. Prepare the cinnamon-sugar coating: While the muffins are baking, mix the ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in another small bowl.
  10. Coat the muffins: Let the muffins cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes. Then, working one at a time, remove a muffin from the pan, brush the top and sides with melted butter, and roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the coated muffins on a cooling rack. Repeat with all 12 muffins.

Notes

Don’t rush the brown butter; watch for the color change to golden-amber with tiny brown specks and a nutty aroma. Use room temperature ingredients to prevent the brown butter from seizing. Do not overmix the batter; a few lumps are fine. Let muffins cool for exactly 5 minutes before coating for best results. For a thicker coating, double the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, apple cider, donut muffins, fall baking, easy recipe, cinnamon sugar

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