Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

These Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins are here for you when you just can’t wait another second for Fall.  They’re soft and tender inside, with that classic cider doughnut cinnamon sugar crust…so good!

These apple cider doughnut muffins were a joy to make from start to finish, but the moment I pulled them out of the oven was the best. The kitchen smelled of cinnamon, and it felt like Fall had arrived, even if technically it’s still summer :)

The texture of these doughnut muffins is rich and cakey, with a really nice ‘doughnutty’ crumb.  If you know my Apple Cider Doughnut Cake you’ll know what I mean.  The cinnamon sugar coating, added when the muffins are still warm, give them that classic cider doughnut vibe.  They’ll be just perfect for your fall breakfasts and brunches.

The cinnamon sugar coating is created by first brushing the warm muffins with melted butter.  Then I literally roll them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat them all over. That’s important because you’re going to want to get some of that sweet crust in every bite. It’s also why I don’t use paper muffin liners with this recipe, but you certainly can if you like.

Just like their bundt cake cousin, the batter for these apple cider doughnut muffins is so easy to make; a big bowl and a whisk gets the job done.  There’s no need to haul out the heavy equipment.

Why do I use oat flour in these cider doughnut muffins?

I use oat flour in these muffins both for flavor and texture…it’s naturally gluten free so it gives the muffins a wonderfully light crumb. Oat flour is readily available in most large grocery stores, and Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one, but it’s essentially oats that have been ground into a fine powder, so if you don’t have any on hand you can actually process rolled oats in a food processor or high speed blender, like a Vitamix, to make your own. For more details, check out my post on how to make your own oat flour!

 I love it to add oat flour to regular flour in lots of different types of recipes.  It does wonders for my IRISH OATMEAL SODA BREAD and my QUICK WHOLE GRAIN OAT ROLLS.

Using a scoop ensures that all the muffins are a standard size.  You don’t want to cheat anybody, trust me!  I have several different sizes of scoops in my kitchen and I use them all the time.  

Can I keep this apple cider doughnut muffin batter in the fridge overnight?

What’s extra great about these muffins is that you can make them the night before…the batter is just fine hanging out in the fridge.  This way you, and anyone lucky enough to be awake with you, can enjoy fresh warm just-out-of-the-oven muffins in the morning, just scoop and bake.

• Despite what you might have been told, it’s often ok, no even a good thing, to let muffin batter rest overnight in the refrigerator.  Getting the batter straight into the fridge after mixing is ideal, it slows down the activity of the leaveners.
• It’s a win win, because you and the fam get to roll out of bed and into warm doughnut muffins on a crisp fall morning with practically zero effort.

Admit it, you know you want more fall themed treats…

• Spiced Vanilla Pear Oatmeal
• Dutch Apple Cake
• Glazed Old Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnut Bundt Cake
• Apple Walnut Zucchini Bread