Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Recipe Ingredients Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tried this recipe for Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Muffins with a variety of gluten-free flour blends. I prefer using blends higher in fine ground brown rice flour like my own gluten-free flour blend. King Arthur Measure for Measure, and Bob's Red Mill 1-1 are great choices as well. Please be aware that using stone ground flours can cause a gritty texture in muffins and quick bread. Blends heavy on starch such as Cup4Cup will work in the recipe but the batter may be very gummy.

Almond Flour: The almond flour gives those gluten-free apple cider donut muffins their beautiful structure and crumb. If you prefer to keep this recipe nut-free, please substitute the almond flour with the same amount of gluten-free flour.

Milk: Whole-fat and low-fat milk as well as non-dairy milk varieties work very well in this recipe. Muffins made with non-dairy milk will appear lighter in color.

Sweet Apple Cider: Apple cider is made from fresh apples that are washed, cut, and ground into an "apple mash" similar to applesauce. The mash is then wrapped in cloth and pressed into fresh juice. It is unsweetened and packed with delicious apple flavors. Apple Cider needs to be refrigerated and often can be found in the produce department. This product is not the same as Apple Cider Vinegar or Hard Cider (which is the adult version of Apple Cider)

Oil & Butter: Using a neutral oil and unsalted butter provides a buttery flavor but also a soft and tender texture. To make these gluten free apple muffins dairy free please substitute the butter with your favorite nondairy alternative.

Apple Pie Spice: Apple Pie Spice is very similar to Pumpkin Pie Spice. It contains ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom

What is in Apple Pie Spice?

Apple Pie Spice is available at grocery stores or spice shops but a small container can come with a hefty price tag. And often it can be tricky to locate therefore I choose to make my own blend at home. It is very similar to my Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix but does contain ground cardamon as well. Feel free to tweak and adjust your spice blend to meet your personal preferences. Store the spice blend in an airtight container.

Homemade Apple Pie Spice
2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cardamon
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

How to make Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Muffin Dough

I highly recommend taking the time to reduce the apple cider to concentrate the flavors. One can do this ahead of time and store the apple cider reduction in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Step 1: To a medium sauce pot add 500 grams of Apple Cider and simmer until reduced until you are left with 130 grams. Depending on the size of your saucepan or pot this can take around 10-15 minutes. Once reduced, set it aside and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

Steep 2: Sift together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and spices in a bowl and set aside.

Steep 3: In a large bowl using a hand-held or standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together the room-temperature butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, and vanilla extract until light and combined.

Step 4: Add the eggs, one at a time to the apple cider muffin batter, blending well after each addition

Step 5: Combine the milk and apple cider reduction and whisk together. It is okay if the cider reduction is still warm (but not hot).

Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, one-third at a time alternating with the milk-cider mixture. Make sure to start and end with dry ingredients. Start with one-third of the flour and then add half the liquid. Followed by a third of the dry ingredients, the remaining milk, and ending with the remaining flour mixture. Make sure to scrape down the sides halfway through this to ensure the apple cider donut muffin batter does not contain any lumps of dry ingredients.

How to bake Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Muffins

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F and generously spray a regular-sized muffin pan (also known as a cupcake pan) with nonstick spray. If you prefer using paper liners, you do not need to spray the muffin tin.

Step 2: Equally divide the gluten-free apple cider donut muffin batter. You can fill the cavities up to the rim with batter. I like to use a large cookie scoop for this but two large spoons work perfectly here.

Step 3: Place the gluten-free cider muffins in the fridge while your oven preheats to 425F. Allowing the batter to rest, even if it's just 15-30 minutes will help hydrate the flour which builds a better crumb. Also - cold muffin batter will rise higher!

Step 4: Bake the apple cider muffins at 425F for 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350F and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes until they are pale golden brown. If you use a non-dairy milk, the muffins will not turn as golden as they would using regular milk. I always check the doneness after a total of 18 minutes. The muffins are done when until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Make sure not to overbake them. That will cause them to dry out.

Step 5: While the muffins are baking melt the additional butter and allow it to cool slightly. In a bowl mix together the granulated sugar and apple pie spice in another bowl and set aside. 

Step 6: Once the gluten free apple cider donut muffins are baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes.

Step 7: Carefully remove each muffin, and brush the entire muffin with melted butter. Roll it in the apple pie spice sugar until fully coated. Place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Make sure to place a piece of parchment paper or a cookie sheet under the cooling rack to catch any "loose" sugar and make sure clean up is a breeze. If you baked your donut muffins in paper liners, brush the top of the muffins with melted butter and dip the tops into the sugar mixture.

Storage & Freezing

Just like my Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts, these gluten free apple cider donut muffins are best enjoyed while still warm. Serve them with a mug of homemade hot cocoa or some apple cider for a delicious fall treat.

Store any leftover muffins you may have in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% for 30 seconds.

To freeze baked gluten free apple cider muffin donuts, cool the baked muffins completely but do not coat them in sugar before freezing. Place them on a sheet tray and once fully frozen transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or nuke in the microwave until fully thawed. To coat them in sugar brush them with some melted butter and dip them into the apple pie cinnamon sugar mixture.

What's the difference between Apple Cider and Apple Juice?

While apples are the main ingredient for Apple Cider and Apple Juice they are not the same. Apple Cider is a seasonal product and is normally only available during the fall months. Apple Juice on the other hand is available all year round.

Similarly to applesauce, fresh apples are washed, cut, and ground into apple mash for apple cider. It is unsweetened and packed with delicious apple flavors.

Apple juice is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a longer shelf life. It also often contains added sugar which it a sweeter taste than Apple Cider.

Can I use Apple Juice instead of Apple Cider to make Apple Cider Muffins?

If you are in a pinch or don't have fresh apple cider available, unsweetened apple juice is a great substitute for fresh apple cider. Just make sure it is unsweetened and not apple cider vinegar.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.

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