If you love apple cider donuts, you’re going to fall in love with these sourdough apple cider muffins. They’re soft, cozy, and filled with the warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider — everything you love about cider donuts, baked into muffin form.

If cozy apple treats make your heart happy, you might also love my Sourdough Apple Cobbler or Sourdough Apple Galette. Both are perfect for fall baking days when the kitchen smells like apples and cinnamon. 🍂

The best part? You don’t need a mixer, fryer, or any special tools — just a whisk, a bowl, and your sourdough starter.

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored content.

Pin for later:

The Secret to That Apple Cider Donut Flavor

The secret is in the apple cider reduction. Start with regular apple cider and simmer it down until it’s thick and syrupy — this step concentrates the flavor and gives the muffins that true apple cider donut taste.

I use the same trick in my Sourdough Apple Hand Pies — reducing the cider brings out that rich, caramelized apple flavor and makes every bite taste like fall.

Why Sourdough Makes These Muffins Better

Sourdough starter (either active or discard) gives these muffins a light, tender texture and a touch of tang that balances the sweetness perfectly.

If you’re new to sourdough or want to learn how to use discard, check out my Sourdough Starter Basics. It’s full of easy tips on how to care for your starter and use it in recipes like this.

When you mix your starter with baking soda first, it helps the batter rise beautifully and gives these muffins a soft, donut-like crumb.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Tastes just like apple cider donuts — but easier!
Made with sourdough starter or discard
Full of cozy apple and cinnamon flavor
Perfect for breakfast or fall baking days

Tools You’ll Need

Muffin tin – A standard 12-cup pan works perfectly. You can line it with paper liners or grease it well.
Mixing bowls – One for wet ingredients, one for dry. A small bowl for the starter + baking soda reaction helps too.
Whisk – To mix wet ingredients and keep the batter smooth.
Spatula or wooden spoon – For gently folding dry ingredients into wet without overmixing.
Small saucepan – To reduce the apple cider and concentrate its flavor.
Measuring cups and spoons – Accurate measurements if you don’t own a kitchen scale.
Kitchen scale – Accurate measurements make sure your muffins come out perfectly every time.
Cooling rack – Helps muffins cool evenly before coating with cinnamon sugar.
Shallow bowl – For mixing the cinnamon sugar coating.
Pastry brush (optional) – Makes it easier to brush melted butter onto muffins before coating.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Apple cider – Use real apple cider, not apple juice. Reducing it concentrates the flavor and gives these muffins that classic cider donut taste.

Butter – Adds richness and moisture. Melted butter makes the muffins soft inside and helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the tops.

Brown sugar – Brings a warm, caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the apple cider and spices.

White sugar – Balances the flavor and helps the muffins brown beautifully.

Eggs – Add structure and moisture, helping the muffins rise and stay fluffy.

Sourdough starter – Gives the muffins a light, tender crumb and a touch of tang. You can use either active starter or discard.

Baking soda – Mixed into the starter first to help it bubble and create a lighter texture. It also softens the tang of the sourdough.

Baking powder – Works with the baking soda for extra lift, ensuring your muffins rise tall and fluffy.

Vanilla extract – Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors.

Flour – All-purpose flour gives structure while keeping the muffins soft.

Salt – Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – Classic warm spices that bring cozy fall flavor to every bite.

Cinnamon sugar coating – The final touch! Melted butter and cinnamon sugar give the muffins that irresistible “apple cider donut” finish.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Reduce the apple cider
Pour 1½ cups (360g) of apple cider into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until it reduces to about ¾ cup (180g). This makes the apple flavor rich and sweet. Let it cool.

2. Preheat the oven
Set your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease well.

3. Activate the sourdough starter
In a small bowl, stir the baking soda into the sourdough starter. It will bubble a little — that’s what you want. Let it sit for 1–2 minutes.

4. Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, cooled cider, the bubbly starter mixture, and vanilla.

Sugar, egg, vanilla in a bowl for Sourdough Apple Cider Muffins.

Sourdough Apple Cider Muffins wet ingredients.

Pouring apple cider into the batter for Sourdough Apple Cider Muffins.

Sourdough Apple Cider Muffins batter in a bowl.

5. Mix the dry ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

6. Combine everything
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix — a few small lumps are fine.

7. Bake
Spoon the batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Coat in cinnamon sugar
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter, then roll or sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

Tips for the Best Muffins

Use real apple cider, not apple juice — cider has more flavor.
Reducing the cider is key for that donut taste.
Both active and discard starters work great.
Want extra apple bits? Fold in ½ cup chopped apple before baking.

How to Store

Keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. They also freeze well — warm them up before serving.

Sourdough Apple Cider Muffins

Soft, cozy sourdough muffins bursting with apple cider flavor and warm fall spices, coated in cinnamon sugar — just like apple cider donuts!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 18

Total Time 33

Course Brunch, Dessert

Servings 12 Muffins

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

115 g unsalted butter melted (½ cup)
100 g brown sugar ½ cup
50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
2 large eggs
180 g reduced apple cider ¾ cup (start with 360g / 1½ cups cider and simmer to reduce)
120 g sourdough starter ½ cup
½ tsp baking soda mix with starter first
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry ingredients

220 g all-purpose flour 1¾ cups
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp allspice optional

Cinnamon sugar coating

55 g melted butter ¼ cup
100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Reduce the apple cider

Pour 1½ cups (360g) of apple cider into a small saucepan.
180 g reduced apple cider
Simmer over medium heat until it reduces to about ¾ cup (180g).
Let it cool completely before adding to the batter.

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups well.

Activate the starter with baking soda

In a small bowl, stir ½ tsp baking soda into ½ cup (120g) sourdough starter.
120 g sourdough starter, ½ tsp baking soda
Let it sit for 1–2 minutes until it bubbles slightly.

Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together 115g (½ cup) melted butter, 100g (½ cup) brown sugar, 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar, and 2 large eggs.
115 g unsalted butter, 100 g brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
Add the cooled reduced apple cider, the starter + baking soda mixture, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
1 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk until smooth and combined.

Combine the dry ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together 220g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ⅛ tsp allspice (optional).
220 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp allspice

Fold wet and dry together

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Stop mixing when just combined — a few small lumps are fine.
Optional: Fold in ½ cup finely chopped apple if desired.

Fill the muffin cups

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.

Bake

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 18–20 minutes.
Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Prepare the cinnamon sugar coating

In a shallow bowl, combine 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.
100 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Melt 55g (¼ cup) butter and keep warm.
55 g melted butter
Coat the muffins
Let muffins cool in the pan for 4–5 minutes.
Brush tops with melted butter, then roll or sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cool and serve

Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Enjoy warm, or at room temperature.

Notes

Enjoy warm with a pat of butter or drizzle of honey. Perfect with a cup of tea or hot apple cider on a chilly morning. 🍂

Keyword Apple cider donuts muffins, Apple cider muffins, Easy sourdough apple cider muffins recipe, Muffins that taste like apple cider donuts, Sourdough apple cider muffins

Shakan Ranch