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Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.

Apple Cider: You’ll need two full cups of non-alcoholic apple cider for these muffins. This is a critical ingredient for achieving that deep, authentic apple flavor. The cider gets carefully simmered down and reduced to just ½ a cup, creating a highly concentrated essence of apple that truly permeates the muffins. This reduction process is non-negotiable for the best results; it’s the secret to apple flavor you can really taste. Remember, this is not apple cider vinegar or alcoholic cider – look for fresh, refrigerated, non-alcoholic apple cider, often found seasonally in the produce or juice aisle. I use this exact technique in my apple cider donut bundt cake recipe for similarly amazing flavor.

Butter and Oil: This winning combination ensures both maximum flavor and an incredibly tender crumb. Butter provides that rich, classic buttery taste that makes baked goods so appealing, while neutral oil contributes to the overall moistness and keeps the muffins wonderfully soft, even after cooling. The oil prevents the muffins from drying out quickly, ensuring they remain delicious for days.

Plain Greek Yogurt: Adding plain Greek yogurt to the batter is a fantastic trick for boosting moisture and tenderness. Its acidity helps activate the baking soda, contributing to a lighter texture and better rise, while its protein content enriches the muffin’s structure. If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, full-fat sour cream makes an excellent, equally effective substitute.

All-Purpose Flour: For the most precise and consistent baking results, I highly recommend weighing your flour using a kitchen scale. If you don’t own a scale, measure correctly by fluffing the flour in its bag, then gently spooning it into a measuring cup without packing it down. Level off the excess with the flat edge of a knife to avoid adding too much flour, which can lead to dry, dense muffins.

Granulated and Brown Sugar: A blend of both sugars is used to create the perfect balance of sweetness and texture. Granulated sugar provides crispness and light sweetness, while packed brown sugar adds depth of flavor with its molasses notes, as well as contributing to the muffins’ tender and moist consistency. This combination results in a beautifully balanced sweetness.

Peeled and Shredded Apple: For these muffins, I recommend using two Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded on a coarse setting. Granny Smith apples are ideal because their tartness provides a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the muffin, and their firm flesh holds up well during baking without becoming mushy. Shredding the apples rather than dicing them ensures they blend seamlessly into the muffin crumb, providing moisture and apple flavor in every bite without large, distracting chunks.

Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is essential for enhancing the natural sweetness and warmth of the apple flavor. A carefully measured amount in the batter helps to highlight the apple notes without overpowering them. Early tests showed that too many competing spices can turn these into generic “spice muffins,” losing the distinct apple cider character we’re aiming for. With just the right amount of cinnamon, the apple truly shines.

Cardamom: A small hint of ground cardamom introduces a sophisticated, slightly floral warmth that perfectly complements the apple and cinnamon. Its unique aroma adds a layer of complexity without being dominant. If you don’t have cardamom, you can certainly omit it, but it truly adds a special touch that makes these muffins stand out.

Cream Cheese (for filling): When it comes to the cream cheese filling, while I often recommend full-fat, brick-style cream cheese for recipes like cheesecakes where structure is key, for this muffin filling, the type of cream cheese is less critical. Its primary role is flavor and creaminess, not setting. Therefore, full-fat cream cheese is still the best option for richness, but a lower-fat variety will also work perfectly fine, just be sure it’s softened to ensure a smooth, lump-free filling.

Sour Cream (for filling): Mixed into the cream cheese filling, sour cream is key to achieving an extra creamy and wonderfully smooth texture. Its slight tang also brightens the richness of the cream cheese. Similar to the muffin batter, if you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt can be used as a fantastic alternative for the filling, providing a similar tang and creaminess.

Step 1: Reduce the Apple Cider. Pour the two cups of apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, ensuring it’s actively bubbling. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cider has reduced significantly to about ½ cup. This concentrating process typically takes around 12-15 minutes. The reduced cider will be darker in color and much more intensely flavored – don’t skip this step for true apple flavor!

Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine your room temperature eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted unsalted butter, neutral oil, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), sea salt, and pure vanilla extract. Measure out ⅓ cup of the reduced apple cider and add it to this mixture (remember to reserve the remaining reduced apple cider for the cinnamon sugar coating later). Whisk all these ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined and smooth, ensuring no lumps of sugar remain.

Step 3: Incorporate Dry Ingredients. Add your pre-measured all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom to the wet mixture. Using your whisk or a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few small lumps are perfectly fine and will help ensure tender muffins. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to tough muffins.

Step 4: Fold in Shredded Apple. Gently add the peeled and shredded apple to the batter. Use a spatula to fold the apple through until it’s evenly distributed. Set the prepared apple cider muffin batter aside while you quickly prepare the luscious cream cheese filling.

Step 1: Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix thoroughly with a whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Transfer this creamy filling into a piping bag fitted with a large round opening, or simply use a strong zippered bag with one corner snipped off.

Step 2: Fill Muffin Liners with Batter. Scoop the apple cider muffin batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each one generously to the very top. Don’t be shy here – filling them fully is another trick for achieving those coveted tall bakery-style muffin tops. The batter will spread and rise beautifully.

Step 3: Add Cream Cheese Center. Carefully insert the tip of your piping bag (or zippered bag) about halfway into the center of each muffin batter-filled liner. Gently squeeze the bag as you slowly pull it upwards, creating a generous pocket of cream cheese filling in the middle. The muffin batter will expand around the filling, forming a delightful mound on top, ready for baking.

Step 4: Bake to Perfection. Transfer the muffin tin to your preheated oven at 390°F (200°C) and bake for 15-16 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the side of a muffin, being careful to avoid the cream cheese filling. It should come out clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Once baked, let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for about 3 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. If baking in batches, repeat with the remaining muffin batter.

Step 1: Prepare the Glaze and Sugar Mixture. In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for your cinnamon sugar topping. Whisk together the melted butter and the remaining reduced apple cider (that you reserved earlier) in a separate small bowl. Now, working with one muffin at a time, generously brush the tops and sides of the warm muffins with the buttery apple cider mixture. This acts as a delicious adhesive for the sugar.

Step 2: Roll in Cinnamon Sugar. Immediately after brushing, gently roll the top of each muffin in the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture, ensuring a generous and even coating. Try to avoid getting too much cinnamon sugar directly onto the exposed cream cheese filling if possible, to maintain its pristine appearance. Place them back on the wire rack and allow them to cool completely, though they are also incredibly delicious eaten warm. Enjoy your freshly made homemade apple cider muffins!

✔️ Expert Tips for Flawless Apple Cider Muffins

1. Verify Your Baking Powder’s Freshness: Baking powder is a leavening agent crucial for achieving those coveted tall, fluffy bakery-style muffin tops. If your baking powder is old or expired, it won’t react properly, resulting in flat, dense muffins. To check its freshness, simply mix a teaspoon of baking powder with a few tablespoons of hot water. If it fizzes immediately, it’s still good to go! For maximum longevity, store baking powder in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, or even in the refrigerator.
2. Do Not Overmix the Muffin Batter: This is arguably the most important rule for tender muffins. Once you add the flour, mix the batter *just until* the dry ingredients are incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. A few small lumps are perfectly acceptable. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, chewy muffins that can also shrink significantly after baking. Gentle folding with a spatula is often better than aggressive whisking at this stage.
3. Never Skip Reducing the Apple Cider! This step is absolutely essential for the robust, concentrated apple cider flavor that makes these muffins special. If you use unreduced apple cider, your muffins will taste bland, almost like regular vanilla muffins with some shredded apples, and will lack the distinctive, rich apple essence we’re aiming for. The simmering process intensifies the apple’s natural sugars and aromas, creating a deep, authentic flavor profile that you won’t achieve any other way.
4. Fill Muffin Liners to the Top: For those impressive, domed muffin tops that scream “bakery-style,” make sure to fill your muffin liners all the way to the brim with batter. The combination of ample batter and a higher initial oven temperature (390°F / 200°C) creates a strong initial burst of steam and heat, pushing the muffins upwards before the crust fully sets.
5. Bake in Alternating Holes: When using a standard 12-hole muffin tin, consider placing your muffin liners in alternating holes rather than filling every single one. This allows for better heat circulation around each muffin, contributing to a more even bake and facilitating that perfect domed top.

Absolutely, you can! While the cream cheese filling adds a wonderful layer of richness and a delightful surprise, these apple cider muffins are still incredibly delicious on their own. Simply omit the step for preparing and piping the cream cheese filling. Scoop the apple cider muffin batter into the liners as usual and bake. They will still be tender, moist, and packed with amazing apple flavor, perfect for a simpler treat.

There are typically two main reasons why muffins might not rise. First, your oven temperature could be inaccurate; an oven thermometer is a valuable tool to ensure your oven is truly at the preheated temperature. More commonly, the issue is with your baking powder. Baking powder loses its potency over time. Even if it’s not technically “expired,” if it’s been open for a while, it might not provide enough lift. To test its freshness, mix a teaspoon with hot water – if it fizzes vigorously, it’s still good. Storing baking powder in the fridge can sometimes help extend its shelf life. Ensure it’s fresh for optimal bakery-style muffin tops.

Yes, you certainly can! To make these apple cider muffins gluten-free, I recommend substituting the all-purpose flour with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum, as this helps with the structure and texture often provided by gluten. Be aware that the texture might be slightly different, but the muffins should still be moist and flavorful. Ensure all other ingredients, like baking powder, are also certified gluten-free if you have severe sensitivities.

Apple Cider Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Mary

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