Apple Cider Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
These apple cider muffins are soft, fluffy, and filled with warm spices. Made with fresh apple cider, applesauce, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, they’re vegan, gluten-free, and taste like an apple cider donut in muffin form. Ready in 25 minutes!
Fall weekends in New England means apple picking at local orchards and bringing home jugs of fresh apple cider. Last week, I stopped at a nearby orchard for some cider (plus a few apples to make my healthy apple crisp) and planned on baking a batch of my baked apple cider donuts. But then I thought, why not try a muffin version?
Oh, how glad I am that I did! The second I pulled these muffins out of the oven and took a bite, I knew they were a winner. They’re everything you love about apple cider donuts—soft crumb, warm spices, and cozy flavor—but in muffin form!
Made with wholesome ingredients like oat flour, applesauce, and coconut sugar, so you get all the cozy fall flavors without any dairy or refined sugars.
The texture? Incredibly fluffy (thanks to oat flour!). The crumb? Soft and tender. The flavor? Perfectly spiced. And the best part? No donut pan required—just your trusty muffin tin!
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Muffins
- Quick & Easy: Comes together in one bowl and bakes in just 15 minutes!
- Apple Cider Donut Flavor: They taste just like an apple cider donut, no frying or donut pan required!
- Fluffy Texture: Oat flour gives these muffins the most soft and tender crumb.
- Perfectly Spiced: With cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Wholesome Ingredients: Made with oat flour, applesauce, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar for a vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free fall treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These muffins are proof that simple, wholesome ingredients can create the most delicious bakes!
- Apple Cider: The star ingredient! Use a good-quality cider for best flavor. I buy mine fresh from a local orchard.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Adds apple flavor and keeps the muffins moist without butter.
- Coconut Sugar: The natural sweetener used in both the batter and the cinnamon-sugar coating. It adds a warm, caramel flavor.
- Coconut Oil: Keeps the muffins moist and helps the cinnamon-sugar coating stick. Be sure to use refined coconut oil for a neutral flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Reacts with the baking soda to create a fluffy rise.
- Oat Flour: You can buy oat flour or make your own by blending rolled oats into a fine flour. For serious gluten allergies, use certified GF oat flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise. It can be tricky to get vegan and gluten-free baked goods to rise, so we have to use a bit more leavening agent to assist.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and depth of flavor.
- Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt make the perfect fall spice blend.
How to Make Apple Cider Muffins
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a muffin pan with coconut oil or line with parchment liners.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider, applesauce, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients: Stir in oat flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined, we don’t want to overmix it!
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the tin.
- Coat with cinnamon-sugar: Brush the muffins with melted coconut oil and dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy!
Megan’s Tips for the Best Muffins
- Use fresh cider: This is key to getting the best apple cider flavor in your muffins. You could even use the spiced cider from Trader Joe’s for extra boldness.
- Don’t skip the ACV: It reacts with the baking soda to give the muffins a beautiful rise.
- Measure the spices with your heart! I’m totally guilty of this.
- Mix until just combined: To keep that light and fluffy texture, only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are incorporated—a few flour streaks is okay. Over mixing can lead to dense muffins.
- Let them cool: The muffins will continue to set as they cool in the pan. Be sure to give them at least 10 minutes in the pan to keep the crumb nice and tender.
Ingredient Swaps
Don’t have all the ingredients on hand? Here are some swaps:
- Coconut Sugar: Swap with brown sugar if you don’t mind refined sugar.
- Coconut Oil: Melted vegan butter will also work.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: White vinegar or lemon juice can be used in a pinch.
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice is an easy shortcut if you don’t have the other spices on hand.
Let me know if you end up trying any other swaps. I’d love to hear what works for you!
More Cozy Bakes to Try Favorite Fall Recipes
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below letting me know how you liked it! This helps others find my recipes. I appreciate your support, as always. xo, Megan
Apple Cider Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
muffins
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon-sugar coating
- ½ cup coconut sugar, or sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, or vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or line with parchment liners.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider, applesauce, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients: Stir in oat flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined—we don’t want to overmix it!
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the tin.
- Coat with cinnamon-sugar: Brush the muffins with melted coconut oil and dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Use fresh cider: This is key to getting the best apple cider flavor in your muffins. You could even use the spiced cider from Trader Joe’s for extra boldness!
- Don’t skip the ACV: It reacts with the baking soda to give the muffins a beautiful rise.
- Measure the spices with your heart! I’m totally guilty of this.
- Mix until just combined: To keep that light and fluffy texture, only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are incorporated—a few flour streaks is okay. Over mixing can lead to dense muffins.
- Let them cool: The muffins will continue to set as they cool in the pan. Be sure to give them at least 10 minutes in the pan to keep the crumb nice and tender.
OMG! These muffins were so good. So very moist and fluffy. I could have eaten 10 of them. Thanks for sharing. #happyholidays
Loved these muffins. They were so moist. I could have eaten 10 more. Thanks for the recipe. #happyholidays.
These muffins are amazing. So soft and fluffy, although I thought they would be stronger in spicy flavor as I also used the spiced apple cider from Trader Joe’s as you recommended if you can’t get the cider from a local orchard. I am thinking about making them again and adding more of the spices.
#happyholidays
How to make apple sauce
Hi! I typically use store-bought applesauce for convenience, but you can definitely make your own, just search a simple homemade applesauce recipe. Hope you love the muffins!
These were amazing!! I did opt in to use the regular sugar for the coating instead of coconut sugar and subbed for brown sugar as well but this was amazing!! ❤️🍎 I am for sure going to use this recipe forever!
Aw, I’m so thrilled to hear that you loved these muffins Mary (and thanks for making them so fast!) I appreciate your kind review 🙂
So soft and fluffy, plus they taste just like an apple cider donut!