Baked Apple Cider & Pumpkin Donut Muffins

I'm 'fall'-ing so hard right now. And I have a large vat of apple cider I need to use up. So I've been experimenting and recipe testing with it today. I would have absolutely made just baked donuts but I don't have the donut trays, so went for the muffins. But if you want to do the donuts and have the pans, you totally should! The bake time is the same!

I have two more weeks of pumpkin everything and I'm taking full advantage. Everyone has had an apple cider donut, and everyone has had a pumpkin spice donut. But has anyone ever done both? I think not! And yes it's totally amazing!

Here is what you will need to make these at home too:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Cane Sugar (Plus 1/2 Cup for the topping)

1 Egg

1/2 Can of Pumpkin Puree

1 Stick Butter (for the donut muffins)

1 Stick of Butter (for the coating)

1 1/2 Cups of Apple Cider

1 1/2 Tsps Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Plus 1 Tsp for the topping)

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

In a pot on your stove over medium/high heat, slowly reduce your 1 1/2 cups apple cider to 1/2 cup. Stir occasionally and leave for about 15-20 minutes. This condenses the flavor of the apple cider and makes it even better to bake with. Set aside to let it cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat your butter and sugar together until creamy with the paddle attachment. Add in your egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat. Add in your pumpkin puree and mix in to the batter until just combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients; flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder.

Add in the dry ingredients to the wet in the kitchen aid mixer and beat to combine.

Now it's time to slowly drizzle in your apple cider whilst still beating the batter.

Portion in to a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.

While the muffins are still warm, take them out of your greased muffin tin and on to a cooling rack.

Melt a stick of butter in the microwave on high for 1 minute.

Dip the warm muffins in to the melted butter and then in to a bowl, rolling them in the extra cane sugar and pumpkin pie spice combined.

Enjoy hot or cold with a cup of tea!