If you love apple cider and donuts, I made this Apple Cider Donut Mug Cake for you! It’s warm, fluffy, made with almond flour and real apple cider, and topped with buttery cinnamon sugar for that classic apple cider donut flavor. You can make just one cozy little fall treat in minutes, which is way less dangerous than bringing home a dozen donuts.
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Apple Cider Mug Cake
Fall flavors are my favorite.
Pumpkin, course.
Apples.
Apple cider…
I realized I have an apple mug cake, but there isn’t anything with apple cider, so I had to fix that!
When I was a kid, my parents took us to Chudleigh’s Apple Farm each fall.
We would pick apple after apple, running through the orchard, and eating half our body weight in apples as we picked.
The following few weeks my mom would turn those apples into apple pie, apple crumble, apple oatmeal, and lots of other yummy fall desserts.
As Chudleigh’s expanded its offerings throughout the years, they started selling apple butter, apple jam, and apple cider. We always picked up a big jug of apple cider to bring home and warm up and sip with an afternoon snack.
Inspired by that, I created this apple cider donut mug cake. I hope you like it and it makes you think of your own fall memories too!
Apple Cider Donut Mug Cake Ingredients
All the cozy, delicious things:
For the mug cake
- almond flour
- brown sugar (or any granulated sugar: white, date, coconut, erythritol, etc.)
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- sea salt
- an egg (free range preferred; let those chickens run around!)
- apple cider
- melted butter (here you can sub oil or melted coconut oil)
- pure vanilla
It probably goes without saying/writing, but the apple cider in this recipe is the real-from-apples, sweet apple cider you drink, not apple cider vinegar. That would have a whole different taste! 😉
Cinnamon-sugar topping ingredients
- melted butter (don’t sub with oil; either use butter, melted coconut oil, or skip the topping)
- granulated sugar (you can use any kind: white, brown, date, coconut, erythritol, etc.)
- cinnamon
For the sake of time or calories, you can skip the cinnamon sugar topping. It will still taste like an apple cider mug cake; it will just be a little less sweet.
Apple Cider Mug Cake Recipe Tips
Apple cider cake vs apple cider donut cake
The nutmeg in this mug cake makes this recipe taste like a donut. If you skip the nutmeg, it will taste like an apple cider mug cake, without the donut vibe.
I love using a fresh nutmeg pod and grating my own nutmeg – it tastes so fresh. It’s super easy to do with this grater. Ground nutmeg is totally fine to use too if that’s what you have.
That grater is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I use it to grind spices and also for zesting lemons and limes. 🙂 🍋
Apple cider donut mug cake gluten-free
I made this mug cake recipe with almond flour to make it naturally gluten-free and high in protein.
The slight nutty flavor pairs so well with the apple cider and cinnamon!
If you need a nut-free mug cake, I would recommend this apple mug cake instead of converting this recipe to one with regular flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. You can even make a gluten-free and nut-free version of that one.
Let’s make this apple cider donut mug cake 😋
Apple Cider Donut Mug Cake
This easy Apple Cider Donut Mug Cake is a warm and fluffy single-serving fall treat made with almond flour, apple cider and cozy spices. A buttery cinnamon-sugar topping gives it that classic apple cider donut flavor!
Ingredients
For the mug cake
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar , or other granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- tiny pinch of salt
- 1 egg , free range
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
- 1 teaspoon melted butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
For the cinnamon-sugar topping
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon melted butter
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe mug, stir together the almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the egg, apple cider, melted butter and vanilla.
- Stir until everything is well combined.
- Microwave for 1 minute then check the cake.
- If needed, microwave in 15 second increments until the top is just set (total cooking time will be ~60-90 seconds).
- Brush or drizzle the top with the melted butter.
- Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the buttered top.
- Eat warm!
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