Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

If you love incredibly moist, tender quick breads, get ready for these truly irresistible brown butter zucchini muffins. I honestly wasn’t sure about putting zucchini in a muffin at first, but the result is a perfectly soft texture with that amazing nutty depth from the brown butter you just don’t get with oil-based recipes. These are seriously easy to whip up and are perfect for a quick breakfast or snack.

What Makes These Muffins Truly Special?

Well, let’s talk about the star ingredient first: brown butter. Most zucchini muffin or bread recipes call for plain oil, but I decided this classic deserved an upgrade. Browned butter adds a rich, complex, slightly toasted flavor that makes these muffins stand out. Everything just tastes better with that warm, nutty note brown butter provides.

Beyond the flavor boost, the texture of these muffins is absolutely divine. They are incredibly soft, wonderfully moist, and have a tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth. You could honestly just squish them they’re that pillowy soft. I can confidently say these are the most moist muffins I have ever baked. Period.

Another reason to love them is how simple they are to make. They come together with very little effort, meaning you get to enjoy these delightful treats in no time at all. Easy prep equals faster muffin enjoyment.

Gathering Your Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to bake a batch of these delicious brown butter zucchini muffins:

• Browned Butter: You’ll start by browning unsalted butter. Don’t worry if you haven’t done it before, it’s simple and makes a huge difference. It adds that signature nutty, toasted flavor here unlike the plain oil often used in similar recipes. You’ll need ½ cup (114g) of unsalted butter to start.
• All-Purpose Flour: The base of our muffin structure. Make sure to spoon and level it correctly for the right consistency, about 1 and ½ cups (180g).
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: This combination provides the lift and helps create that tender, soft crumb we’re aiming for. You’ll need 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
• Salt: Just a touch to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors. Use ¼ teaspoon.
• Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These classic spices pair perfectly with zucchini and brown butter. They bring a warm, comforting aroma and taste, like a blend of summer and early fall. You’ll use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.
• Granulated and Brown Sugar: Using both sugars creates a muffin that is perfectly sweet, moist, and has a lovely texture. The ½ cup (100g) of granulated sugar provides structure, while the ½ cup (100g) of packed light or dark brown sugar adds moisture and depth of flavor.
• Eggs: Two large eggs help bind everything together and contribute to the rich texture.
• Milk: A little bit of milk, ¼ cup (59ml), helps to get the batter just right, giving it the perfect flow and moisture level.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warmth and sweetness that complements the other flavors beautifully. Use 1 teaspoon.
• Shredded Zucchini: The star vegetable. You’ll need about 1 and ½ cups (164g), which is typically from one large zucchini. It adds incredible moisture and some nutrients, but you absolutely won’t taste it in the finished muffin.

How to Make These Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

Making these muffins is straightforward. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Brown the butter: Start by browning your unsalted butter. Once it’s done, pour it into a heatproof bowl and let it cool down before you use it. It just needs to be warm, not hot.
2. Whisk your dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until they are well combined.
3. Whisk your wet ingredients: In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and incorporated.
4. Fold in the zucchini: Add the shredded zucchini to the bowl with the wet ingredients and gently fold it in until it’s evenly distributed.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage. You should have your muffin batter ready to go.
6. Portion the batter: Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. This recipe makes between 10 and 12 muffins, depending on the size of your cups. Fill each cup almost to the very top to ensure you get nice, full muffin tops.
7. Bake and cool: Bake the muffins in a preheated oven until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let the muffins cool completely in the muffin tin before you try to remove them and serve.

Practical Tips for Perfect Muffins

Here are a few helpful tips to ensure your brown butter zucchini muffins turn out amazing every time:

• Handle the zucchini’s moisture: Zucchini holds a lot of water. After shredding it, you might want to give it a light squeeze in a paper towel or clean tea towel to remove any excess liquid before adding it to the batter. This helps prevent your muffins from becoming too wet or dense.
• Keep an eye on the brown butter: Browning butter requires your attention. It can go from perfectly golden and nutty to burned very quickly. Watch it closely, swirling the pan occasionally, and as soon as you see those golden-brown bits at the bottom and smell a nutty aroma, take it off the heat immediately and pour it into a bowl to stop the cooking process.
• Do not overmix the batter: This is a fundamental rule for making tender muffins. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can result in tough, dense, and flat muffins. Mix just until you no longer see streaks of dry flour. A few small lumps are perfectly fine. We want happy, light muffins here.
• Fill those muffin cups generously: For that classic, domed muffin top, make sure you fill your muffin liners quite full, almost to the brim. While these muffins are incredibly moist and might have slightly flatter tops than some other types, filling them high helps maximize the rise you get.
• Cool them in the pan: Because these muffins are so wonderfully moist and soft, they benefit from cooling down completely in the muffin tin. Trying to take them out too soon when they are still warm can cause them to fall apart easily. Letting them cool in the pan also allows the residual heat to finish setting the centers gently.

Storing Your Muffins

Once your delicious brown butter zucchini muffins have cooled completely, you’ll want to store them properly to keep them fresh.

Keep these muffins in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag at room temperature. They will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4 days this way. If you want them to last a bit longer, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to about a week.

To freeze zucchini muffins, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze solid first. Then, transfer the frozen muffins to a freezer bag. Push out as much air as possible before sealing the bag to prevent freezer burn. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy one, just thaw it on your kitchen counter for a few hours or pop it in the fridge overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions About Zucchini Muffins

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