Brown Butter Blueberry Crumb Muffins are the fluffy, nutty, slightly sweet breakfast of your dreams. . .Run, don’t walk, to the kitchen and whip up a batch today!
Ohmygosh you guys! I’ve got you covered for breakfast this weekend. I’m telling you, you’re gonna want these muffins. I’m eating one right now because I made the brilliant decision to snag one out of the freezer before I left on a mini road trip (!) this afternoon.
But I wish I’d made the even more brilliant decision to grab three or four. I’m in Arizona at the moment kicking myself for only bringing one with me. It would be crazy to drive all the way home to get another right?
Maybe not so crazy because these are not just any blueberry muffins. They’re made with brown butter. Nutty, caramel-y BROWN BUTTER! And topped with a sweet-n-crunchy crumb topping. And jam-packed with juicy blueberries.
Yeah, they’re not your ordinary muffin.
Don’t get me wrong; I love an average, run-of-the mill muffin. They don’t make a regular appearance in my breakfast rotation because I try NOT to eat cake for breakfast most days, and let’s be real, muffins are basically cake you can spread butter on. (Which is, of course, the best thing ever.)
But I do try to balance out the buttered cake every once in a while. Oatmeal on the weekdays, something non-oatmeal on the weekends or as a post-road trip snack. Life’s about balance.
Enter these beauties. They’re super-moist and so, SO fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. And that brown butter smell as they bake? Let’s just say you know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever thrown some brown butter into a baked good.
If you’ve never thrown some brown butter into a baked good then get ready. There’s no turning back. Run, don’t walk, to the fridge and make sure you have about three pounds of butter because you’re going to want to start adding brown butter to every-every-EVERYTHING.
What is brown butter exactly? It’s butter that’s been heated until the water cooks out, leaving the milk solids to get toasty and brown. (That’s where the name comes from I imagine.) The result is this gorgeous, delicious, nutty stuff that you can spread on toast/pour over pasta/eat right out of the pan. (Not that I’ve ever eaten brown butter right out of the pan or anything.)
It’s super simple to make and you really will want to make tons of it. This is not hyperbole.
But use your first bit of brown butter in these muffins. You won’t be sorry.
Note: I did my best to explain the brown butter process in the recipe below. Don’t be discouraged if you burn your first attempt—I did. The key is to keep your heat low, even lower than I suggest if you have a tendency to burn things. It will just take a little longer to brown. And after that first time you’ll know what you’re doing and it will become second nature. If my explanation isn’t thorough enough you can google “how to brown butter.” There are bazillions of explanations out there.
Annnnnnd I’m still thinking about those muffins at home in my freezer. I might just make that five-hour drive to get another. Worth it. . .you’ll see.
Brown butter blueberry crumb muffins are nutty, sweet, and they'll be your new favorite breakfast!
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set pan aside.
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Place 6 tablespoons of the butter in a pan with a light bottom (so you can see when the butter starts to brown). Set the pan over medium heat and melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure the butter melts evenly. Once it’s fully melted, begin stirring with a whisk. The butter will begin to foam, deepen in color, and little flecks of brown will start to come up from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat a few seconds after those flecks appear, but continue whisking for another 30 or 40 seconds. Pour into a small bowl, leaving as many of those brown flecks as possible in the pan. Allow butter to cool to room temperature before finishing the muffins.
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While brown butter is cooling, make the topping. Combine the all ingredients except butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms clumps about the size of peas. Set aside.
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Once brown butter has cooled, finish the muffins. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and cooled brown butter in a large bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and beat into the mixture. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture, then beat on low speed until flour is fully incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
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Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle each with crumb topping and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Adapted from Food and Wine
These beauties definitely look worth the drive! I love brown butter with anything, but have never used it in muffins. Genius!
Haha! They really are worthy of the longest road trip ever :). Brown butter makes ALL THINGS better. Thank you, Carlee!
i LOVE the flavor of brown butter and don’t incorporate it into my baking often enough! what a gorgeous batch of muffins!
Thank you so much, Grace! Why does brown butter have to be so so so delicious! Let’s make a deal to use it in ALL of our baking 🙂
I love butter on my muffins. Well, to be honest I just love butter. For reals. And brown butter?? OMG! Can someone bottle that up and put that scent in a candle or something? These blueberry muffins look so moist and that crumb topping is the icing on the cake, or er, muffin 😉 Would love one of these right now with a big cup of coffee….and then another for a snack around 10am….hehehe! You’ll have to have extra when you get back from your road trip. Have a good one 🙂 !!
Brown butter scented candles would be a very profitable business Dawn! Just saying. You are onto something.
I agree. Dawn is a genius!
Thank you! I just love butter too, Dawn! I’m with Milena on this–make those candles! I’ll be your first customer :). Have a wonderful week!
Oh heavens do those look amazing or not! I love what brown butter does to recipes, especially bakery. Can’t wait to try these!
Brown butter is just amazing stuff, right? Thank you so much, Julie!
I can already imagine how amazing these smell in the oven. They look so beautiful
Thank you Patrick! They smelled so ridiculously good I can’t even describe!
I haven’t even tried these muffins yet, and I already want them all week long on repeat!!!! I’m obsessed with all things crumb related, and your use of brown butter seriously has me swooning!! These look perfect, girl! Cheers!
Thank you dear Cheyanne! Anything is perfect with a crumb topping isn’t it? It’s always irresistible! Have a great week!
I love muffins especially when they are filled with fruit. All those blueberries and that crumb topping makes my mouth water. This is a great muffin for spring. I’ve never used brown butter in muffins before. Can’t wit to try it.
Thank you so much! I love fruity muffins too :). You’ll love brown butter in muffins, Mary. It adds this incredible flavor you’ll never want to live without again.
you’re considering driving 5 hrs back just to grab more of these, even given that i’m sure there’s plenty of delicious food in arizona?! high praise indeed (: also: that crumb topping ?
You’re right! I was so caught up in my muffin I didn’t even think to go out in search of something yummy locally. Next time. . .thank you, Heather!
Mmmm. You have me wishing I had some of these muffins in my freezer!! That crumb topping…that brown butter. Perfection!!
Thank you Kelly! They’re so good I can’t even take it! 🙂
Definitely should have brought more with you:) Hope you don’t have to stay in AZ for too long…:)
I’m finally home (and snacking as I type, haha). Thank you Milena! Have a great week!
Brown butter makes EVERYTHING better!!! It adds such a subtle complexity of flavor that is undeniable. I love this idea! These sound so good. I’ll have to keep them in mind when we go blueberry picking again this year 🙂
Doesn’t it, Lindsay? Brown butter is my life right now :). Thank you! Have a great week!
I’m saving this recipe for blueberry season. I love the idea of a butter crumble on top. They look addictive 🙂
Thank you! Crumbles make life that much better :). I’m so looking forward to berry season!
As if blueberry muffins aren’t delicious enough, you went and added brown butter to them!! I totally wouldn’t even blame you at all if you drove back home to get more of these 🙂
Sues
Sues, does brown butter make everything dreamier or what? Thank you 🙂
I am drooling. My breakfast was an apple. Would so much prefer these 🙂
Haha! Yes, a muffin would be preferable to me too :). Thank you Tandy!
Brown butter got me like whoa. Fat blueberries got me like YEAH. Crumb topping, I’ve got to make ’em.
I’m so with you on the whoa and the YEAH! Thank you!
So blueberry crumb muffins happen to be my first love, Kelsie. I’m not kidding one bit either! I could easily down a whole tray of muffins. Like you, I enjoy a good run-of-the-mill muffin, but blueberry muffins with a crumb topping hold a special place in my heart. But I’ve never added brown butter. Now I’m intrigued! I need to get on that one asap…but I just gotta wait until there’s a group of people around since I suspect I’d eat the whole tray by myself. Oops.
Definitely don’t make these when you’re by yourself. They’re dangerous even if you don’t love a blueberry crumb muffin! I’m telling you David, brown butter makes these so ridiculous you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making muffins with brown butter FOREVER!
Brown butter is such a magical ingredient! My Mr adores blueberries, a batch of these beauties would make him very happy!
It really is magic Deb! It adds dimension that absolutely nothing else does 🙂
Love the brown butter in these! Wish I had one to go with my coffee!
Thank you Jessica! They’re perfect with coffee. Or by themselves. Or five at a time. . .:)
Never seen a browned butter- blueberry muffin before, super creative and muffins look tender:
Thank you, Maria! They’re so yummy 🙂
Oh snap! These are genius Kelsie! Ya had me at brown butter girl! <3
Haha! Thank you Kim! Brown butter is so addictive 🙂
Hi Kelsie – these muffins are gorgeous, girl – love that you used brown butter. That stuff is gold. The crumb topping is bomb too. Love that the recipe makes 18 – plenty to eat and freeze!!!!
Thank you Allie! It really is gold :). 18 muffins is just about right–it’s like three days’ worth around here. . .haha!
These are definitely NOT your ordinary muffin! Brown butter? Juicy blueberries? Crumb topping? Be still my heart!
Thank you so much Annie! They’re pretty dang good 🙂
I always consider the trip from the kitchen to my home office upstairs a mini roadtrip, so I should make these and freeze them. 🙂 Love muffins — these look exceptional. Thanks!
Hahaha! These would be the perfect snack midway up the stairs :). Thank you!
Kelsie I love that you have the exact same sentiments about brown butter as I do!! Love love love it. My next post is also brown butter based and I will be tagging these gorgeous muffins in it. Can’t wait to try these and those Pesto Mozzarella Pretzels and the Carrot Cake Cheesecake (droool).
Thank you so much Jenny! I can’t wait to see your recipe. I can literally never find enough ways to use brown butter. It’s just sooooo freaking good!
Your crumb topping promises to be good on lots of other baked goods than just muffins!
thanks from mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Crumbs are yummy on pretty much anything, aren’t they Mae? Thank you!
I think that everyone by now knows how much I love muffins! 😀 Amazing recipe, Kelsie!
Thank you so much, Agness! Muffins are one of my favorites too :).
Brown butter and blueberries are two of my favorite things. I love that you’ve got them both in these super moist looking muffins!
YES! Mine too :). Thank you so much Marcie!
Brown butter, crumb topping AND plump blueberries? I don’t blame you for longing for another!! I want some, too!!!
Haha! I’ll send a few your way, Liz! Thank you :).
Brown butter is the best and I have such a weakness for anything with a crumb coating! Totally swooning over yours!! They look amazing, Kelsie!!
It is the best! Thank you so much, Kelly! Happy almost-Friday!
These look AMAZING!!!!!!! I have been searching for a go to blueberry muffin. Mine are always flat. 🙁 I just may have to try these!!!!
Thank you so much Kate! If you try them let me know what you think; I hope they don’t turn out flat for you! Have a great weekend :).
“something non-oatmeal on the weekends” – so butter on cake, right? Right? 🙂 I have never heard about brown butter. I’ll try it after Easter!
Butter on cake is my favorite way to celebrate the weekend :). You’ll love brown butter Teesh!
Is there anything better than a crumb topped muffin?? I used to put a smear of jarred frosting on my morning muffin. Can you say guilty pleasure?
Nothing better–unless you’re topping it with frosting! That is total brilliance; I admire anyone who can find ways to have dessert for breakfast :). Thank you Laura!
Is the brown butter going in the mix for the muffins or in the topping ?
Hi Andrea! The brown butter goes in the muffin itself. There is additional butter (not brown) that goes in the topping.