This easy and delicious upgrade to a classic Zucchini Muffin Recipe involves one secret ingredient: BROWN BUTTER! Nutty and delicious, it’s a great addition to this seasonal muffin.

Epicurious has this pretty funny series where they ask 50 people to try a basic cooking task. A few years ago they posted on making brown butter and most people got pretty close to something that could be used in baking! The video also includes a really great walkthrough on making it for real, so that’s worth a watch as well.

But brown butter isn’t hard to make at all and you can sneak it into a million baked goods and instantly make them better – like these zucchini muffins! Sure, zucchini muffins are delicious, especially this time of year when zucchini is essentially free, but add some brown butter to it and BOOM – dividends.

So, these are delicious – tender, with a crackly coarse sugar crust, and hard to screw up – honestly. Make them and share them with a few people you love (keep some for your damn self).

Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

The base for these muffins is essentially the base for a good zucchini bread. Eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and loads of shredded zucchini. This will work out to about two small zucchini or one huge one.

Making batter for zucchini muffins
Shredded zuke.

Meanwhile, make brown butter! The most important thing when making brown butter is to not walk away from it for too long. It can burn pretty quickly. Cook it over medium-low heat and it’ll foam for a bit and then when the foam dies down you’ll start to see it change color and smell nutty. It’s done!

Brown butter for zucchini muffins
Action shot.

Let the butter cool a bit before you add it to your batter.

Mix together all the dry ingredients separately and then fold them into the wet and then add in the brown butter. Beautiful zucchini muffin batter!

Batter for zucchini muffins in a bowl.
THick batter.

Divide the batter between twelve buttered muffin tins and sprinkle some coarse sugar on top! You can fill them pretty full.

Zucchini muffins in a pan with coarse sugar on top.
Almost to the top.

These will need to bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

They will immediately smell good.

Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins baked in a pan.
Boom!

I like to serve mi brown butter zucchini muffins slightly warm with some soft butter.

Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

Make these and make friends.

Storing the Muffins

The muffins are honestly best right out of the oven, but they do keep okay for a few days in an airtight container. Store them in the fridge for up to a week without any issues.

Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 12 Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
The secret to these slightly nutty and just-sweet-enough zucchini muffins is brown butter! Worth the extra work and the perfect use for extra zucchini this season!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 cups shredded zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup brown butter
  • Coarse sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a muffin pan. Add 1/2 cup unsalted butter to a small pot over medium-low heat. Once it melts, stir a bit and continue to cook until the melted butter foams and the foam breaks down. When it smells nutty and fragrant and you start to see tiny brown bits on the bottom of the pot, about 5-6 minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Let cool.
  • Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Fold in the shredded zucchini (don’t peel) and the brown butter. Then slowly stir in the dry ingredients.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional). Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
  • Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes or so and then remove them from the pan. Serve while warm. Keep extra in the fridge for a few days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Breads, Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine: American

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Here are a few other great muffins recipes!