These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins will become your new favorite muffin. The addition of brown butter in this recipe gives the muffins a slight toasted and nutty flavor that just takes them over the top. Serve warm with a smear of butter for the perfect breakfast treat.
What is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is made by heating butter over medium heat until it turns a rich golden color and brown specks appear. This process causes the milk solids to rise to the top as the water evaporates out of the butter. Brown butter is know for its rich, toasted, and nutty flavor making it the perfect addition to the classic chocolate chip muffin.
Ingredients in Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Unsalted Butter: This recipe calls for brown butter. This process takes less than 10 minutes and adds the perfect nutty flavor to these muffins.
- Granulated Sugar: Use regular granulated white sugar.
- Eggs: Use large room temperature eggs for this recipe.
- Milk: The recipe uses regular milk that has been brought to room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract: Do not use imitation vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- All-purpose Flour: Make sure to use the spoon-and-level method to ensure the proper amount of flour is used. Adding too much flour will lead to dense and dry muffins.
- Baking Powder: The recipe calls for a full tablespoon of baking powder, which gives these muffins the perfect rise and texture.
- Baking Soda: Used in conjunction with baking powder for the perfect muffin texture.
- Salt: Balances the flavor of the muffins.
- Chocolate Chips: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe.
- Course Sugar: Use a course sugar like turbinado sugar to top each muffin before baking for the perfect crunchy muffin top.
Resting the Batter
Allowing the muffin batter to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature allows the gluten to relax and gives time for the batter to thicken. While resting, the flour absorbs more of the liquid ingredients, which helps yield more evenly domed muffins.
Coating the Chocolate Chips
Coating the chocolate chips in a few tablespoons of the dry mixture prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while they bake.
Tools for the Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy12
muffins15
minutes20
minutes30
Light and soft Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins made with brown butter and chocolate chips.
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
Directions
- In a small sauce pan, melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns into a rich golden color and brown specks appear. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together brown butter and granulated sugar until fully combined. Add in eggs and whisk until smooth and silky. Add in milk and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients, leaving a few tablespoons aside. Toss chocolate chips in remaining dry mixture until fully coated. Stir chocolate chips into batter. Cover batter and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place muffin liners in tin. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared pan 3/4 full. Top each muffin with extra chocolate chips and a heavy sprinkling of course sugar. Bake for 5 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-18 more minutes until golden on top.
- Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature for 3 days or store in freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Do not overmix batter once dry and wet ingredients are combined.