This recipe makes me happy. You can always go the traditional brunch route with amazing blueberry muffins – which is actually how this recipe started out. But the cozy aroma of brown butter – both as the butter is browning and as the muffins are baking – plus the playfulness of the generously(!) sprinkled mini chocolate chips, just puts a smile on my face. Which seems like the perfect way to start the day ... Wouldn't you agree?
I've been making versions of this recipe since 2003! 😉
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins for the Young at Heart
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Topping:
- 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons sugar
For the Batter:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (like table salt or fine grain sea salt)
- ⅓ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 whole large egg, room temperature
- 1 large yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 oz mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (¼ cup reserved)
Instructions
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Generously butter 12 muffin tins – or line with paper or foil liners.
To make the topping:
- Using your fingertips, rub together all the topping ingredients in a medium bowl until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffins:
- To brown the butter (yum!): Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Gently swirl the pan every few seconds until the butter starts to smell nutty and brown bits appear in the pan (~5 minutes). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking and let cool for ~ 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, whole egg, yolk, and vanilla. Then whisk in the browned butter.
- Add the milk-butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until almost combined (white streaks of flour should still remain). Fold in all but ¼ cup of the chocolate chips just until everything is combined.
- Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Use the reserved ¼ cup chocolate chips to evenly sprinkle each muffin cup, then sprinkle with the topping (you will use all the chocolate chips, but will have leftover topping).
- Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden toothpick comes out clean, 18 – 20 minutes.
- Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge of each muffin top and carefully remove from cups.
Notes
- If you want to be very literal in your measurements for the topping, 3 TB sugar = 2 TB + 1 ½ teaspoons sugar.
- Whether or not it’s scientifically correct, for an extra crumbly topping, I like to store the topping mixture in the freezer while preparing the batter. A metal bowl works best, as it gets colder faster than plastic or glass.
- When browning butter, watch closely, as those nutty brown bits can quickly turn black, i.e. burnt. i.e. yuck! If you've never browned butter before, don't worry, it's easy! But for more in-depth instructions, here's a great tutorial.
- If you’re not in the mood to brown butter, simply melt 6 TB (vs. 7 TB) butter in the microwave, and then proceed as directed.
- Be sure to use mini chocolate chips – most grocery stores carry them; Nestle Toll House is a common brand. Regular-size chips are too heavy for this batter. And plus, the mini chips are just c.u.t.e. J
- If you’re feeling frisky, reserve ½ cup (vs. ¼ cup) mini chocolate chips for sprinkling on top.
- This recipe makes a lot of topping, and you won’t use it all. Put extras in a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer for the next time – one less thing to make!
- As with most muffin recipes, these are best enjoyed the day they’re made. That said, day-old muffins can easily be perked up with a couple of seconds in the microwave.
- This recipe is adapted from the September 2003 issue of Gourmet magazine and the delightful Joy the Baker.
Keywords: Muffins, Breakfast, Chocolate, Brunch, Kid-Friendly
Alison
OMG brown butter makes everything better. These were amazing!
★★★★★
Sarah Marx Feldner
Oh, yay, Alison! I'm so glad you liked the muffins!! And I agree, brown butter is definitely a secret baking weapon 😉 xo!
Fatima
These are seriously the best muffins I’ve ever had. They’re so moist and flavorful;I found these through a quick Google search and I knew I had to make them. I love to add brown butter to everything and have been searching for a great muffin that has it and thats how I came across this recipe. I’ve saved it and it will be on repeat, so delicious. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Sarah Marx Feldner
wow, Fatima. you absolutely made my day. i'm ecstatic you found Bake it Write / this recipe through a Google search, and even more so that you loved the recipe. thank you!!!
Ariel Budnik
The kids and I made these this week and they were amazing. Great taste and texture, and a good lesson on the science of butter and browning butter thrown in :-). Our only - very slight! - criticism is that, with so many chocolate chips, you really can't check them with a toothpick because the toothpick is too covered with melted chocolate to allow you to properly assess the cooking, but we're not really complaining about too many chocolate chips! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Sarah Marx Feldner
LOL, Ariel! There are a lot of chocolate chips 😉 Good point re: the toothpick test. Glad your kiddos enjoyed them - and that they received a science lesson to boot. xo