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Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins

Brown butter zucchini muffins with bakery-style height and a slightly crisp crown. Deeply golden muffins bake up tender, nutty, and fragrant from browned butter and warm spices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Cooling browned butter and resting in it 10 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Muffins
  • 8 oz unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup zucchini grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.5 cup toasted walnuts or pecans chopped (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the butter
  1. Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it turns golden amber and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a bowl to prevent further browning, with visible golden milk solids throughout.
  2. Cool the browned butter for 10 minutes so it thickens slightly and is no longer hot, then it should pour smoothly without steaming.
Prep and mix dry ingredients
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Set up your tin so it’s ready to fill as soon as the batter is mixed.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until evenly speckled. The mixture should look uniform with no clumps.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk the cooled brown butter with both sugars, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stop when the mixture looks glossy and fully combined.
Combine and fill
  1. Stir the wet into the dry until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the muffins tender.
  2. Fold in grated zucchini and toasted nuts if using. The batter should look thick with zucchini distributed throughout.
  3. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each ¾ full. Aim for even domes so they bake with consistent height.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 20–22 minutes until deeply golden and a toothpick comes out clean. A slightly crisp crown should form and the tops should spring back lightly when touched.
  2. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring. This sets the crumb so the muffins don’t stick or collapse.

Notes

For the best texture, squeeze grated zucchini very well so it won’t steam the batter and make the muffins dense. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; rewarm briefly for best flavor. Freezing is yes—wrap and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight. For a lightly lighter option, substitute part of the butter with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce (use 4 oz butter + 4 oz applesauce) for a slightly softer crumb.