These Brown Butter Nectarine Muffins are incredibly moist and flavorful. They’re perfect for Sunday brunch or as a quick snack!
Do you have a favorite comfort food? I must require a lot of comfort because I have more of them than I care to admit. Sometimes when I’m stressed out I absolutely need ice cream and nothing else will suffice.
Other times I want something savory, warm and full of carbs like pizza or a big bowl of cheesy pasta. And then sometimes it’s not so much about what I want to eat; it’s about what I want to make.
The kitchen has become my sanctuary; a place that I turn to when I need to escape from the world around me. It’s a place where I can be both creative and methodical. I can work without thinking and invent something entirely new while in the zone.
There’s a certain zen to baking muffins that I find incredibly soothing and I’m not entirely sure why. It may be because they’re so formulaic. Muffins are very forgiving. They are adaptable. They can be taken in an infinite number of directions. Fresh from the oven, muffins are like soft, warm pillows. Tasty, buttery pillows.
I especially love adding brown butter to muffins. It adds such an incredible depth of flavor and richness. But if you prefer to keep things more simple you can just melt the butter without browning it and use it exactly the same way in the recipe.
Brown Butter Nectarine Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 7 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ripe nectarines, finely diced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk, (whole, skim, non-dairy, etc)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups or grease the pan with baking spray.
- To prepare the brown butter, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, whisk it frequently until foam begins to appear. Once you see the foam, whisk constantly until the butter begins to brown and it smells nutty and fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. (Note: butter can go from brown to burnt very quickly so do not leave it unattended).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in the chopped nectarines and make sure they don't clump together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, milk and brown butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Don't overwork the batter; some lumps are fine.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are starting to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
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Gorgeous, today I’m craving comfort and these muffins are just what I need!
oooOOOOoooh these are some sexy looking muffins
Don’t you love it when summer fruits start rolling in? As usual you put them to great use. Pinned!
Hi. I can’t wait to try this recipe. What did you use for a cupcake liner?
Those sound delicious! Anything with brown butter has to be good. :)
I adore nectarines …and it’s been far too long since I’ve made muffins!
Beautiful pictures! Love the flavors in these muffins so much.
Thanks for the reminder to try browning some butter – I haven’t done that yet but it seems I’m definitely missing out. Great idea to add Almond Breeze, too. Not sure I’ve seen nectarine muffins before … love them!
What a beautiful post, Jennifer! Whenever something though or emotion-provoking is happening in my life, you can find me in the kitchen. Usually baking as there’s something in that process that helps me focus; helps me think clearer. So I think I can totally relate to that zen feeling you described.
I love the way you describe the escape of being in the kitchen! These muffins look lovely!
Nectarines are definitely one of my favorite fruits and these muffins look delicious. I bet they would be amazing in the morning with a big cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing :)
These sounds lovely! You can’t go wrong with brown butter to start your day!
Prettiest little muffins on Earth!
These muffins are so incredibly lovely I can’t even stand it!
I cannot even get over how amazing the combination of brown butter and nectarine would be. And in a muffin? Such a winner!