This was the last week of the farmers market season, which was sad, but I’m enjoying the opportunity to wear layers and stomp around in the leaves. Emotionally, this week was hard. My mom’s co-worker lost her daughter to breast cancer. It was very sudden and incredibly saddening, so I’ve been doing my best to uplift her. Walking and cooking good food. I wanted to treat myself, too, and I’ve been incredibly excited for pumpkin recipes. I have a long list of pumpkin treats to make this year, but I started with these brown butter pumpkin muffins.

Pumpkin Brown Butter Muffins

I’ve developed a few different muffin recipes over the past few months. A banana chocolate chip muffin, a chocolate orange muffin, and a peanut butter flavor. None of them made the blog, however, because I was more excited about another recipe that week. But I’ve developed a solid strategy for muffin-making, which is quite similar to my cookie recipes. It starts with brown butter in a pan. You add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, in this case, and sour cream for moisture. Then you simply fold in the dry ingredients. 

I have been dreaming of brown butter pumpkin muffins ever since the start of October. One of my favorite things is a griddled, buttered muffin in a diner. There is a local one that makes blueberry muffins, here in Maine, that they cook on a flat top with butter. It caramelizes the sugars and crisps the muffin halves in the most tantalizing way. So I always do the same with my muffin recipes at home. I also planned to impart a ton of fall-spice flavors on these brown butter pumpkin muffins, using cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. 

Store-Bought Pumpkin Purée

Last year I got a whole pumpkin and roasted it, scooped out the flesh, and pureed it. It worked great in my pumpkin cookies, but the homemade purée wasn’t noticeably better than the canned version. So I decided to just buy two cans this week for my baking needs. I helped my mom with a little bit of grocery shopping after a stressful day of work and a blustery walk. I couldn’t wait for the next day. To spend the morning whipping up an easy muffin recipe. And to use the new muffin pan I bought for myself. 

But that night we found out that my mom’s friend, her co-worker’s daughter, passed away from her cancer. It felt like a gut punch. A woman not more than 5 or 6 years older than me who many loved and admired. I met her last year at the funeral of my mom’s close friend. She was kind and emotional and wore a purple fleece jacket in December. I knew she had cancer then and hoped dearly that I wouldn’t have to attend her funeral. She has two young kids and a husband, and while I don’t know her, I’ve been feeling a lot of sympathy for her family. 

Baking Jumbo Muffins

Grief is an awful, disgusting feeling. Even if it’s second-hand. The silver lining is that, like last year when my mom’s friend died, it put my life back into perspective. Each day when I wake up I’m so grateful for my life. I kept ruminating on the fact that she had days to live, earlier this week, and if I was in that position how badly I’d want just one more day. What would I do? Bake? Watch movies with my family? Go to our favorite restaurant? It poured rain the morning after she died. 

I woke up a little weary and drained. The sadness hit me at the same time as the gratitude. I felt hopeful and guilty for all the free time I had. The days ahead that I would inevitably take for granted. I started my pumpkin muffins after breakfast. We’ve always had muffin pans in the house, but not the right size. I need them to be jumbo. I lined my new big muffin tin with 6 pieces of hand-cut parchment paper. If you just press them in they fold and crease naturally. I weighed them down with salt and pepper shakers while I work. Then, I got to baking. 

Spiced Brown Butter Batter

I started with a quick browning of butter in a large saucepan. It snapped and crackled quickly, and I took it off the heat to rest as I gathered my other ingredients. I made homemade brown sugar. I dug my favorite fall spices out of the lazy susan. And I opened a can of pumpkin purée. Quickly I had a slurry of butter and sugar, infused with spices. I added a little more for good measure. Then I worked in my pumpkin puree and sour cream. It was a beautiful amber-orange batter. It smelled intensely of fall. 

I added my dry ingredients and folded it all up into a thick cake-like batter. Muffins are just cake, honestly, with a little less sugar. I like these to straddle the line between savory and sweet. They’re pumpkin-forward and spiced well, so when they’re grilled they have a savory-sweetness similar to cornbread. These are for breakfast, not dessert, so I think they’re perfect. More on that later. My batter was perfect for scooping. So I removed my salt and pepper shakers from the muffin tin and scooped two large dollops of batter into each cup. 

Crunchy, Sugary Muffin Tops

Of course I also sprinkled the tops with sanding sugar. You can use Demerara sugar, or turbinado, instead. I mixed mine with cinnamon for even more flavor. After a generous sprinkle over each muffin, I popped the tray in the oven and set my timer. I cleaned, worked on organizing some things in the ever-changing basement, and marveled at the fall bakery scent that smacked me in the face when I came back upstairs. It was heavenly. Like a pumpkin spice latte candle. Pure gold.

When they were done I tested one for doneness and then threw them back in for 5 extra minutes. They were perfect after that. Tender, springy tops. Golden orange. Craggy, crispy, and sugary. I let them cool on the counter and took some photos. Then I stored them for the next day. Which was hard. I had just eaten, but I wanted to dig into them immediately. The house was still filled with that amazing scent. But I cooked burgers on the grill for dinner, watched Survivor, and allowed myself to try a muffin half for dessert. It was delicious. 

Grilled Pumpkin Muffins

The next day was the main event. I planned to split a muffin open, grill it in butter, and sprinkle more cinnamon on the top. I considered drizzling them with maple syrup, too, because I was in the mood for something slightly more sweet. Like I said, these brown butter pumpkin muffins are complex and delicious, but not super sweet. They’re not cupcakes. But the caramelization of the grill and extra cinnamon sugar on top pushes them into sweet pastry territory. I actually spent more of the morning making a different recipe. It was delicious, but not up to my standards visually. 

I should have mentioned this already. My mind has been elsewhere. But I visited the farmers market for the last time this week. I managed to visit every week again this year. Except for one when I had a doctor’s appointment. Anyway, it was unusually cold, yet sunny. I wore an old denim jacket with a corduroy collar I found while cleaning. My favorite pants. And a white shirt with a tomato on the chest. A guy complimented it, and said he has the same one. 

The Last Farmers Market

The vendors were outfitted in fleece jackets and earmuffs. Some in gloves and winter coats. It was a stark change from the searing hot markets of weeks prior. I reveled in it, and filled up my tote bag with goods. Scallions. Chicken salad. And purple potatoes. I was really excited to see them. A unique and beautiful treat to cook with. I decided to make purple potato gnocchi for the blog and dreamed of a vivid violet-colored pasta. Although it was delicious, I spent the next morning making pale lavender-colored potato bugs and didn’t like the color. Too pale. 

I ate my gnocchi for lunch. And I grilled my muffin for a treat. I started with butter in a pan, which I let brown. Double the brown butter. I let them caramelize, a little far, because I love that deep dark griddled flavor. Then, I took them out, and put a pat of butter on each. With a sprinkle of cinnamon. The taste is pure pumpkin. Tender with a great muffin-like chew. The extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top was delightful. The squares of delicately melting butter pooled on the crisp, sugary muffin edges. I could eat these brown butter pumpkin muffins all day. And I feel like they were the perfect way to start fall. 

Gratitude and Baking

I want to write more about the people we’ve lost lately. Our neighbor, who was always outside stacking wood. My mom’s best friend who battled depression. My preschool teacher’s husband, who went to Red Sox games with my dad. And the beautiful mother of two who fought breast cancer. It’s feeling a lot lately like life is not fair. Like there is a lot of sadness and grief in the world. But my mind is trying to focus on gratitude. Family. Each day lately I’ve been able to cook for my parents, spend the day baking without a care in the world, and enjoy the changing leaves. It’s made me think about how precious life is. Each day. Each hour. 

I don’t want the pressure to not “waste” time. I believe all time is well spent, even if it’s relaxing, recovering, or watching trash TV. Instead of trying to utilize every moment, I think it’s better to remind yourself as often as possible how lucky you are to be alive. To make muffins on a sunny October day. To hug your parents after they have a stressful day. Just to read a good book, or watch a new movie. To sleep in and wear pajamas. This feels cheesy now, but it’s true.

Fall Recipes Galore

I’m so grateful for my life. Even though sometimes I compare myself to others, feel disappointed by not achieving my goals fast enough, or feel annoyed by little things. I’m reminding myself how lucky I am to be able to count on waking up again tomorrow. To be able to plan weeks of these recipes and to do the things I love. To be able to eat. I want to treasure this time as much as possible. But I also want to relax and luxuriate in doing nothing. To eat gnocchi. To go to the farmers market.  

Thank you for reading, as always. I’m excited to make more fall recipes soon! If you enjoy my recipes and paintings, be sure to check out Etsy for 100’s or my art prints and recipe cards. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. 

Print Pin

Brown Butter Pumpkin Muffins

Tender, spiced brown butter pumpkin muffins for autumn

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword brown butter, muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin muffin

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 12 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 whole egg
• 1 2/3 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat 8 tbsp butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes, and remove from heat.
• Add the brown sugar, vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Then whisk in your pumpkin puree, sour cream, and egg until fully combined.
• Sift your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a fine-mesh strainer over your pumpkin puree mixture. Mix into the batter with a spatula until no flour streaks remain.
• Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with 6 square pieces of parchment paper. Weigh them down with something thin and heavy if they won’t stay.
• Remove objects from cups and, using an ice cream scooper, divide batter amongst each of the 6 muffin cups, filling most of the way in each.
• In a small bowl, mix together the demerara sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle generously over each muffin, dividing evenly.
• Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until muffin tops spring back lightly when touched. Remove from oven and let cool in muffin tin.
• Remove paper wrappers and slice muffins in half. Toast in a pan with 1 tbsp butter for each muffin, then top with cinnamon sugar.

Notes

• I recommend toasting these in butter and adding cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup. 
• You can add chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, or even pumpkin seeds to your batter for a twist on the classic.