We are already two weeks into November and life is kinda insane. It’s the season of sleep deprivation because there is just so much going on. All the usual stuff at school, but seemingly more tests? Extra rehearsals and events, Nutcracker, preparation for the holidays, it’s just crazy.
But hey, ITS FALL. Yeah in case you forgot. And I am honestly so pumped about Thanksgiving. Aside from craving a break from school, I honestly love Thanksgiving foods. Before I got into cooking and baking, I wasn’t a fan of it. I really didn’t like most foods in general, I tend to forget I used to be an extremely picky eater. But starting the blog has really warmed me up to Thanksgiving foods and I’ll catch myself getting excited for it in August.
I would make a big Thanksgiving post with links to all the recipes we use but thinking about that made me realize that almost all of it is just made up. Like we don’t follow any recipes for most of the stuff. A few of the sides that switch up every year come from Half Baked Harvest, but the usual stuff is just a family recipe.
But this recipe is kind of Thanksgiving inspired I guess. It would make a great snack to grab while you’re in the kitchen, and it’s got all the key autumn flavors. It’s kind of like a pumpkin muffin, but a little more interesting. Butternut squash is a little sweeter and softer than pumpkin, and I feel like it goes really well with ginger so there’s a little more of that in here.
Describe These Muffins to Me
Taste: These taste like a fancier version of your classic pumpkin muffin. The butternut makes them a little sweeter and more delicate, especially paired with cozy cinnamon and zingy ginger. The ripple of apple butter breaks up the flavors perfectly, and the simple brown butter oat topping makes for the perfect nutty finishing touch.
Texture: The muffins are super moist thanks to the butternut squash puree and apple butter swirl. They aren’t dense or stodgy, but rather perfectly fluffy. The oat crumble adds this slight caramelized crunch on top for the perfect balance.
Ease: As most muffin recipes are, these are pretty quick and easy to throw together. The oat topping makes the recipe take a little longer, but you could honestly get started on the batter while the oats are toasting. The batter is a super simple no mixer recipe that comes together in about 15 minutes. Then you just layer that batter with some apple butter, top with the oats, and bake!
The Brown Butter Oats
I talked about my latest fixation in my previous post, but oh my goodness I am absolutely obsessed with brown butter oats. I mean brown butter is already tasty, and so are toasted oats. But when you toast the oats in the brown butter?! Perfection. Then all you have to do is mix in the brown sugar and you’ll have a really simple crumble that is so addicting. I have to hide the crumble while I make the batter because I can’t help but munch on it. The sugar will kind of melt when you bake the crumble, so you’ll have a delicious caramelized topping on your muffins.
The Batter
This recipe is really similar to your classic pumpkin muffins. But I prefer butternut squash puree here because it makes the muffins a little less dense and more fluffy, and it’s a touch sweeter than pumpkin. It pairs nicely with ginger, so I upped the ginger levels in this recipe to compliment. And lastly apple butter just goes so well with all of this stuff, so there’s a delicious swirl of it in the center.
Butternut Squash Muffins with Apple Butter
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the oats and toss to combine. Keep cooking until oats and butter have both toasted, and have a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the saucepan for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine, it will be a crumbly texture. Set aside while we make the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix in the butternut squash puree and eggs until combined. Finally, mix in the milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners between ¼-⅓ way full with the batter, place a little less than a Tablespoon of apple butter on top, and top with batter filling almost to the top. Sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the tops of each muffin.
- Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes before turning the temperature down to 350℉, keeping the muffins in the oven. Bake for another 16-17 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before enjoying warm, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.