Made from pantry staples, these Brown Sugar Muffins have been a favorite for as long as I can remember!
I have a horrible memory. Ask me what I wore to work on Monday – I probably won’t remember. Shopping without a grocery list? Only if I want to make it home with half of what I walked in to buy. And you know how some people can remember their first childhood memory at age 2? Not me.
Before I got married, I lived in complex of town homes. The majority of the people living in the complex were either students or single professionals. So it was pretty common for people to move in and move out quite regularly. Well, there was a boy who moved in a few units away from me. We got to talking once, and he asked me if I remembered him. I completely drew a blank. And then he reminded me that we had been set up on a date months before this. Although we only went out on that one date – I really should have remembered him by sight, and especially by name. But I didn’t. And I really felt stupid after that!!
But for some reason, I remember food. I can look back through the photos on my computer, and I could probably tell you what cookbook each of the meals came from. It really makes me wonder why it is that my mind remembers food, but everything else, I struggle with. Maybe it’s because I like food so much – and it really leaves an imprint in my mind.
See how to make these Brown Sugar Muffins here:
These brown sugar muffins are definitely hard to forget. My husband was looking over my shoulder as I was on the computer the other day, and although he couldn’t remember most of the meals in the pictures I was looking at, he definitely remembered these. I grew up on these. My mom would make them often, and I think that they were my favorite muffin that she made. And it really doesn’t get any simpler than this. All of the ingredients are pantry staples for me, so it takes a couple minutes to mix everything together, and after 20 minutes of baking, you have warm muffins. So make some memories with these muffins!!
More favorite muffin recipes:
Banana Crunch Muffins
Banana Brickle Muffins
Peanut Butter Banana Bran Muffin Recipe
Triple Chocolate Muffins from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Blueberry Oatmeal Greek Yogurt Muffins from Frugal Mom
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins from Little Sweet Baker
Looking for more free recipes?
Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Brown Sugar Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Description
Made from pantry staples, these Brown Sugar Muffins have been a favorite for as long as I can remember!
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup nuts, chopped coarsely (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease or line 14-16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir the brown sugar and the butter together. Add the milk, egg and vanilla as stir to combine. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix just until incorporated. If using, stir in the nuts.
Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin cups, about 2/3 full each.
Bake in the preheated oven until a tested inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 muffins
- Calories: 292
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 354 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 56 mg
Happy cook says
Muffins with brown sugar that has to be delicious.
I also can’t remember things without a shopping list.
But forgetting the boy you dated, well well well that is what i call a very short memery :-))))
Augustina says
these sound like they would be perfect for breakfast. looking forward to trying this recipe out.
Brown English Muffin says
This does sound yummy I’m going to have to try them!
~ p.s. I found you on Corey’s blog!
Katie B. says
Whoa – wicked easy! And I bet they smell amazing!!
swallowingamoose says
I just wanna know when can we all move in?! I’ll pay rent for room, board, and food. I’ll even wash the dishes. Everytime i come here to your blog i’m immediately starving! So i’m ready to just c’mon over and pig out!
Absolutely Famished,
Heather
eatme_delicious says
Ooo I read the name of the muffins and was hooked! They look great. I think I’d make them as mini muffins. I have a really horrible memory for a lot of things too but I can remember numbers and recount conversations well.
noble pig says
These sound wonderful, brown sugar gives things so much more depth and flavor.
Krysta says
My husband biggest complaint is I can’t remember what’s in our checking account but I can remember a meal from ten years ago.
Susan from Food Blogga says
I love this recipe, Deborah. So few ingredients, so many delicious flavors!
Brown Sugar says
Oh how true!
Food is the memory stick of life, huh?
Your Brown Sugar Muffins look wonderful!
I’m looking forward to trying them!
Mary says
Yum! Brown sugar and muffins. They sounds super delicious!
Peabody says
Those look sooo good. I love brown sugar. I love muffins, therefore I love brown sugar muffins. 🙂
Steph says
These are the BEST muffins! Great, now I am craving some warm muffins…
Elle says
I can see why these are memorable…simple but perfect in the combination of flavors. I’ll have to try this one!
Gigi says
I think I have found my breakfast for next week! Nothing like good and muffin and a cup of coffee.
kamailesfood says
My sister is in love with all things brown sugar. I’ll have to make these for her.
Grace says
you had me at “brown sugar.” i’m totally and completely biased against white sugar and have been known to eat brown sugar straight from the bag (brushing my teeth soon after, of course…). these babies are easy-peasy and wonderful!
KJ says
These sound so good. I am saving the recipe.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
I have the same memory problem…
Your muffins look great! I love anything which is made with brown sugar…
Cheers,
Rosa
Maryann says
I’ll have to try them when the weather cools down, Deb. They look awesome 🙂
Patricia Scarpin says
Deb, I used to have that problem, too – could never remember people’s names! Such a shame.
It got better once I started working as a teacher (I did it for 2 1/2 years).
These muffins will be on my mind for quite a while, you bet I won’t forget them! 🙂
Elle says
I love any kind of muffin, and these look especially good!
I’m the same way with a lot of things, forgetting them. Glad it’s not just me!
www.adorn-jewelry.blogspot.com says
I love making new things, but you always go back to the stuff your mom made for you as a kid! Those are the best tastes ever!
emily
http://www.adorn-jewelry.blogspot.com
Sophie says
I love how the food we grow up on never gets old :). I also love the simple yumminess of this recipe – must save!
Catherine Wilkinson says
oh, these just sound like pajamas, espresso, and the paper! Wonderful!
Caroline online says
I’ve never had them – I think I’d like to make them. Thanks for the recipe.
Jenny says
I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one with a horrible memory! And it gets worse after you have kids!
Your muffins look beautiful and yummy! Great sounding recipe!
Indigo says
I love simple recipes like these, mmm ^__^.
Also; a bizarre question, but it’s about your blog layout – how do you change it so you can have a sidebar on each side? I hope you don’t mind me asking; I have some basic HTML but I can’t work it out to save myself, not without screwing up my whole layout X__X. Thanks!!
Indigo says
Deborah – Thanks so much for the link over the html!! As you can probably see I’ve already changed the layout in super-quick time so massive thankyou for your help there; that was perfect!x
Colloquial Cook says
Wow, look at those babies. They are gorgeous, Deborah, you really want to dive in the picture and grab one! Looking forward to trying them!
Katie says
These look great. Who doesn’t love brown sugar and muffins.
Kevin says
You had me with the title! These muffins sound simple and good! I have to write a grocery list and check it twice before going shopping or else I will forget almost half of it…
Vicarious Foodie says
Simple and delicious muffins that I don’t have to make a special trip to the store for? I’m sold!
sagarinag says
muffins look soo yummmm
Plz visit my new blog and leave a valuable openion on it
Emiline says
Brown suga’ muffins! How come you taste so good?
Or look so good.
I can remember faces, but I can’t remember names. There are people that I’ve worked with for a couple of years, and I still don’t know their names.
Dhanggit says
muffins with brown sugar are really delicious!! it reminds me well of my fave muffin bar in Manila , the brown sugar muffin.
ps, and about forgetting the boy you dated heheh dont worry you are not alone 🙂
April says
These look delicious! And quick and simple to throw together.
Meeta says
quick, simple – It’s the memories that surround such recipes that make it so delish. I think this is gonna be perfect for one of Soeren and my baking sessions!
Micki says
I have been lurking for a long time, but finally had a chance to try one of your recipes. I made these for breakfast yesterday and they were quite tasty-I ate four. I’m so embarrassed to admit that. Can’t wait to try them with fresh blueberries. Thanks for sharing!!!
Kristen says
Oh I love anything with brown sugar in it. You can bet these are being bookmarked… probably for tomorrow!
MoonlitKnit says
Made up a batch of these this evening. They were delicious! No doubt we will be making them again.
Thanks for sharing.
Kristen says
I made these for breakfast this morning…. mmmmmmmmm!
Shirley says
I’m making these this morning hoping they are wonderful ! Sounds like they will be smells like it too they are in the oven.
Shirley says
Sorry 3 thumbs down in this house. 🙁
Deborah says
@Shirley, I’m so sad you didn’t like them! They are a favorite in our house and we make them at least 2 times a month. Hopefully better luck with the next one!
Laura Dembowski says
I can literally walk into the grocery store repeating something I need over and over again and walk put without it. I think food memories are particularly strong for some reason, maybe because so many of our senses are involved. These muffins look like they’ll create some awesome new memories!
Lindsay T says
Does light brown sugar or dark brown sugar work best with this recipe?
Deborah says
I use light brown sugar.
Irene G says
Just made the Brown Sugar Muffins, they were delicious!! Everyone loved them. This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Phyllls Johnson says
Recipes are my weakness.. these sound so good..
Marjorie Sales says
Most muffins have baking powder, these have baking soda…is this correct?
Deborah says
Yep – baking soda! 🙂
Courtney says
My kids love these muffins. I have made them many times. Most recently, I tried subbing applesauce for half of the sugar and used one cup of whole wheat white flour and one cup of all purpose flour. They were still very good and sweet enough for us. To make them more exciting for the kids, I have also added a couple of tablespoons of rainbow sprinkles to the batter. This is definitely our favorite muffin recipe. Thank you!
Deborah says
My kids would go crazy over sprinkles in their muffins – I must try that next time! So glad you love these!
Lydia Cartmill says
These were so easy and they turned out really great. I was afraid they might be extra sweet and they are not which is really great. I think you had some fresh berries to your plate with one or two of these muffins and you have a great breakfast. I only had dark brown sugar on hand and that is what I used. I think they turned out great, not sure it makes that much difference if you use light or dark unless that’s just your taste preference. Plus I only made the 12 muffins I did not dirty a second pan. I just added a little extra batter to each muffin and they still cooked in the same amount of time and they were perfect.
Ana says
These muffins are delicious and have a great texture. I think the next time I make them I’ll add a teaspoon of cinnamon to add a bit of spice. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Mrs. Ron says
Hi! Can I replace butter with vegetable oil?
Diana says
Hello! i’ve tried these with semi sweet chocolate chips and they were fantastic!
Did you bake this batter in a sheet pan? …maybe you can give me some advices about the proportions.
Thanks! kisses :*
★★★★★
Deborah says
I love the addition of chocolate chips! I haven’t tried baking it in a sheet pan, so I’m not sure how it would work. Sorry!
Michelle says
I made these this morning. They were incredible and so simple and fast with pantry staples. I ate two before packing up a few for my mother in law. When I got home, my husband had eaten the remaining 6. I’m considering making them again tomorrow!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m glad the whole family is enjoying them!
Susanna says
Would this work with buttermilk? Also, anyone have a guess on baking time for mini muffins? Thanks!
Deborah says
I haven’t tried them with buttermilk, so I couldn’t say how they would turn out. For mini muffins, I start checking them around 10 minutes.
Kathryn says
I have made these 2 times now…….both times at about 2 am 😀
These are SO easy and yummy!!
Thank you for recipes that take 5 minutes to put together with stuff most people already have in their pantry!!
★★★★★
Deborah says
Haha – I love that you’ve made them at 2am! So glad you are enjoying the muffins!
Maria says
Hi Deborah,
I was wondering if you’ve ever tried adding cinnamon or chocolate chips to these muffins?
Thanks!
Colleen Rice says
Wondering if I can grease the muffin tins with butter?? Just sounds more delicious…can’t wait to try them!!
Romi says
I just made these and follow the recipe exactly. Very disappointed since the muffins came out very bland and not at all tasty. Definitely wasn’t sweet enough and while there were soft muffins, there was no flavor. When I bit into one, it reminded me of something and then I realized they tasted like pancake batter. Will not be making this again.
Cynthia Dise says
Thanks for this one easy to make and a tasty treat…
Stephanie Heffner says
These not only look delicious, they ARE delicious! 👍👍
★★★★★
Gen says
I made these muffins today and was very disappointed. They look nice but have absolutely no flavor. I thought that since they were “brown sugar” muffins, they would be a little on the sweet side. Nope! No flavor whatsoever. I will be discarding this recipe.
Deborah says
I’m so sorry you didn’t care for them. I know everyone has different tastes. I hope you find that perfectly sweet muffin recipe for you!
Cathy says
Tried this recipe last night, they were very good! They made up so quick with few dishes lol, very easy recipe. I only made 12 larger muffins, and I did add some cinnamon and nutmeg as my crew enjoys anything with cinnamon. I’m sure one could get creative with different add-ins also. I wonder if you were to add a finely chopped apple or a cup of frozen berries (I have a ton of blueberries in my freezer!) would you decrease the milk or butter at all?
This is a great recipe when you want to have something quick & easy to make, a great little snack to have with a cup of tea! Thank you!
Deborah says
I’m so glad you found it and loved it! I haven’t tried any add ins, but I’d try keeping everything the same and just adding the apples or blueberries. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Eric says
I own a B&B on the Eastern Shore and always looking for yummy treats to serve my guests. These looked/sounded great, but they didn’t come out as expected. They didn’t have as much flavor as I had expected and they were fairly dry. I can always tell when something I serve isn’t a bit “hit” when I clear the table and the items are not eaten or a bit is taken and the rest left. I made a 1/2 batch and of the 8 muffins, 7 were left. Ouch. So I thought either I did something wrong as all the comments on here were so positive, or perhaps I can make a couple of adjustments and see how they come out. So I remade them and changed a couple things up and they turned out REALLY good. The next time I made them I made 8 and ALL of them were gone and there were only 4 guests! LOL So here’s what I changed/did: I a) made sure to use dark brown sugar where I had used lite brown sugar the first time, and b) I added a little bit of maple syrup (about 1 tbl) to the batter. Wow – what a HUGE difference and everyone commented on how great they were. The flavor profile was improved and they were very moist. These are definitely going to be regulars at my B&B!
★★★★
Krista says
Can you substitute vegetable oil or coconut oil for the butter?
Deborah says
I haven’t personally tried it, but I would guess that it would work!
Jennifer says
I’m wondering if I could use Almond milk?
Deborah says
I haven’t tried them with almond milk, but I’m guessing it would work.
Sgal says
This recipe got me super excited, especially since I had all the ingredients, so as soon as I saw it, I got right on it. The result was, eh, ok, they had no taste. I got to thinking, what would be good with these muffins, that would still keep them healthy? Answer…..NUTELLA!!! Amazing!!! Add a glass of milk to go with it.
★★★
M says
Made these in mini bundt pans… drizzled with a powder sugar glaze that I flavored with a touch of lemon extract! They were a huge hit.
★★★★★
jackie adair says
I made these Muffins today to serve with our favorite Sunday dinner.They were DELICIOUS, Even my husband that does NOT eat muffins ate 2. I put a little twist on the recipe. After filling the muffin cups I sprinkled a little brown sugar on the top of each muffin before baking. It gave it a nice little sugary crust topping.I will definitely be making them again.
Deborah says
I love the idea of sprinkling sugar on top! So glad you liked them!
Casey says
Just tried these for an after school snack and we live them! Made them into mini muffins. Thanks!
Deborah says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them – the perfect after school snack!
Chandra says
I have a question… could u use dark brown sugar instead of light? Just curious
Deborah says
Yep – you could!
Erin says
You should be more thorough in your instructions. Like, you obviously warmed the milk. For this lack of detail, my mix is chunky. So… thanks.
Deborah says
Hi Erin – I actually don’t warm my milk. The mixture will get a little bit lumpy from the butter, but it will all smooth out when they bake.
Create goodness says
I made these the other day and my whole family loved them. Iv done zucchini bread as well and love it. , so I was wondering if I could add the zucchini to this recipe and it still taste amazing?
★★★★★
Mary says
Can you substitute for almond flour and coconut sugar
Deborah says
I haven’t tried either – sorry!
Justin P says
We make this recipe fairly often for the kids’ breakfast, and we all love it! Very simple and very yummy.
★★★★★
Mary Fritz says
Loved this recipe! I made 2 batches of 12 muffins and they all look delicious! Definitely going to share the muffins and the recipe with my friends.
Callie says
Family favorite and so easy to make! You probably have all the ingredients on hand too.
★★★★★
mindy gibson says
I make these alot. love them
★★★★★
Dragonfly says
Can I make this into a cake?
★★★★★
Deborah says
I haven’t tried it – you could probably make it into a loaf just fine. Muffin batter is thicker than cake batter (usually) and will most often dome some in the middle. This could affect it if you are baking it in a cake pan.
Sadie Lemer says
These muffins were delicious! I used the recipe in my science fair project and they are definately going to help me get a win!
★★★★
kathy says
These were good but I wouldn’t make them again. It’s great if you need something quick and happen to have all these ingredients (as I did) on hand. Perhaps they will taste better after overnight. As I said, they were good but nothing spectacular
Ashley says
These have become a staple In Our family! Love them, and so so easy. Come out perfect and delicious every time. Heated with bit of butter is perfection!