Maple Rye Muffins Recipe
These are what I make when I want something not too sweet for breakfast. The key is browning the butter, which adds an incredible nutty depth that works perfectly with the earthy rye flour and maple syrup. Do not overmix the batter; a few lumps are essential for a tender muffin.
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the Muffins
- 1 1/4 cups rye flour
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Grade A Dark maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Make the Topping and Brown the Butter
First, preheat your oven to 400F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, damp crumbs. Place this in the refrigerator while you make the batter.
Next, brown the butter. Melt the 10 tablespoons of butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan, until the milk solids at the bottom turn a deep brown and the butter smells intensely nutty, ~5-8 minutes. Immediately pour it into a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.
Combine the Batter
To the bowl with the browned butter, add the buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well combined.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all the spices.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula until just barely combined. The batter will be lumpy; this is what you want. Overmixing develops gluten and will make the muffins tough. Fold in the toasted walnuts.
Bake the Muffins
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. They will be quite full.
Sprinkle the chilled streusel topping generously over each muffin.
Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 375F and continue to bake for another 13-15 minutes. The initial blast of high heat helps the muffins rise tall. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Maple Rye Muffins
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
For the Muffins
- 1 1/4 cups rye flour
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/4 sticks
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Grade A Dark maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for streusel. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Refrigerate.
- Brown 10 tablespoons butter in light-colored pan until deep brown and nutty, 5-8 minutes. Pour into large bowl.
- Whisk browned butter with buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- In separate bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Fold in walnuts.
- Fill muffin cups evenly. Top with chilled streusel.
- Bake at 400F for 5 minutes, reduce to 375F, bake 13-15 minutes more until toothpick clean.
- Cool in tin 5 minutes before removing to rack.
