Salted Caramel Buttermilk Brown Sugar Muffins

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Muffins — Soft, fluffy muffins that are sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon. Drizzle salted caramel sauce on top if you’re feeling extra decadent! 

I love when muffins get a nice domed top. And when they’re dripping in salted caramel.

But not all of muffins get that coveted dome. Nor are they always drenched in caramel.

But these are both. I was hoping for the best with the shape and texture because I adapted one of my most popular recipes, Cinnamon-Sugar Bread.

It totally delivered for the muffins and they’re soft, wonderfully moist, and the crumb has the perfect balance of density and lightness.

The batter has melted butter, oil, and buttermilk. The later two in particular keep quick breads and muffins soft, moist and supple.

To sweeten the batter I used brown sugar, which provides wonderful depth of flavor because as the muffins bake, the butter and brown sugar caramelize, creating subtle caramel undertones.

And clearly I played up the caramel flavor by drizzling the muffins with salted caramel. Make your own or use store-bought. The muffins don’t ‘need’ it, but why not.

The muffins are so fluffy that they’re are almost like eating cupcakes for breakfast, minus the frosting. And in place of it, all that caramel.

Which I’m not exactly complaining about.

Ingredients in Brown Sugar Muffins

To make this easy muffin recipe with brown sugar, you’ll need the following basic ingredients: 

• Unsalted butter
• Buttermilk
• Egg
• Oil
• Vanilla extract
• Brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Salted caramel sauce (optional, for drizzling) 

How to Make Brown Sugar Muffins 

Making muffins with brown sugar is as easy as making regular muffins! Here’s a basic overview of the recipe: 

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power; set aside.
2. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup or medium bowl, add the buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
3. Add the buttermilk mixture to the melted butter and whisk to combine.
4. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
5. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, optional salt, and stir until just combined.
6. Distribute the batter evenly among each cavity of a greased muffin pan. 
7. Bake until the tops are domed, puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling but no batter.

Recipe Variations to Try 

The basic recipe is a great jumping off point for tweaking to your liking. Some variations to try are: 

• Add mini chocolate chips
• Add chopped nuts 
• Add dried fruit (chop into small pieces, if needed)
• Top with shredded coconut 
• Rather than topping with salted caramel, try a vanilla cream cheese or a browned butter glaze

Can a Buttermilk Substitute Be Used? 

Yes! I used real buttermilk but if you don’t keep it on hand, I highly recommend using powdered buttermilk. If you don’t use buttermilk often, but sometimes see a recipe that needs a small amount, but think you won’t use the rest of the jug before it goes bad, then the powder is for you. Shelf stable, keeps for ages.

Or make buttermilk by souring your own milk. Add about 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk, wait 10 minutes for it to curdle, then use as indicated.

Tips for Making Muffins with Brown Sugar

Brown sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar to make this recipe. Dark brown sugar has a more robust flavor, while light brown sugar contains less molasses. 

Buttermilk: If you make a buttermilk substitute using milk and vinegar, do NOT use skim milk. Use 2% milk if that’s what you have but whole milk is best. 

Caramel sauce: You don’t have to top the cinnamon brown sugar muffins with caramel sauce, but it’s highly recommended! Add the caramel sauce just before serving so that the muffins don’t get soggy. 

More Easy Muffin Recipes: 

Dulce de Leche Churro Muffins — Brushed with melted butter, rolled in cinnamon-and-sugar, and filled with dulce de leche or caramel sauce, these FAST and EASY muffins are so soft, moist, and PERFECTLY decadent! 

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Muffins — These mini muffins taste like fried donuts, but they’re baked and healthy! 

Mini Snickerdoodle Muffins — Bite size muffins that are coated in cinnamon-sugar that will remind you of snickerdoodle cookies, but in adorable mini muffin form!!

Caramel Apple Muffins — Soft, fluffy, springy, loaded with chunks of apples, and so much CARAMEL flavor!!

Healthy Oatmeal Muffins— These healthy oatmeal muffins won’t jeopardize your New Year’s resolutions and are skinny jeans-friendly. No oil, no dairy, and just 1/4 cup of brown sugar!

Cinnamon Sugar Mini Pumpkin Muffins — These mini pumpkin muffins are coated in cinnamon sugar and are bursting with fall flavor! Even better, they’re fast, easy, and accidentally vegan!