Apple Brown Butter Bouchons Recipe
Apple Brown Butter Bouchons (aka Donut Muffins!) are very easy to make and oh so delicious! Baked instead of fried, they are rolled in browned butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
How to Make the Best Apple Brown Butter Bouchons
These Apple Brown Butter Bouchons are a delightful twist on the classic donut—all the comforting flavors you love, but baked instead of fried. The tender, apple-studded muffins get their irresistible flavor from warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, while the brown butter coating adds a rich, nutty depth that takes them over the top.
Bouchons are named after the cork-shaped French pastries made famous by Thomas Keller, but this version keeps things approachable for home bakers. The sautéed apples folded into the batter create pockets of fruity sweetness throughout, and rolling the warm muffins in browned butter before coating them in cinnamon sugar gives them that signature donut-shop indulgence.
Perfect for fall mornings, weekend brunches, or whenever you’re craving something sweet without the hassle of deep frying. These come together in about 30 minutes and fill your kitchen with the most incredible aroma of apples, cinnamon, and toasted butter.
Apple Brown Butter Bouchons
Apple Brown Butter Bouchons (aka Donut Muffins!) are very easy to make and oh so delicious! Baked instead of fried, they are rolled in browned butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Instructions
Prepare the Apples
- Heat butter in a medium skillet and add diced apples. Sauté on medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
Make the Batter
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg, and milk.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine. Fold in the sautéed apples.
Bake
- Pour batter into greased Bouchon molds or cupcake or muffin tins.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Finish with Brown Butter Topping
- For the topping, brown the butter over medium heat in a small pot until golden brown, nutty, and fragrant. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Shake Bouchons or muffins out of the tins while still hot.
- Dip or brush muffin tops and sides with brown butter, then roll into the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
- Let cool before serving.
Notes
- Bouchon molds create the classic tall cylinder shape, but regular muffin tins work perfectly well.
- Watch the butter carefully when browning—it can go from nutty brown to burnt quickly.
- These are best enjoyed the same day they're made, while the cinnamon sugar coating is still crisp.
