I perfected Brown Butter Vanilla Cupcakes using browned butter infused with a freshly scraped vanilla bean and a vanilla brown butter frosting, and one unexpected technique in the recipe will keep you reading.

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I never thought a vanilla cupcake could surprise me until I browned unsalted butter and tucked the warm vanilla bean pod into the pan, then scraped the black seeds into the batter. The smell stops you midstep, like something secret is happening.

These Brown Butter Cupcakes lean sweet and toasty but still keep a light, pillowy crumb, and those tiny vanilla flecks make each bite feel oddly luxurious. Call it my Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes epiphany, i still can’t decide if i love the browned butter more or the way the vanilla sings.

Ingredients

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Browned butter: nutty rich fat that boosts flavor and adds moistness to the crumb.
All purpose flour: main structure, mostly carbs with a little protein, makes tender cake.
Granulated sugar: brings sweetness and browning, simple carbs only, no fiber or protein.
Eggs: give protein, structure and lift, make cupcakes rich and a bit springy.
Vanilla bean: you’re gonna see tiny flecks, smells amazing and adds deep vanilla flavor.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt: adds tang, moistness and a bit of protein, keeps crumb soft.
Milk and oil: keep batter loose, add fat and mild sweetness to the mix.
Browned butter frosting: rich, sweet and silky, powdered sugar provides structure and sweetness.
Salt: tiny bit enhances sweetness and balances flavors, essential even in desserts.

Ingredient Quantities

1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup (115 g, 1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled, plus the vanilla bean pod used for browning

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (for batter)

1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, room temp

1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, but I usually add it)

For the frosting: 1 cup (227 g, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled

For the frosting: 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar, sifted

For the frosting: 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

For the frosting: seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 whole vanilla bean scraped)

For the frosting: 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting: 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (or a pinch to taste)

about 12 cupcake liners

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12 cup muffin tin with about 12 cupcake liners. Whisk together 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl and set aside.

2. Split one vanilla bean for the batter lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small bowl; set those seeds aside for the batter. Keep the scraped vanilla pod for the butter browning step.

3. In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (115 g, 1 stick) unsalted butter with the reserved vanilla pod over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it foams, then the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Watch closely so it does not burn. Remove from heat, fish out the pod, and let the browned butter cool to room temperature but still pourable.

4. In a mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar with 2 large room temperature eggs and the scraped vanilla seeds from step 2 (and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract if you want) until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes by hand or less with a mixer.

5. Add the cooled browned butter and 2 tablespoons neutral oil to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Then stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk and 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, mixing until smooth. Don’t overmix, just combine.

6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in two additions, mixing until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl and fold gently if needed. The batter should be thick but still spoonable.

7. Divide batter evenly among the 12 liners (about 2/3 full), smooth tops, then bake 18 to 22 minutes until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cupcakes cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. While cupcakes cool, brown 1 cup (227 g, 2 sticks) unsalted butter for the frosting the same way: melt, let the milk solids brown to amber and smell nutty, remove from heat and cool to room temp. You can scoop out most of the browned bits into the frosting for extra flavor or strain them out if you prefer a smoother look.

9. Make the frosting by beating the cooled browned butter until smooth, then gradually add 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 whole scraped vanilla bean), 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Start with 3 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons cream, then add more sugar for stiffness or more cream if it’s too thick. Beat until light and fluffy, adjust salt to taste. If the frosting is too soft chill briefly, then rewhip.

10. Pipe or spread the vanilla brown butter frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes, garnish with a few extra browned butter bits or vanilla seeds if you like, and serve. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, bring to room temp before serving.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven
2. 12 cup muffin tin and about 12 cupcake liners
3. Small saucepan for browning butter
4. Mixing bowls, at least two (one for dry, one for wet)
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Whisk and a rubber spatula for folding and scraping
7. Electric mixer or a sturdy hand whisk
8. Wire cooling rack
9. Piping bag with a tip or an offset spatula for frosting

FAQ

Q: Can I skip browning the butter?

Yes, you can, but the cupcakes will lose that warm nutty, caramelized flavor. If you skip it, use melted then cooled unsalted butter or a neutral oil, same amount. Browning just adds depth, so try it if you can, but the cake will still be fine without it.

Q: How do I brown butter without burning it?

Use a light colored saucepan so you can see the color change, melt the butter over medium heat, it will foam then the milk solids will turn golden and smell toasty, stir often, take it off the heat at that point and transfer to a cool bowl so it stops cooking. Watch it close, it goes from perfect to burned fast.

Q: What do I do with the vanilla bean pod I used while browning the butter?

Don’t toss it. Rinse and dry it, then bury it in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar, or steep it in warm milk or cream to add to the frosting. You can also chop it and simmer in a syrup or store it to flavor other things, it's great for maximizing flavor.

Q: Why both sour cream and oil in the batter, can I swap them?

They do different jobs. Sour cream adds tang and tender crumb, oil helps keep the cake moist. You can swap sour cream for plain yogurt in the same amount. If you have no sour cream or yogurt, use buttermilk or milk plus a splash of vinegar, it will work but texture might be slightly different.

Q: My frosting is too sweet or too thin, how do I fix it?

If too sweet add a pinch more salt or a tiny splash of lemon juice, or increase browned butter a bit. If too thin add more sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until it thickens, or chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes then whip it again. If it is too stiff, thin with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of cream until you like the consistency.

Q: How should I store leftover cupcakes and can I freeze them?

Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to three months wrapped tightly, thaw at room temp then frost. You can freeze frosting in a bag, thaw and rewhip before using.

Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: For a lighter crumb try cake flour. You can make it at home by measuring the same volume then removing 2 tbsp of AP flour per cup and replacing with 2 tbsp cornstarch, sift together. For gluten free use a 1:1 cup for cup GF blend (with xanthan gum) but expect a slightly different texture.
Browned butter (batter or frosting): If you dont want to brown it just use melted then cooled unsalted butter 1:1. Need dairy free? Use neutral oil (vegetable or canola) at the same volume for the batter (1/2 cup) though the cakes will be a bit less rich. Using salted butter? Cut the added salt by about 1/4 tsp.
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt: Substitute plain full fat Greek yogurt 1:1. You can also use 1/2 cup buttermilk and reduce the milk by the same amount. No sour cream or buttermilk? Stir 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1/2 cup milk, let sit 5 minutes for a quick stand-in.
Eggs: For 2 large eggs try 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, or make flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes), or use 6 tbsp aquafaba. These will give a slightly denser, moister cupcake than whole eggs.

Pro Tips

1. Browned butter stuff: dont rush the cooling. Let the butter drop to just-pourable temp so it blends into the batter and frosting instead of seizing or separating. Keep the vanilla pod when you brown the butter for more aroma, but pull it out if it starts to char. If you like rustic flavor, scoop some of the browned bits into the frosting, if you want a smooth look strain them out.

2. Mixing trick: fold the dry into the wet gently and stop when you cant see big streaks of flour. Overmixing makes cupcakes dense and chewy, not good. Use room temp eggs and dairy so everything comes together fast and smooth.

3. Moisture and texture hacks: the little bit of neutral oil plus sour cream (or yogurt) is doing a lot to keep these cupcakes moist the next day, so dont skip or swap them for something too lean. If your batter seems super thick add a tablespoon or two of milk to make it spoonable.

4. Frosting and storage: beat the cooled browned butter until silky before you add powdered sugar, start with less sugar and add more to reach the stiffness you want. If the frosting goes too soft chill it briefly then whip again. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and bring cupcakes to room temp 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the flavors and texture open up.

Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Calories

508

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven
2. 12 cup muffin tin and about 12 cupcake liners
3. Small saucepan for browning butter
4. Mixing bowls, at least two (one for dry, one for wet)
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Whisk and a rubber spatula for folding and scraping
7. Electric mixer or a sturdy hand whisk
8. Wire cooling rack
9. Piping bag with a tip or an offset spatula for frosting

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup (115 g, 1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled, plus the vanilla bean pod used for browning
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (for batter)
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, room temp
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, but I usually add it)
For the frosting: 1 cup (227 g, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
For the frosting: 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
For the frosting: 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
For the frosting: seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 whole vanilla bean scraped)
For the frosting: 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the frosting: 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (or a pinch to taste)
about 12 cupcake liners

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12 cup muffin tin with about 12 cupcake liners. Whisk together 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl and set aside.
Split one vanilla bean for the batter lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small bowl; set those seeds aside for the batter. Keep the scraped vanilla pod for the butter browning step.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (115 g, 1 stick) unsalted butter with the reserved vanilla pod over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it foams, then the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Watch closely so it does not burn. Remove from heat, fish out the pod, and let the browned butter cool to room temperature but still pourable.
In a mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar with 2 large room temperature eggs and the scraped vanilla seeds from step 2 (and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract if you want) until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes by hand or less with a mixer.
Add the cooled browned butter and 2 tablespoons neutral oil to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Then stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk and 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, mixing until smooth. Don’t overmix, just combine.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in two additions, mixing until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl and fold gently if needed. The batter should be thick but still spoonable.
Divide batter evenly among the 12 liners (about 2/3 full), smooth tops, then bake 18 to 22 minutes until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cupcakes cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cupcakes cool, brown 1 cup (227 g, 2 sticks) unsalted butter for the frosting the same way: melt, let the milk solids brown to amber and smell nutty, remove from heat and cool to room temp. You can scoop out most of the browned bits into the frosting for extra flavor or strain them out if you prefer a smoother look.
Make the frosting by beating the cooled browned butter until smooth, then gradually add 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 whole scraped vanilla bean), 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Start with 3 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons cream, then add more sugar for stiffness or more cream if it’s too thick. Beat until light and fluffy, adjust salt to taste. If the frosting is too soft chill briefly, then rewhip.
Pipe or spread the vanilla brown butter frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes, garnish with a few extra browned butter bits or vanilla seeds if you like, and serve. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, bring to room temp before serving.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.