Cottage Cheese Brown Butter Chai Muffins

If you love warm chai spices and cozy baked treats, these cottage cheese brown butter chai muffins are going to be a new favorite.

The combination of browned butter and spices gives them a deep, nutty flavor that smells amazing while baking.

Blending cottage cheese right into the batter makes the crumb wonderfully soft, tender, and moist.

You will not taste any cheese curds at all because everything blends until it is completely smooth.

To finish them off, a simple maple glaze adds just the right touch of sweetness over every bite.

Why I Love This Recipe

Incredible Nutty Flavor – Browning the butter creates rich, toasted notes that take these muffins to a whole new level.

Authentic Chai Spices – Six warming spices work together to give you the cozy taste of your favorite coffee shop drink.

Super Moist Crumb – Blending cottage cheese right into the batter keeps every bite tender without any visible curds.

Sweet Maple Finish – The simple cinnamon maple glaze adds the perfect glossy top and an extra layer of sweetness.

The Ingredients

For the Muffins

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 3/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 1/4 cups Full Fat Cottage Cheese
• 2 Large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Maple Glaze

• 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp Milk
• 1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, for 4-6 minutes until it foams and turns golden brown with toasted bits and a nutty aroma. Pour into a bowl, scraping in all the brown bits, and cool for 10 minutes.

Step 3

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, allspice and pepper.

Step 4

Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add the brown butter and pulse 2-3 times to combine.

Step 5

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold just until combined.

Step 6

Divide the batter among the cups and bake for 18-22 minutes, until domed and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 7

Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk and cinnamon into a thick but pourable glaze. Dip the top of each muffin into the glaze and let it set for 10 minutes.

Quick Tips

Use a Light-Colored Pan for the Butter

I recommend using a stainless steel or light-colored skillet when browning the butter. A dark pan makes it almost impossible to see the color change as the butter cooks.

You might accidentally burn the milk solids instead of toasting them. A lighter pan lets you pull the butter off the heat the exact second it turns a rich amber color.

Be sure to scrape all the little golden flecks from the bottom of the pan into your bowl. That is where all the warm, nutty flavor lives.

Let the Brown Butter Cool Down

You’ll get the best results if you let the warm butter sit for at least ten minutes before adding it to the other wet ingredients.

If the butter is still hot, it can cook the raw eggs right inside the blender. It can also separate the dairy in the cottage cheese before the batter even hits the oven.

Letting it cool to warm room temperature keeps the batter smooth and perfectly emulsified.

Blend the Wet Mixture Until Completely Smooth

From my experience, you want to run the blender until the cottage cheese is completely liquefied and free of curds.

Taking the extra minute to get this base silky smooth creates a soft, tender muffin texture. It blends invisibly into the batter just like sour cream would.

If you leave curds behind, they will melt into wet pockets during baking and make the muffins soggy.

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• Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Spice Bread

Quick Answers

Will the muffins have visible curds or taste like cottage cheese?

No, the muffins will not taste tangy or have any visible curds because the cottage cheese is blended completely smooth with the wet ingredients.

It melts seamlessly into the batter, giving the baked muffins an ultra-moist and tender crumb without any lingering cheese flavor.