Tender orange spice muffins go perfectly with a bit of whipped honey butter. The hints of cinnamon and ginger bring big flavor to your breakfast table.
Muffins are among the most versatile baked good. They are perfect for grab and go breakfasts, leisurely brunches, quick snacks, tea time treats or even light desserts
Plus they are generally quick and easy to make, so they are a nearly perfect food! These muffins have all of the good stuff inside and the honey butter takes them to the next level.
They would be perfect to share with overnight guests, to have on hand for a holiday breakfast or even to pack in lunch boxes. Or make a basket of muffins and a jar or whipped honey butter to share as a hostess gift or to make new parents’ lives a bit easier.
Afterall, baked goods make a perfect gift. They are beyond tasty and there is nothing to dust later!
Making the muffins
Putting this muffin batter together is super simple. There is a mix of brown sugar, honey and orange juice to add both sweetness and lots of flavor.
Adding sour cream or yogurt makes the crumb extra tender. I used sour cream because I always have it on hand, but Greek yogurt would work as well.
A bit of ginger and cinnamon adds that warm spicy characteristic that always reminds me of the holidays. They both blend delightfully with the citrusy orange pop.
Feel free to make your muffins in paper liners for mess free baking. Otherwise spray your muffin tin well and bake without the papers.
I like to use a large cookie scoop to easily portion batter, but a ladel or spoon works as well. Just fill each well about 3/4 of the way full.
Storing muffins
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For longer storage put them in a freezer safe container and freeze them for up to three months.
Refrigerating baked goods like these muffins actually dries them out faster, so it is not recommended.
Whipped honey butter
Smearing a little honey butter on your muffins will make them even better. Luckily it is super easy to make.
Just beat together softened butter and honey until it is fluffy and smooth. Add a little orange zest for even more flavor.
Pro tip: if you don’t have orange zest, try adding a bit of cinnamon to your butter. Cinnamon honey butter is fabulous!
This honey butter shouldn’t be used exclusively for the muffins though. It is also great on banana bread, zucchini bread, dinner rolls or even baked sweet potatoes.
More great muffin recipes
Tender blackberry sour cream muffins are the perfect mix of fresh fruit and sweet baked good. They are pretty, easy to whip up and perfect for a grab and go breakfast.
Orange pistachio muffins are another great citrusy breakfast treat. The pistachios add great crunch to the mix.
Or make orange sourdough muffins with bits of white chocolate baked right in. They are like a creamsicle in muffin form.
For more fun ideas, check out my full collection of muffin recipes.
Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!
Orange Spice Muffins with Whipped Honey Butter
Ingredients
Muffins
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup orange juice without pulp
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
Whipped Honey Butter
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners into a muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda. Set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, orange juice, sour cream, butter, honey, and eggs. Beat at low speed until well mixed, scraping sides of bowl as needed.½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup orange juice, ¼ cup honey, 2 eggs
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Pour batter into cupcake tin, filling to 3/4. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean in center. Allow to cool 5 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.
- While muffins are cooling, make honey butter. With an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add honey and beat again until well incorporated. Sprinkle in orange zest and stir well.½ cup salted butter, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Serve with warm muffins.
Andrea Nine
Wednesday 4th of August 2021
Oh my goodness, I bet the whipped honey butter takes these over the top of amazingness! Sounds so good!