Introduction: Harvest Muffins With Bourbon Brown Sugar Buttercream

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These mouthwatering muffins are a great treat for any occasion. The tasty muffins are light and delicious stuffed with apple, carrot, and zucchini (healthy right!) and the unique frosting adds the right level of sweetness and a hint of bourbon to complement the muffins. Enjoy!

Step 1: Gather the Ingredients

Start by gathering all of your ingredients:

Muffin Tin (mini or standard)
Butter at room temperature or muffin tin liners

Muffin Prep
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 apple, peeled and chopped (I prefer granny smith but any favorite will do)
3 eggs
1 cup veggie or canola oil
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon all spice
*Optional Ingredients*
½ cup chopped nuts (pecans and walnuts are great)
½ cup raisins

Frosting Prep
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
½ cup of brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
2.5 -3 cups of powdered sugar (I kept adding more until I get the consistency shown below)
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
¼ cup of bourbon

Note: This recipe works well for muffins (mini or standard) and as a loaf of bread, cooking times will vary depending on the form (see below for recommendations for each).

Step 2:

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
Start by peeling the carrots, zucchini, and apple. Chop the apple into bite-sized pieces and shred the carrots and zucchini. It usually takes 2-3 medium sized carrots and half a zucchini.

Step 3:

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, baking soda, and salt) in a separate bowl.

Beat the eggs and oil until fully mixed then add the vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the eggs and oil mixture. The batter will start to get thick and difficult to mix.

Step 4:

Add the veggies and mix by hand until evenly distributed and the batter gets sticky.

Add liners or grease the muffin tins and fill each about 80-100% full (don’t pack down the batter into the tin). If using a bread loaf, grease the bottom and sides then fill about ¾ of the way.

Step 5:

Bake muffins for about 20 minutes until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. (If making bread it takes about 50-60 minutes).

Let the muffins cool to the touch before adding frosting.

Step 6:

Let butter sit at room temperature until soft to touch then add packed brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix until no clumps of butter remain (really give it a good whipping). Slowly add the powdered sugar and bourbon until incorporated. The frosting should look smooth and slightly fluffy. Now frost the muffins and enjoy!