Parsnip Muffins Recipe

By
Anna Markow
Anna Markow: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Anna Markow
Once an irregularly-employed pastry chef in New York City, Anna Markow shared her unique treats with Serious Eats as catharsis from 2012-2013. She returned home to Maine to grow carrot cake from seed in 2019.
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Updated May 07, 2020
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Anna Markow

These muffins get a little whole wheat flour and brown butter for nuttiness, plus a handful of dried cranberries to balance the sweetness. The parsnips are grated very roughly so they are only just cooked through and slightly crunchy, quite the opposite of hiding the vegetable.

Note: If you'd like, some chopped toasted pecans or almonds would make a great addition to these muffins. I don't recommend skipping the cranberries, though, as the muffins need the tart chewy punctuation. I also don't recommend skipping the mace in favor of more nutmeg, it's a worthy spice to seek out and you'll likely end up using it in anything you make with parsnips once you taste the combination in action.

Recipe Details

Parsnip Muffins Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 35 mins
Makes 10 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, browned over medium heat
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and roughly grated (2 cups grated)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Set a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugars and eggs, then whisk in buttermilk and brown butter. Scrape wet mixture into dry mixture, dump in grated parsnips and cranberries and gently fold until thoroughly combined.

  2. Divide batter evenly among 10 paper-lined cups in a 12 cup muffin pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, turning once, until a skewer inserted in middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool briefly before eating. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating in oven or microwave.

Special equipment

2 medium mixing bowls, whisk, rubber spatula, muffin tin

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