I’m doing a lunchtime survey of new students. Can you answer a few questions? Is your favorite muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign a butter to your favorite muffin? Well, you are in luck because this article is all about – drum roll please – different ways to spice up butter to serve alongside your favorite muffin or even a bagel, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous.

Shredded Coconut

muffin

Photo by Vernell Dunams

Those amazing little sweetened coconut shreds are good for more than just baking. Toast some sweetened coconut shavings in the oven. It should only take a couple minutes. Once you have perfectly golden coconut flakes, mix them in with the butter. This spread goes best when paired with a muffin that needs a little more texture. I personally love having it with a giant chocolate muffin. I mean, after all, chocolate and coconut kind of have a thing going on.

Cinnamon and Sugar

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Gif courtesy of tumblr.com

I’m addicted to everything sweet and cinnamon-y. From churros to empanadas, I love it all if it has cinnamon and sugar. So why not make a spread for your muffins with the dynamic duo? All you have to do is mix unsalted butter with a little cinnamon and sugar, and you’ve just made a beautiful topping. I prefer this spread with some kind of apple flavored muffin or even a plain bagel, but I’m sure there’s some pumpkin spice muffin you can pair it with (there’s pumpkin spiced everything).

Whipped Cream

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Gif courtesy of MTV.com

So how’s this for a surprise. This butter hack is only about 50% butter, but 100% my guilty pleasure. Butter is made from whipping cream, which is also what whipped cream is made from. Butter is churned longer than whipping cream (and also whipping cream uses sugar as a stabilizer), so whipped cream is just undone butter and butter is overdone whipped cream (and a carb). A generous amount of whipped cream along with any muffin is what everyone needs to start the day.

Honey

muffin

Photo by Vernell Dunams

It’s not just for the Cheerios anymore. What I love about this is that it’s one of those things that, dare I say, tastes better vegan. So mix some of your favorite vegan butter with vegan honey (I stand firm to the claim that honey is vegan). With this spread, you accomplish a few things: you make a great pair for any muffin/bagel, you get a recipe for your vegan friends, and you can post a selfie on Instagram with #vegan alongside #spoonfeed. We all know you’re in it for the likes.

Cookie butter

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Gif courtesy of tumblr.com

This one is a little more like a buttercream frosting, but who cares? Frosting on a muffin just makes it that much closer to its distant cousin – the cupcake. Cream a stick of butter and add in the cookie butter. Try to keep the ratio around 1 part cookie butter to 3 parts butter. Once it’s all whipped, serve it alongside a really decadent chocolate muffin that maybe has some espresso mixed into the batter, that way it balances how sweet the frosting is.

Ground Coffee

muffin

Photo by Vernell Dunams

I’m one of those people who loves coffee beans before and after it’s brewed. You can catch me on Saturdays with a coffee facial going strong. So try this before you count me off as crazy. Mix some ground coffee (freshly ground, pre-packaged, or even recently brewed) into an entire stick of butter. I will say this recipe tastes a whole lot better with bagels and English muffins (which I’m pretty sure is just a bagel minus the hole).