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    BeeyondCereal » Recipes » Muffins, Biscuits, and Rolls

    Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

    Modified: Oct 18, 2023 Published: Dec 7, 2020 by Nicole Durham This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Cranberry Eggnog Muffins are the PERFECT Christmas muffins recipe. With the nutty taste of delicious eggnog and bursts of tangy cranberries in every bite, these muffins can easily become a holiday tradition.

    Recipe: $4.80 | Per Serving: $0.28 | Yields: 17 muffins

    cranberry eggnog muffins with fresh cranberries scattered around.

    When you think of Christmas, a few things come to mind. Chocolate, a million types of cookies, gingerbread, eggnog, and cranberries. While there is obviously more to Christmas than just food, we have to admit that the holiday feast and goodies are a great way to keep the spirits up.

    I love the sweet, nutty, tangy bites of these eggnog cranberry muffins, and everything from the smell to the bright colors has me feeling jolly. I usually eat them two at a time, but that's okay because calories don't count during the holidays, or so I've heard. Ha.

    For more Christmas recipes, make sure to check out these Cranberry Pecan Shortbread Cookies, Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, and 25 Christmas Breakfast Ideas.

    Jump to:
    • 🍯 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions for Cranberry Eggnog Muffins
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • ❤️ More Delicious Holiday Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍯 Why This Recipe Works

    1. Simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are simple pantry staple ingredients like flour, sugar, and baking powder. That means any shopping that you'll need to do will be minimal.
    2. We use real eggnog! While we do use some rum extract for added flavor, we need actual eggnog in the muffin batter. This is great for using up leftover eggnog in the fridge.
    3. You can omit the cranberries. Adding the cranberries really makes these muffins fun, festive, and colorful, but you can omit them if you want. The muffins still taste great without them.

    🥘 Ingredients

    Ingredient Notes:

    Streusel Topping- For a delicious topping, combine granulated sugar, flour, nutmeg, rum extract, and butter.

    Granulated Sugar- This will make the muffins sweeter, but it also helps to give us a more tender crumb as well.

    Baking Powder- You will need some baking powder to help the muffins rise as they bake.

    Eggnog- To moisten the batter and give us a "real" eggnog flavor, you'll need some actual eggnog.

    Fresh Cranberries- Add in fresh cranberries for a burst of fresh tangy goodness in every muffin. Make sure to save some cranberries for Cranberry Orange Sauce.

    For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

    🔪 Instructions for Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

    Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, line a muffin tray with paper liners, or spray with cooking grease.

    Step 2: In a bowl, combine all of the dry topping ingredients until well mixed. Add in the melted butter and mix just until crumbly. Set aside.

    creamed butter and sugar in a bowl.

    Step 3: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth.

    eggs added to creamed butter and sugar mixture.

    Step 4: Mix in the eggs until smooth.

    egg butter and sugar mixture in a large mixing bowl.

    It should look like this.

    leavening agents and spices added to egg butter mixture in mixing bowl.

    Step 5: Mix in the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and rum extract.

    flour added to wet mixture.

    Step 6: Add in the flour and the eggnog, alternatingly, until both have been combined.

    liquids added to dry mixture.

    Start and end with the flour.

    cranberries added to muffin batter in mixing bowl.

    Step 7: Fold in the halved frozen fresh cranberries.

    cranberry eggnog muffin batter in a mixing bowl.

    Step 8: Stop once fully incorporated.

    cranberry eggnog muffins in a muffin pan topped with streusel.

    Step 9: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Add streusel, you will have some leftovers.

    cranberry eggnog muffins in a muffin pan.

    Step 10: Bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    1. Pre-freezing Cranberries- To ease preparation, freeze fresh cranberries for at least an hour before making muffins. This makes them easier to slice without leaving red streaks in the batter.
    2. Substituting Rum Extract- If rum extract isn't available, double the amount of vanilla extract as a replacement. While the rum flavor enhances the eggnog taste, omitting it won't significantly affect the muffins' overall flavor.
    3. Eggnog Replacement- If short on eggnog, substitute half and half or milk for the remaining amount. This may dilute the flavor slightly, but the muffins will still be enjoyable.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    How long are cranberry eggnog muffins good for?

    This eggnog muffin recipe is good for 2 days. If kept in an airtight container at room temperature, your muffins can last about 2 days before becoming stale. For longer storage, freeze them.

    How to store leftover streusel topping

    Keep your leftover streusel topping in a sealed bag in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, grab what's needed and enjoy.

    Can I use fresh or dried cranberries in the muffins?

    You can use either fresh or dried cranberries, depending on your preference. Dried cranberries add a chewy texture, while fresh cranberries provide bursts of tartness.

    cranberry eggnog muffin split open next to glass of eggnog.

    ❤️ More Delicious Holiday Recipes

    • white chocolate covered peppermint shortbread cookies on a wooden surface.
      Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
    • sliced Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake.
      Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
    • a white oval dish filled with peppermint popcorn.
      White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
    • peanut butter blossoms with wrapped colorful hershey kisses.
      Cake Mix Peanut Butter Blossoms

    If you tried this Cranberry Eggnog Muffins, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!

    📖 Recipe

    Cranberry Eggnog Streusel Muffins.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

    Cranberry Eggnog Streusel Muffins are the PERFECT Christmas muffins recipe. With the nutty taste of delicious eggnog and bursts of tangy cranberries in every bite, these muffins can easily become a holiday tradition.
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Cooling 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 17 muffins
    Calories: 187kcal
    Cost Recipe $4.80 / Serving $0.28
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • Muffin Pan
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Electric Mixer

    Ingredients

    Streusel Topping

    • ½ cup granulated sugar ($0.18)
    • ½ cup all purpose flour ($0.07)
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ($0.04)
    • ⅛ teaspoon rum extract ($0.04)
    • 2 ½ Tablespoons butter, melted ($0.31)

    Muffins

    • 4 Tablespoons butter, softened ($0.50)
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar ($0.27)
    • 2 large eggs ($0.30)
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder ($0.10)
    • ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg ($0.08)
    • ¼ teaspoon rum extract ($0.08)
    • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour ($0.33)
    • 1 ¼ cup eggnog ($1.50)
    • 1 cup fresh cranberries, frozen and halved ($0.99)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a muffin tray (or two) with liners. This recipe makes roughly 17 muffins.

    Topping:

    • In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and then add in the melted butter, mixing just until crumbly. Set aside.

    Muffins

    • Beat together the butter and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth.
    • Add in both eggs and beat again for about a minute until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape down the sides as you go.
    • Mix in the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and rum extract.
    • Alternate adding the flour and the eggnog to the mix, mixing well after each addition until both have been thoroughly combined.
    • Fold in the frozen and halved cranberries. it helps to freeze cranberries for about an hour before making this recipe so they slice easier (and are less messy).
    • Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them about ⅔rds of the way full.
    • Sprinkle the tops with the streusel topping you made earlier. You WILL have some leftover (about enough to repeat the recipe 3 times).
    • Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until a pale golden brown color.
    • Remove from oven and let cool.

    Notes

    Freeze Cranberries: Freeze your cranberries for at least an hour before making the muffins. This will make them easier to slice in half and prevent them from leaving red streaks throughout the batter as you fold them in.
    Rum Extract: If you prefer not to use rum extract, you can double the amount of vanilla extract as a substitute. For example, if the recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon of rum extract, use ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. Keep in mind that the rum extract enhances the eggnog flavor.
    Eggnog Substitution: If you don't have enough eggnog, you can use half and half or milk to make up the remaining amount. The eggnog flavor may be milder, but the muffins should still taste good.
    Storage: These muffins are best when consumed within 2 days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze them. You can also keep the leftover streusel topping in a sealed bag in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.7g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 44.6mg | Sodium: 89.1mg | Potassium: 183.8mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 16.3g | Vitamin A: 57.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 83.7mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Author Nicole Durham
    Course Breakfast, brunch, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Diet Vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used. To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

    Lightly Adapted from King Arthur Baking Easy Holiday Eggnog Muffins Recipe.

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    Hey, I'm Nicole

    The proud owner and recipe developer behind BeeyondCereal. Here, I'm passionate about showing people how to navigate the kitchen with frugality in mind, whipping up family-friendly recipes that not only save money but also bring joy to every meal.

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