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.
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.