Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

By Sarah On December 19, 2014 | Updated: January 15, 2026

Loaded with tart cranberries and generously topped with buttery streusel and creamy eggnog glaze, these cranberry eggnog muffins are a staple for any holiday breakfast.

If you were to describe Christmas with a muffin, these little gems are the first thing thing that’s popping in my mind.

I meaaaaan, eggnog and cranberries sell a pretty convincing story here. And oodles of buttery streusel and thick drizzles of eggnog glaze absolutely seal the deal.

If you’ve been searching for a perfect addition to a Christmas brunch or something you can easily bring to a gathering, look no further! These muffins will win hearts everywhere they go.

Though they typically don’t go very far in our house because who in their right mind would feel like sharing a batch of these beauties?

Definitely not me. Pass me the largest one with extra streusel, please.

These Muffins feature…

A soft and moist texture
Tart cranberries studded all over
Rich eggnog flavor in both the muffins and the glaze
Buttery streusel topping and eggnog glaze

Making the Muffins

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Nutmeg
Kosher salt
Eggnog
Cranberries
Brown sugar
Powdered sugar

Quick Bread Instructions

Assemble the batter and streusel in a greased or parchment paper-lined 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 350F 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely then top with glaze and slice.

Tips for Perfect Muffins

Cream softened butter with sugar – this builds the fat base to the muffin batter.
Measure flour correctly – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
Bring eggs to room temperature – this will help the eggs mix more cohesively into the butter without risk of separating.
Slice cranberries in half – this will make for smaller bits of tart cranberries evenly distributed throughout the muffins.
Add eggnog to batter alternately with the dry mixture – this will make for a smooth, evenly-mixed batter.
Fill muffin cups to brim with batter – filling to the brim will make for large muffins.
Bake muffins at 425F 5 minutes then reduce heat to 375F – this short blast of heat at the beginning helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
Allow muffins to cool before glazing – the glaze will melt off if you try to add it while the muffins are warm.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these muffins.

Use another fruit – replace the cranberries with raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries.
Add chocolate – fold 1/2 cup semisweet, dark, or white chocolate chips into the batter.
Add nuts – fold 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter.
Flavor glaze – try adding a pinch of orange zest, ground nutmeg, or vanilla.

Storing and Freezing Muffins

Allow muffins to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

To freeze muffins, allow to cool completely and do not glaze. Wrap muffins well and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw muffins completely at room temperature, top with glaze for serving, and store at room temperature up to 4 days.

I won’t lie, it’s SO hard to keep a batch of these muffins stocked around the holidays! Folks see the big juicy cranberries and all that wonderful streusel + thick drizzles of glaze and can’t resist going back for another.

Pure Christmas magic in a muffin.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

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