Looking for a delicious treat to brighten your mornings or afternoon tea breaks? Look no further! These Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins are the perfect balance of tangy cranberries, creamy cream cheese, and moist muffin goodness.
Bursting with flavor and easy to make, these tender muffins will become a family favorite in no time.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Flavor: The tartness of cranberries pairs beautifully with the creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese, creating a delicious balance of flavors in every bite. The muffin is not too sweet, but you can add glaze to sweeten it to your personal taste buds.
Texture: These muffins have a soft, moist crumb that will leave you craving more. The cream cheese adds a rich, velvety texture to the muffins, making them feel incredibly indulgent.
Versatility: These muffins will work for a quick breakfast on-the-go, a delightful afternoon treat, or for gatherings with friends and family.
Ingredients Needed
How to Make These Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Preheat your oven to 350F and line the cups in a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium to large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until well mixed. Add sugar and vanilla; beat some more to mix well.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to the bowl of batter. Use a spatula or large spoon to mix the dry ingredients into the batter. Stir until just combined.
Stir in the cranberries.
Divide the batter between the lined muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this, it goes much faster than using a spoon!
Bake the muffins for 22-26 minutes, until the tops are just lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool the muffins in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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To glaze the muffins, mix powdered sugar with a little milk, then drizzle over the cooled muffins.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these delightful muffins warm or at room temperature. They are perfect on their own, but if you want to take them to the next level, try spreading a little bit of butter or cream cheese on top. These muffins are a wonderful addition to brunch menus, potlucks, or as a sweet treat for afternoon tea.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make some of the muffins with and without the sweet glaze in order to have choices for people based upon their sweetness preference.
- Orange zest: For a citrusy twist, add the zest of one orange to the batter. It will complement the cranberries beautifully.
- Streusel topping: Sprinkle a simple streusel mixture made from flour, sugar, and butter over the muffin batter before baking for an extra crunchy texture.
Storage
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to extend their freshness, you can refrigerate them for up to 1 week. To retain their moisture, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the muffins. The bread will help prevent them from drying out.
For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or microwave them briefly until warmed through.
More Muffins to Tempt Your Taste Buds
If you'd rather use dried cranberries, try my Cranberry Walnut Muffins. If you'd like an alternative to the cream cheese, I use Greek yogurt in Strawberry Muffins with delicious results!
More muffins to try:
📖 Recipe
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Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter, unsalted softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup flour, all-purpose
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups whole cranberries fresh or frozen
Optional glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and place paper liners into 12 cups of a muffin pan. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. With a hand mixer, beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat to mix.½ cup Butter, unsalted, 4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.2 eggs
- In a separate small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the dough and fold in with a spatula or large spoon until just combined. Do not over mix.1 cup flour, all-purpose, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Stir in the cranberries.1½ cups whole cranberries
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. An ice cream scoop works well for this step.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, until the tops are lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool at least 2 minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- To add a sweet glaze, mix the powdered sugar and milk until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled muffins.½ cup powdered sugar, 2-3 teaspoons milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Caroline
Since I love orange with cranberry, I added the zest & fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of an orange to the batter. I used some of the zest & juice from remaining 1/2 for the glaze instead of milk. Absolutely delicious!
Sula
Fantastic!
Andrea Jones
can I substitute gooseberries?
Sula
I've never tried this but it sounds yummy!
Erica
Loved these muffins! Had to use dried cranberries since I didn't overbuy fresh last holiday season (doh), but I can't wait to make them in the fall as written! I bet the burst of cranberry flavor is amazing.
Sula
Yes I was so happy I overbought last year, because the cranberry flavor is superb!
Jennifer
Loved these muffins! I had frozen cranberries taking up room in the freezer and this muffin recipe was perfect! The cranberries weren't too tart and they really added a lovely flavor to the muffins. I had to hide them from the kids!
Sula
Yes! I always buy extra bags of cranberries when they are in the stores, just so I can enjoy cranberry baked goods all year round!
Anne
These muffins are amazing. The tart cranberries and creamy cheese filling make a delightful combo and it was fun to get some classic fall flavor in the summer!
Sula
I love cranberries all year round!
Jan
The combination of cranberry and cream cheese has me hooked. I am totally going to bake these again.
Sula
It's an amazing combination!
Lisa
I'm so glad I froze a bag of cranberries from last fall. These muffins taste amazing.
Sula
Can't let those cranberries go to waste!
Sage Scott
We loved the way tart cranberries blend with creamy cream cheese and just the right amount of sweetness in these delicious muffins.
Sula
Thank you for your kind review. 🙂
Sharon
These muffins were a really yummy treat! I loved the simple glaze on top to add a touch of sweetness.
Sula
I agree, I think the glaze is the perfect finishing touch!