These delicious cranberry pecan eggnog muffins combine the sweet, creamy flavor of eggnog with tart cranberries and crunchy pecans. The nutmeg crumble topping adds even more flavor and crunch to the muffins.
These cranberry pecan eggnog muffins are not difficult to make but their amazing flavor will impress your family and friends. They are a perfect festive treat to make for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee or tea at Christmas time or any time of the year.
I made eggnog muffins last year and they were delicious, so everyone asked me to make them again this year. This year, I decided to add cranberries and pecans to them to change them up a bit and add a tart flavor to contrast with the sweet muffin base. However, you can omit the cranberries or pecans if you choose.
When I went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients, the store was completely out of eggnog. However, I did not let this setback stop me from making the muffins. Instead, I made my own eggnog. Surprisingly, it was actually pretty easy. I used a recipe from the food network and it turned out great. You can find the recipe I used here. I made a half batch of this eggnog recipe because the muffin recipe only uses 1 1/2 cups of eggnog. However, you can use bottled eggnog from the store if it is available. If you use bottled eggnog, add two tablespoons of bourbon to the eggnog that you are using for the muffins.
The Ingredients:
The eggnog is what gives these muffins their sweet festive flavor. It also keeps the muffins moist and tender. Be sure to add bourbon to the bottled eggnog from the store if you choose to use it. The bourbon adds more flavor and depth to the muffins so although it is optional it is a great addition to the muffins.
Butter and eggs are necessary ingredients to make great muffins. Be sure to take your butter out of the refrigerator before it is time to make the muffins so that it will become soft.
I used cane sugar for this recipe, but you can substitute brown sugar if you wish. I used King Arthur brand all-purpose flour for these muffins because I found that King Arthur Flour tastes better and performs better than other flours. However, you can use your favorite brand of flour for these muffins.
Baking soda helps these muffins rise and is an important ingredient, so use a high-quality aluminum-free baking soda. Salt helps flavor these muffins and I found that sea salt has the best flavor. Also, sea salt is better for you than table salt so it is best to use sea salt.
Nutmeg and vanilla give these muffins additional eggnog flavor. Nutmeg is what gives eggnog its familiar flavor, so adding extra nutmeg to these muffins makes them even more delicious.
Cranberries add a delicious tart flavor to the muffins and give them a burst of color. I used frozen fresh cranberries for the muffins. I thawed out the cranberries in the refrigerator before I used them. Be sure to put them in a container because they will leak juice as they thaw.
Pecans give the muffins crunch and a great flavor. I used chopped pecans for this recipe because halves would be heavy and prevent the muffins from rising. If you wish, you can substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans.
The nutmeg crumble topping is made with softened butter, sugar, flour, nutmeg, and vanilla. This topping gives the muffins an additional flavorful layer and is absolutely delicious. However, if you are watching your sugar intake you can omit it.
Putting it all together:
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a standard muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. You could also use a jumbo muffin tin if you wish; just increase the baking time.
Beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed. I use a large bowl to prevent the muffin batter from flying out of the bowl. Beat the butter and sugar until it is completely combined and smooth.
Add the eggs to the mixture and beat until the mixture is well combined and lightens in color. This will take a few minutes. Be sure to use a spatula to scrape the mixture on the sides of the bowl down a few times so that the mixture is evenly beaten.
Add the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla to the mixture and beat until combined.
Add in the flour and eggnog little by little, alternating between the two. Start and end with the flour. Stir until just combined and be sure not to over stir the muffins or they will become tougher.
Finally, fold in the pecans and cranberries. You can add less of them or omit them altogether if you choose.
Make the crumble topping by combining the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add in the softened butter and mix until the mixture becomes crumbs. I find that it works best to use your hands to mix it. There is double the amount of crumbs on my muffins compared to other muffins because everyone loves them so much. However, you can cut the crumb topping recipe in half if you wish.
Scoop the batter into the lined muffin tin using a measuring cup. Sprinkle the topping on top of the batter evenly. Cover the top of the pan with parchment paper before you put it in the oven so that the crumbs don’t brown too quickly. Put in the oven preheated to 425 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. You can remove the parchment paper for the last 5 minutes of baking to brown the crumbs.
You are finished!
The muffins are finished! You can now serve your delicious cranberry pecan eggnog muffins to your family. These muffins are great for breakfast with some sausages and eggs.
Cranberry Pecan Eggnog Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
- Mixing bowl
- assorted measuring cups
- Electric Beaters
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup softened butter (4 tablespoons)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ cups All-purpose flour I use King Arthur flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cup eggnog
- ¾ cup thawed frozen cranberries
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Topping:
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup flour
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1¼ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line a standard muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.
- Beat the beat and sugar together until smooth.
- Add the eggs and beat for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla to the mixture and beat until combined.
- Slowly beat in the flour and eggnog, alternating between the two.
- Fold in the cranberries and pecans. Be sure not to over mix the batter.
- Make the crumble topping by combining the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add in the softened butter and mix until the mixture becomes crumbs.
- Scoop the batter into the lined muffin tin and cover with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Enjoy your delicious Cranberry pecan eggnog muffins with nutmeg crumble topping.
