Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

Soft, tender muffins that are made with cream cheese and full of tart cranberries. These Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins are perfectly sweet and tart. Great for breakfast, brunch or a snack especially during Christmas and the holidays.

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I always bake more during the colder months and muffins are one of my favorite things to make. These cranberry muffins with cream cheese are not just delicious but they’re perfect for holiday brunches and breakfasts. I love the color of the cranberries and they give the muffins a touch of tartness. I also love to switch it up sometimes and use my cranberries to make these delicious cranberry scones.

So, if you’ve been looking for something special to make for breakfast, you should give these a try! Make some scrambled eggs and my oven bacon to go with them for a breakfast your family will love.

Why You’ll Love these Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

• I love cream cheese muffins because they have the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavor – it’s delicious.
• This recipe is really easy to adapt and change as needed. Add extra fillings or remove ones you don’t like, or even make these gluten-free by using gluten free all purpose flour.
• This is an easy muffin recipe that you can make ahead — the muffins are freezer-friendly, too!

Ingredients for Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

• Cream cheese – Allow the cream cheese to soften before using it in this recipe.
• Cranberries – Grab some tart and juicy cranberries to make the best cranberry cream cheese muffins ever!
• Flour – You only need basic all-u=purpose flour to make these simple muffins.
• Baking powder – Use baking powder as a rising agent to make these muffins perfectly light and fluffy.
• Sugar – Sweeten the muffins with granulated white sugar. To have a more rich and deep flavor, you can use some brown sugar too.
• Butter – Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter, both will work well in this recipe.
• Vanilla extract – Create more depth of flavor with a splash of vanilla.
• Eggs – For best results, allow the eggs to come to room temperature before mixing them into the muffin batter.
• Pecans – This is optional, but I think that pecans really are the perfect finishing touch to these amazing cranberry muffins.

How to Make Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then line a a muffin tin with paper liners or reusable silicone liners.

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Then add one egg and mix until well combined. Add the second egg and mix again.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ones, mixing until the batter comes together.

Gently fold in the cranberry and nuts and scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Fill each mold about ¾ full with the batter.

Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

How to store leftover cream cheese cranberry muffins

Leftover cream cheese cranberry muffins will keep for a few days at room temperature, or up to a week in the refrigerator. Just store them in an airtight container. They freeze great too! Make sure they are fully cooled and then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They will keep up to three months.

Should I use frozen or fresh cranberries?

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. During the holiday season, I usually have bags of frozen ones on hand for making cranberry sauce and my favorite cranberry cream cheese bread, which this recipe is based off of, because they’re so convenient. I use them interchangeably, and they both work great!

Can I add a topping to cranberry muffins?

Feel free to change things up with this recipe. A streusel topping or powdered sugar glaze would be so tasty. You could even add a splash or orange juice to the glaze for a nice citrus touch on these muffins.

Can you use dried cranberries?

I think fresh or frozen ones are best for this recipe, but you can use dried ones if you prefer. For best results, soak them in water first to rehydrate them. This will plump them up! If you just mix them in dry they will be chewier, like raisins.

This cranberry cream cheese muffin recipe is a star for sure! Tart, sweet, fluffy and creamy all-in-one.

More Amazing Muffin Recipes!

• Everyone loves a classic Blueberry Muffins! My recipe is so easy and turns out perfectly every time.
• Have some overripe bananas on hand? Make some Crumb Banana Muffins for breakfast or brunch!
• I love baking with apples and have the best Apple Muffins recipe for you to try! They are filled with apples, cinnamon, and oatmeal and topped with streusel.
• Lemon Muffins have a bright citrus flavor with a lemon glaze topping!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

4.95 from 18 votes

Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

Melt in your mouth Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins have the perfect amount of sweetness and tang.

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:20 minutes mins

Total:35 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup butter softened
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1 ½ cups white sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
• ▢ ½ cup chopped pecans optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix into wet batter until combined. Fold in cranberries and nuts.
• Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

Tips

Do you have to cook fresh cranberries first?

Nope! You can mix fresh ones right into the batter!

Can you use dried cranberries?

I think fresh or frozen ones are best for this recipe, but you can use dried ones if you prefer. I would soak them in water first to rehydrate them. This will plump them up! If you just mix them in dry they will be chewier, like raisins.

How long do they keep?

The will keep for a few days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator. Just keep them in an airtight container.

Can you freeze muffins?

Yes, they freeze great! Make sure they are fully cooled and then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They will keep up to three months.

Are you ready to make a batch of these cream cheese cranberry muffins this weekend? You will love how easy and how delicious they are. They are perfect for brunch and breakfast!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1, Calories: 287kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 34g (11%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Cholesterol: 59mg (20%), Sodium: 161mg (7%), Potassium: 115mg (3%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 16g (18%), Vitamin A: 427IU (9%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 37mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.