Go Back

Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins

Cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins with a brown sugar cinnamon streusel and a jewel-bright cranberry center. Baked until the tops turn golden and a toothpick comes out clean for a tender crumb.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For streusel
  • 0.33 cup flour all-purpose
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter unsalted
For muffins
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon ground
  • 0.25 tsp salt fine
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.75 cup cranberry sauce whole berry or homemade
  • 1 powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a 12-cup muffin tin. Keep the tin ready so you can fill immediately after mixing.
  2. Make streusel by rubbing cold butter into flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly. Refrigerate so the crumbs stay dry and separate.
Mix and fill
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the color is uniform with no visible clumps.
  2. Whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Blend until smooth and glossy.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain for a tender muffin crumb.
  4. Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Add 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce to the center of each and cover with the remaining batter.
Bake
  1. Top each muffin with streusel crumbs. Scatter enough to create a visible, even layer.
  2. Bake at 375F for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. The tops should look golden and the centers should not look wet.
  3. Let muffins cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar. Finish with a light, snowy layer right before serving.

Notes

For a stronger cranberry center, use whole-berry cranberry sauce and keep it thick (thinning can leak). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; rewarm 10-15 minutes at 300F. Freeze baked muffins for up to 2 months (wrap individually). Dietary swap: use plant-based butter and swap to a dairy-free sour cream for a dairy-reduced version (texture will be slightly softer).