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Delish Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Delish Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Tangy cranberries meet a luscious vanilla cream cheese center in these soft, bakery-style muffins with a sparkling sugar top. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or holiday gifting.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients
 

Main Ingredients

  • 12 pieces paper muffin liners
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar for muffin batter
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for muffin batter
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest from 1 orange; optional but recommended
  • 1.5 cups cranberries fresh or frozen; if frozen do not thaw; coarsely chopped
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar for cream cheese filling
  • 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract for cream cheese filling
  • 1 large egg yolk for cream cheese filling
  • 0.5 teaspoon lemon zest optional, for cream cheese filling
  • 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Preparation Steps

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 0.25 cup sugar, 0.5 teaspoon vanilla, egg yolk, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  • Whisk dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Whisk wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, orange zest, and 0.75 cup sugar until combined.
  • Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined; some small lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
  • Fold in cranberries until evenly distributed.
  • Fill the pan: Add a heaping tablespoon of batter to each liner. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then top with more batter to fill cups about 0.85 full. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
  • Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese center) comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm briefly before serving for best texture.

Notes

Chop cranberries so they distribute evenly and don’t sink. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw to avoid streaking. For taller, domed muffins, rest the batter for 10 minutes before baking.