Delish Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Cranberry cheesecake and a muffin walked into my kitchen, tripped over a bag of sugar, and accidentally made breakfast. These Delish Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins are tart-sweet, super soft, and hiding little pockets of creamy, tangy goodness like tiny edible surprises. They’re festive without being fussy, and yes, they make your house smell like you meant to be this impressive. Spoiler: I did not. Also, yes, this pan is too small. No, I won’t wash fewer dishes.

My family review process is… chaotic. I once asked my husband to “preheat the oven,” and he turned on broil because the dial “looked more authoritative.” The kids helped by taste-testing the cranberries straight from the bag, made six faces, declared them “angry grapes,” and then immediately asked for a second handful. I overfilled the liners (optimism is my love language), so half the batch baked up with dramatic muffin-top top hats. I called them rustic. Everyone ate them. We survived. Would do again.

Time-Saving Hacks

– Microwave the cream cheese for 10–15 seconds so it swirls instead of plops. Science.
– Use frozen cranberries straight from the freezer. Thawing is for people with patience.
– One-bowl batter, plus a second bowl for the cream cheese swirl. No, I will not consolidate. I like chaos.
– Skip zesting and use 1/2 teaspoon bottled orange extract. It’s fine. Citrus police won’t come.
– Portion with an ice cream scoop so all the muffins are the same height and your inner perfectionist can rest.
– Line the pan. Paper liners = no scrubbing, which is the only love language I speak at 9 p.m.
– Out of sugar? Mix granulated and brown. It’s “layered flavor,” not poor planning.

Serving Ideas

– Coffee so strong it has goals. Or tea if you’re civilized before 10 a.m.
– Warm with a swipe of salted butter, because we’re fancy like that.
– Drizzle with a quick lemon glaze if you want them to wink like bakery muffins.
– Brunch board: these muffins, scrambled eggs, fruit, and your patience.
– Serve with wine if the kids drove you nuts. Brunch is a social construct.

What to Serve It With

– Crispy bacon or sausage for salty balance.
– Soft scrambled eggs and chives. Your skillet will forgive you eventually.
– Greek yogurt and honey for the “I eat clean” selfie.
– Fruit salad with orange segments to echo the cranberry tang.
– A slab of cream cheese whisked with a little maple syrup—spreadable happiness.
– Leftover cranberry sauce as a jam. Don’t tell the turkey.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t overmix. Stir just until the flour disappears or you’ll get muffins with the personality of a hockey puck.
– Toss cranberries with a spoonful of flour before folding to prevent sinking.
– Room-temp cream cheese blends better; otherwise you get cheesecake pebbles. Cute, but not the goal.
– Fill cups about 3/4 full to avoid volcanic overflow. Learn from my top-hat tragedy.
– Sprinkle coarse sugar on top for crunch. It’s the sparkle filter of muffins.
– Check at 16–18 minutes; every oven lies. A few moist crumbs on a tester = done.
– If tops brown too fast, tent loosely with foil and pretend you planned it.
– Do not swap baking powder for soda 1:1. They are cousins, not twins.

✔Storage Tips

Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold midnight leftovers? Sometimes better than fresh.
– Airtight container, 3–4 days. Warm 10 seconds in the microwave for the cozy factor.
– Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp, then revive in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes.
– Keep the glaze off until serving if you’re freezing—soggy chic is not a trend.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Add orange zest or swap in lemon for extra zing.
– Stir in white chocolate chips if you’re feeling dessert-for-breakfast bold.
– Almond extract instead of vanilla for bakery vibes.
– Streusel topping: butter, flour, sugar. Sprinkle and let it rain crumbs.
– Swap cranberries for blueberries, cherries, or chopped strawberries. Same rules, less sass.
– Use honey or coconut sugar; reduce liquids slightly if the batter gets shy.
– Dairy-free cream cheese works; just keep it cold so it doesn’t disappear into the batter.
– Gluten-free 1:1 blend? Yes, and give it an extra minute or two to set.
– Turn them into mini muffins; start checking at 10–12 minutes. Tiny things bake faster, shocking.
– Bake as a loaf: 350°F, 50–60 minutes. It’s “deconstructed muffins.”

Delish Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Moist, orange-kissed muffins studded with tart cranberries and swirled with a luscious vanilla cream cheese center—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or holiday gifting.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar for batter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest from 1 orange
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 0.75 cup buttermilk room temperature
• ▢ 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for batter
• ▢ 1.5 cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped is best
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 0.25 cup granulated sugar for filling
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk for filling
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for filling
• ▢ 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly mist with baking spray.
• Make the filling: In a bowl, beat cream cheese, 0.25 cup sugar, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until completely smooth; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently stir until just combined with a few streaks of flour remaining.
• Fold in cranberries until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
• Fill each muffin cup about 0.5 full with batter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each, then top with more batter to reach about 0.75 full. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted off-center (avoiding the filling) comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For frozen cranberries, use them straight from the freezer and chop quickly if large—no need to thaw. No buttermilk? Use 0.75 cup milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice; let stand 5 minutes. Store muffins covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and warm briefly before serving.