Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins
These light and fluffy bakery-style muffins are loaded with fresh cranberries and creamy white chocolate chips for a sweet take on breakfast - perfect for the holiday season!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: muffins
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ounces (57 grams) brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (301 grams) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 grams) white chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups (156 grams) fresh cranberries
- sparkling sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Wiping down the bowl and beater as needed, beat in the eggs one at a time until well-incorporated. Beat in the sour cream/yogurt and vanilla extract until creamy and smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix in on lowest speed until mostly incorporated. Add the white chocolate chips and cranberries and fold into the batter just until all ingredients are evenly combined; be careful not to overmix.
- Divide batter between the prepared muffin cups - the batter will be thick. Press it down slightly to make sure it fills each muffin cup, and smooth out the tops lightly if needed. Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar if using.
- Transfer the muffins to the oven, immediately reducing the oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean and the muffins are golden on top. Cool in pan briefly, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Frozen cranberries can also be used, and don't need to be defrosted. Alternatively, you can use 1 cup of dried cranberries.
- These muffins can also be made with milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Storing and Freezing
- Once cool, store muffins in an airtight container or zip-top bag. They'll keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If refrigerated, warm in the microwave for 30-40 seconds before serving.
- To freeze muffins, wrap individually in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost at room temperature.
Additional Notes
- If you use muffin liners, you'll have too much batter to fit in a basic 12-cup muffin pan.
