Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins, perfect for transforming your extra cranberry sauce into a delicious breakfast or snack treat. Featuring a tender crumb with swirls of tart cranberry sauce and a sweet, crumbly streusel topping, these muffins bake up golden and inviting, combining classic coffee cake elements with a festive twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
Streusel Topping
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute all the leavening agents and seasoning.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter until light and fluffy. Then add the milk, sour cream or yogurt, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix these until well combined, creating a smooth wet mixture.
- Combine Batter: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy – avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Layer Batter and Cranberry Sauce: Spoon about one tablespoon of batter into each muffin liner. Add a generous layer of leftover cranberry sauce, then cover it with another tablespoon of batter to encase the sauce.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, perfect for sprinkling.
- Add Streusel to Muffins: Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over each muffin, adding a sweet and crunchy finish.
- Bake: Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, ensuring they are fully cooked but still moist.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, enhancing their texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use leftover homemade or store-bought cranberry sauce; whole berry or jellied styles work fine.
- If sour cream is unavailable, plain yogurt is an excellent substitute without altering flavor.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute milk and butter with plant-based alternatives.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins; slight lumps are desirable.
- Ensure the butter for the streusel topping is cold to achieve a crumbly texture.
- These muffins freeze well; wrap tightly and thaw at room temperature before serving.
