Eggnog Muffins

These festive eggnog muffins are soft and tender, full of delicious eggnog flavor with a crumble topping and a sweet eggnog glaze. The easy recipe comes together in a pinch, and is a great idea to use leftover eggnog!

For more eggnog breakfast recipes, try our eggnog bread pudding, eggnog banana bread, and eggnog oatmeal.

Glazed eggnog muffins

My three favorite holiday flavors are gingerbread, cranberry, and eggnog.

So it’s no surprise that each December, I look forward to baking gingerbread cookies, Panera cranberry orange muffins, and these delicious eggnog muffins.

They are a moist, soft, warmly spiced treat that is perfect for holiday breakfast, brunch, snacking, or as a simple dessert.

With a rich flavor and a tender crumb, the muffins only need 15 minutes of prep, which is ideal for the busy holiday season.

The recipe is also a handy way to use up any leftover eggnog that may be hanging out in your fridge!

Vanilla muffins, brown sugar muffins, pistachio muffins, and dried cranberry muffins are some of our other favorite muffin recipes!

Let’s talk about the simple ingredients that go into these eggnog muffins. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for specific measurements.

• All-purpose flour is the base of this easy eggnog muffin recipe and creates the thick batter. A little also goes into the crumb topping.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar will sweeten the muffins, while powdered sugar is used for the crumb topping and the glaze.
• Baking powder is the leavener. It’s essential to create a nice rise in your muffin tops.
• Salted butter: Melted butter goes into the batter to keep the muffins moist and tender. You also need cold butter to create the crumb topping.
• Egg: A large egg helps to bind the ingredients together.
• Eggnog goes in both the muffins and glaze. It provides moisture and infuses every bite of the muffins with delicious eggnog flavor. I like to use homemade vanilla eggnog, but a good quality eggnog from the supermarket will be just fine too.
• Vanilla extract enhances the other flavors in the muffins.
• Ground nutmeg adds warmth and gives the muffins their classic eggnog flavor.

Eggnog muffins look and taste fancy and indulgent but couldn’t be easier to make. It’s one of those holiday recipes that you want in your back pocket! Let’s go over the recipe step-by-step:

1. Mix dry ingredients

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add wet ingredients

• Next, add the eggnog, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

3. Fill the muffin pan

• Evenly distribute the eggnog batter into lined muffin cups.
• Set aside so the batter can rest as you prepare the crumb topping.

4. Mix crumb topping

• Using a fork, mix the flour, powdered sugar, melted butter, and ground nutmeg in a small mixing bowl. Just mix until clumps form.
• Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the muffins.

5. Bake

• Bake the muffins at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

6. Let cool

• Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool further.

7. Mix glaze

• Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl.
• Whisk in the eggnog and vanilla until smooth. If the icing seems too thick, thin it with more eggnog.
• Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and enjoy!

Variations

You have a few delicious options to customize and vary the recipe with different mix-ins and toppings. Check it out!

• Different eggnog flavor: Instead of regular eggnog, prepare the Christmas muffin recipe with chocolate eggnog, pumpkin eggnog, or cinnamon eggnog.
• White chocolate chips: Eggnog and white chocolate are a fabulous pairing! Fold 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips into the batter and then bake as directed. If desired, drizzle the muffins with more melted white chocolate after baking.
• Dried fruit: Stir 1 cup dried fruit into the batter. Raisins, dried sweetened cranberries, chopped dried apricots, and candied cherries make lovely additions to the eggnog muffins.
• Cinnamon: Not a fan of nutmeg? Season the muffins with ground cinnamon instead, or use a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Cinnamon sugar topping: Skip the streusel and brush the baked muffin tops with melted butter. Then, dip each muffin into a bowl of cinnamon sugar.
• Rum glaze: Instead of the eggnog glaze, drizzle the muffins with a tasty rum glaze. To make it, combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 3 tbsp water, 1 teaspoon rum extract, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.
• Mini eggnog muffins: Fill the batter into a mini muffin pan lined with paper liners and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Eggnog muffins are the perfect treat for your Christmas morning brunch – especially when you pair them with Christmas fruit salad, Pillsbury cinnamon roll casserole, and Christmas morning punch.

You can also offer them as a quick-and-go breakfast during the winter months.

Or set out a few muffins with hot chocolate, coffee, or tea as an afternoon snack.

And, of course, they are delicious with a cup of homemade eggnog for the ultimate holiday indulgence.

Store eggnog muffins

At room temperature: To prevent the muffins from getting soggy, let them cool completely. Then, put them in a zip-top bag or an airtight container. The muffins stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Freeze: You can also freeze your eggnog muffins in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight when ready to eat.

Reheat eggnog muffins

For that warm, oven-fresh taste, pop the muffins into the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds or just until warm.