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If you're an eggnog fan and you enjoy moist, tender-crumbed muffins topped with a mountain of buttery crumbs, you're going to flip over these delicious Eggnog Crumble Muffins!
Although I love the flavor of eggnog, I don't indulge in it very often as it's a little too rich and heavy for me. But these Eggnog Crumble Muffins? That's a whole different story! They have that quintessential, seasonal flavor all wrapped up in a moist, tender-crumbed muffin that's perfect for a weekend breakfast or holiday brunch. The sweet, buttery crumble topping and a drizzle of eggnog glaze are the crowning glories.
An oldie (but way too good) to leave behind
This is my go-to muffin recipe dressed up in holiday attire. You might recognize it if you've made our Better Than Starbucks Blueberry Muffins, our Fresh Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins or our Easy Peach Crumble Muffins. Yep, it's the same super easy, one-bowl muffin recipe that comes together in minutes!
I just subbed eggnog for some of the buttermilk/yogurt, added a pinch of nutmeg and topped these babies with a delicious crumble topping that comes together in minutes with a simple combination of melted butter, flour and sugar. Just stir the simple ingredients up with a fork (in the same bowl you used for the muffins) until nice big crumbs form. Then sprinkle them on top of the batter in the muffin pan, pop it in the oven and watch the magic begin!
This batter creates beautiful, high-domed muffins that will emit the most amazing aroma as they bake. If you have any sleepy heads in the house, you won't need to say a word to entice them out of bed!
Can I freeze these Eggnog Crumble Muffins?
I'm a huge fan of preparing meals in advance. Quick breads, like these Eggnog Crumble Muffins, freeze beautifully. Just pull them out a few hours before serving and enjoy fabulous muffins at room temp or warmed slightly in the oven and served with a small bowl of sweet creamery butter. They'll taste like they're fresh from the oven and you'll look like a super relaxed host/hostess that's got it all under control.
Prep ahead
Another option for easy entertaining is to prep these muffins the night before you plan to serve them. How do you do that? I was hoping you'd ask!
Just combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and add the sugar, eggs, eggnog, buttermilk (or yogurt). Crack the eggs and add them to a medium-size jar with the melted butter, sugar, eggnog, yogurt and vanilla. Stir well, cover and refrigerate. Then combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-size bowl. Cover and set aside. You can also make the crumb mixture in advance then cover and refrigerate.
In the morning, let the eggnog mixture warm up a bit by letting it sit out at room temp for 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats. Add the eggnog mixture to the dry ingredients and stir, just until combined. Spoon the batter into a prepared pan, top with the crumb mixture and you're ready to bake - in record time!
How to get rounded topped muffins?
I personally believe that the biggest trick to achieving nicely domed muffins lies in the recipe itself. Some recipes just won't yield muffins with nice rounded tops. This Eggnog Crumble Muffins recipe on the other hand has lots of leavening and starts at a high temperature which gives the muffins a head start.
That being said, there are a few tricks I've learned over the years to help achieve those sought after, beautifully domed muffins:
- Letting the muffin batter rest for 15-20 minutes before baking gives the flour a bit more time to hydrate and thicken which creates more structure, resulting in a nicer dome.
- Start your muffins at a higher temperature, in this recipe, 425˚F. Then, after they go in the oven, reduce the temp (350˚F for this recipe). This gives the muffins a little "boost" of heat at the beginning which helps the initial rising.
- I think the pan makes a difference. Some muffin pans have deeper cups that are smaller in diameter causing a taller, more rounded-topped muffin. I really love this OXO Good Grips Muffin Pan. It consistently produces beautiful cupcakes.
- Scooping your batter with a retractable cookie scoop starts your muffin batter out with a nice rounded top which helps as the muffins bake. I use a slightly rounded 3 tablespoon scoop for my muffins.
- Use a muffin recipe that includes buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. The acidity in these ingredients causes a reaction with the leavening agents to promote a better rise. As a bonus, it also gives baked goods a softer, more tender texture and more body.
- Don't overmix. Never use a mixer for muffins. Overmixing will result in dense muffins. Muffin batter should be mixed just until most of the flour has disappeared. If you're adding fruit like blueberries or peaches, undermix the batter a bit before adding the fruit. That way when you fold in the fruit, the batter will be perfectly muffin-mixed.
- Follow the directions regarding how full to fill the muffin cups. Some recipes call for filling the cups to just "half full", some "three quarters-full" and some "almost to the top". Not all batters behave the same and (hopefully) the recipe creator knows best what will work.
- Make sure you're using fresh baking soda and powder. These leavening agents are not expensive and it's a good idea to start fresh every three to four months, even if they're still within the expiration date.
- When combining wet and dry ingredients, use a folding motion rather than a stirring or mixing motion to create a light batter.
So there you have it... a delicious recipe for holiday breakfasts, brunches and snacks that can be put together quickly or prepped in advance! Merry Christmas to to you (and to me!)!
Café Tips for making these Eggnog Crumble Muffins
- Use a good quality eggnog that you'd like to drink. For delicious tasting muffins, avoid low-fat or no-fat eggnog. This is the holidays, you can splurge a bit!
- I often make muffins without paper liners and then slip the muffins into papers if I want a pretty look when serving or, if you prefer, line your pan with the papers before adding the batter.
- These muffins freeze well. Just freeze them on a plate uncovered. Once they are frozen (about an hour), transfer them to an airtight storage container or zippered bag. Thaw before serving.
- Although the crumble topping is super delicious, you can skip it if you have to lower your calorie count. You can leave them plain, sprinkle the tops with a bit of raw sugar before baking or combine a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of honey and brush the muffins as they come out of the oven for a pretty glaze.
- The eggnog glaze could also be optional, but it adds another layer of delicious eggnog flavor and looks so pretty!
Thought for the day:
And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
and there will no longer be any death;
there will no longer be any mourning,
or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed away.
Revelation 21:14
What we're listening to for inspiration:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons butter
- ½ cup melted butter allow to cool for 5 minutes
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup eggnog
- ¼ cup buttermilk or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons eggnog
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- nutmeg for garnish, if desired
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Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 12 cup muffin baking pan generously with non-stick spray or line the pan with paper cupcake/muffin liners.
-
Prepare the crumble first by melting butter in a microwave-safe, medium-large bowl for 60-90 seconds on high power (cover the bowl with a damp paper towel before melting.)
-
Add the sugar and flour and stir with a fork until well-mixed and nice size crumbs form. Set aside.
-
Whisk the melted butter with the sugar then add the eggs and stir well to combine completely. Add eggnog, buttermilk or yogurt and vanilla. Stir again until well combined.
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Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt over the top of the batter. Stir until smooth and lump-free. Add the flour, stir just until all flour is incorporated.
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Scoop the batter into the 12 muffin cups and sprinkle each with one rounded tablespoon of the crumble mixture. Pat the crumble lightly to adhere it to the batter.
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Wait 15 minutes before baking muffins. Immediately lower the heat to 350˚F and bake for another 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will also spring back when lightly touched on the top when done. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove from pan to a cooling rack.
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While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze by combining the eggnog and powdered sugar in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir with a fork or small whisk until nice and smooth. Drizzle the glaze light over the cooled or just slightly warm muffins. Garnish with a teeny sprinkle of nutmeg if desired. Serve and enjoy!
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
To make these muffins gluten-free, sub an equal amount of cup to cup gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. I used King Arthur Measure to Measure Gluten-Free Flour with really good results. Be sure to allow the batter to rest in the pan as directed before baking. Add around 5 minutes onto the baking time or until the muffins are nicely golden and feel firm when gently touched on the top.
Kathy Schembs says
Oh, wow! These are wonderful! I mixed them up as instructed for baking the next morning and it worked perfectly. After my husband said, "These are really good!" for the fourth time, I decided that the recipe was a keeper. I took some across the street to our neighbors and they loved them, too. Thanks again, Chris. You are still batting 1000!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Kathy! Thanks for letting us know!
Mia says
Oh dear! I think this recipe may depend hugely on the brand of store-bought eggnog. I purchased what was available locally, and followed this recipe to the letter. I used buttermilk. The dome is good and the glaze make them look beautiful, but the muffins themselves are full of lots of big air holes and the crumb is dry - not moist at all. I barely mixed the batter, so it isn't a question of overworking it. What brand of eggnog is used for the above recipe? I suspect that has a lot to do it?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mia, I'm so sorry you had difficulty with this recipe, the muffins should be moist, tender and full of delicious flavor. It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you.
Regarding your question about the eggnog, just use an eggnog that tastes good to you, and the muffins will be delicious!
Mia says
I just noticed that you said you use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour - but I think that must be the secret to this recipe -- no gluten in the flour!! The tunnelling is due to too much gluten, and the flour you use is gluten free. I did some internet hunting and overmixing OR waiting too long to bake the batter will cause gluten problems. So it occurs to me that since I used regular Canadian all-purpose flour (which is not gluten free), that I should not wait the 15 minutes to let the dough rest before baking -- that probably encouraged even more gluten to develop! Please consider testing your recipe using regular all-purpose flour to see if it ought to be adjusted for those using regular flour. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mia,
I use King Arthur all-purpose flour for this recipe.
I mentioned in the notes that I did also test it with gluten-free flour and both times the muffins turned out fantastic. This is actually the recipe I use for all of my muffins and I've never had tunneling or dry muffins.
Also, I just received this email from another reader:
The Eggnog crumble muffins are deadly. Oh my I have made them 3 times and I am going to buy more eggnog so I can make them for January. My neighbours all agree how good these are. Easy to make and delicate delicious flavour, the glaze is just perfect. In fact I intend to use that glaze on vanilla baby bundt cakes . Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Again, so sorry you had trouble with this recipe.
Mia says
Sorry, I just saw that that was from your gluten-free recipe adjustment - oops! But another thought I had is that I am aware that Canadian flour has quite different characteristics, so perhaps that may have contributed to the "too much gluten" aspect in these muffins (and I make a fair amount of muffins!) Thanks for your reply.
Jean says
These look delicious! Could they be made in a mini muffin pan? i so, how long would you bake them?
Thanks for all your delicious recies.
Jean
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you can make these in a mini muffin tin. I'm not sure of the exact time, but I would start checking them after 10 minutes.
KGBDM says
ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS, I AM GUESSING THAT YOU MIX THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FLOUR. AND SUGAR INTO THE 3 1/2 TBSP OF BUTTER TO MAKE THE CRUMBLES?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, I have clarified that!