After all, if you can’t have something sweet for breakfast at Christmas, when can you? Sometimes I wake up early so we can have a batch of spiced gingerbread muffins right out of the oven. Or I take some time on the weekend to make a few different flavors, like hot chocolate or maple and bacon. Muffin freeze very well usually, so make some space and load it up with as many of these sweet treats as you can fit!
1. Coffee Cake Muffins
Coffee cake is a terrific sweet treat to have as a naughty breakfast or mid-morning snack. Unfortunately, as soon as you take that first slice, the clock starts ticking. No matter how well you wrap it up, the cake will start to dry out, and pretty soon, it won’t be the same moist and tender cake you pulled out of the oven. So, why not make muffins instead? They’re perfect for an on-the-go snack and much easier to serve at your next book club.
2. Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
In my opinion, these are the king of all muffins. No flavor combination holds a candle to sweet bananas and rich dark chocolate, and when mixed into a muffin batter, it’s downright irresistible. But these aren’t your average banana and chocolate muffins! The recipe calls for maple syrup instead of sugar, coconut flour instead of all-purpose, and there’s also almond butter in the mix for a beautiful nutty flavor, too.
3. Starbuck’s Hot Cocoa Chocolate Chip Muffins
These amazing muffins are made using hot cocoa instead of regular cocoa powder, and as the title suggests, you’ll need Starbucks Hot Cocoa. That said, you can use another brand, just as long as it’s not too light. Starbucks Hot Cocoa is dark, like regular cocoa powder, which is why these come out so rich. So, when choosing your hot cocoa powder, I recommend either sticking with Starbucks or going with something equally as intense, like Ghirardelli.
4. Bacon Maple Muffins with Brown Sugar Crumble
I love everything about that title other than the implied calories! Since these babies have bacon right in the muffin, they’re just the right amount of salty and sweet. We all know that bacon and maple are a match made in heaven. One thing that changed was to use the bacon grease along with vegetable oil for added flavor. Just strain it into your measuring jug and top it up with oil. A little goes a long way, so don’t worry if it’s not much.
5. Gingerbread Muffins with Lemon Glaze
The first time I made these, I wasn’t sure about the lemon with gingerbread. So, I made half a batch of lemon glaze and half a batch of orange. Though the lemon was tasty, the orange flavor complimented the warm spices much better, but you can be the judge when you make your own. Another thing I did was add some dark chocolate chunks to the batter. Since the sponge isn’t overly sweet, that bit of richness stood out like you won’t believe and played off the orange like a dream.
6. Christmas Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
When it comes to making Christmas treats, there is one sure-fire way to ensure whatever you’re baking is festive. What is it? Decorations, of course! This simple little chocolate chip muffin is suddenly super Christmas-like just by mixing in some red and green sprinkles. I love these red and green “crispies” because they add some lovely texture, too.
7. Snickerdoodle Muffins
You know the holidays are close when you walk into Michael’s, and all you can smell is cinnamon. Suddenly it’s everywhere, and I just love it! That’s why these simple cinnamon muffins are the first on my list of Christmas muffin recipes. The muffin itself is pretty simple, nice and light, and perfectly moist. But it’s the cinnamon coating that will have you reaching for a second helping. These also make super fast cinnamon roll alternatives, and they really pop when you add a layer of cream cheese glaze to the top.
8. Pecan Pie Muffins
If like me, you wish you could have a slice of pecan pie for breakfast, you’re in luck! These muffins combine the sweet nuttiness of pecan pie with a lighter muffin base. Though they’re lighter than pie filling, these aren’t super light and fluffy like most muffins. Instead, they’re more chewy and dense, kind of like a cakey brownie consistency. If you’re having these as a simple snack or breakfast, I highly recommend keeping the chocolate chips in there. It makes all the difference. If you want to serve these as a fun bread-roll substitute at your next BBQ, maybe skip the chocolate.
9. Peppermint Mocha Muffins
Mint and chocolate is such a yummy flavor combination, and I wish we didn’t just save it for the holidays. Although, it does make a nice change to all those spiced baked treats and pumpkin-spice-everything! As much as I love the look of crushed candy canes when baking, if you can find these Andes peppermint baking chips, I suggest you use those instead. These baking chips will melt like chocolate and leave you with a more creamy, minty finish.
10. Fresh Cranberry Eggnog Christmas Muffins
I was a little surprised at how lovely these muffins came out since I’d never thought to put tart cranberries with creamy eggnog before. The first thing you’ll notice is how fantastic the pale muffins look with the pops of bright red dotted throughout. I made this recipe twice, and the second time, I added chocolate chips and used dried cranberries (it was all I had), and they were equally as delicious.
11. Starbucks Pumpkin Muffins (Copycat Recipe)
These copycat Starbucks muffins are light, buttery, and loaded with tasty pumpkin puree and warm spices. They also have a surprise cream cheese filling that adds a whole other level of tangy flavor to the mix. One option when making the filling is to roll it into a log using parchment paper. Just be sure it’s thin enough to fit into the muffin tin. Another way is to use a piping bag and pipe out small discs onto a lined baking sheet. If you make your own pumpkin puree, make sure you blend it well to avoid any lumps in your batter, and if you want an extra boost of flavor, try roasting it first. Click on a star to rate it!
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