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These Christmas muffins are pure seasonal indulgence! Fluffy chocolate orange muffins topped with cream cheese frosting and juicy strawberries.
Looking for an easy holiday dessert that’ll have your guests reaching for seconds?
These Christmas mini muffins will have everyone saying, “I’ll take one of those… and another!”
Make your holiday brunch extra sweet with something that could pass as dessert. These orange chocolate muffins are incredibly delicious, even with their simple ingredients.
The cream cheese swirl is rich and melts in your mouth, while the strawberry adds the perfect hit of juicy sweetness.
Plus, they look absolutely gorgeous on the Christmas dessert table!
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When it comes to Christmas morning brunch ideas, muffins are hard to top. Bake a batch of our apple cider and pumpkin muffins and enjoy cozy aromas throughout your kitchen!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Muffins Recipe
- These winter muffins come together with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- With a fluffy chocolate base, a hint of citrus, and topped with a juicy strawberry and cream cheese frosting, these Christmas muffins are as delicious as they look.
- These Santa hat muffins are fun to make with kids and let you get creative with the toppings!
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE MUFFIN INGREDIENTS:
Eggs – For tenderness and structure.
All-purpose flour – We haven’t tested alternatives, so stick with good old all-purpose flour for these festive muffins.
Unsalted butter – Lends richness to the Christmas mini muffins.
Honey – To enhance the sweetness of our Christmas themed muffins.
Orange – These muffins for Christmas get a bright, holiday-ready twist with their chocolate-orange flavor.
Cocoa powder – Rich and simply addictive, chocolate is our flavor of choice for these mini Christmas muffins. You can even turn them into chocolate chip orange zest muffins with extra chocolate chips in the batter.
Baking powder – Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
Cream cheese – These Christmas Day muffins are extra tasty with cream cheese frosting, which also helps keep the strawberries in place.
Honey – A bit of honey balances the tangy cream cheese. You can also use granulated sugar.
Fresh strawberries – Vibrant, juicy berries make the perfect topping for these festive treats.
Ingredient Substitutions For Holiday Muffins
Candy toppings
These Christmas muffins are some of the most fun desserts you can serve this holiday season. Get creative with the toppings, such as cheerful red and green M&M’s or crushed candy canes, instead of strawberries.
White chocolate buttercream
A swirl of white chocolate buttercream is perfect on these orange chocolate Christmas mini muffins! All you need to do is add melted white chocolate to your usual buttercream.
Christmas tree frosting
These festive Santa hat muffins make perfect Christmas muffins for kids. That being said, feel free to get playful with your frosting! Tint your favorite buttercream green, then add sprinkles and little stars to make it look like a Christmas tree that’ll make everyone feel the holiday spirit.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Scoop Your Batter
For uniform Christmas muffins that bake evenly, use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter into your lined muffin tin.
Do Not Overfill the Liners
Don’t forget to leave some room for your holiday muffins to rise when you fill the lined muffin cups.
Check Your Baking Soda
Make sure your baking soda is fresh so your Christmas mini muffins rise the way they should!
Christmas Mini Muffins Recipe FAQs
What is the best Christmas morning breakfast?
The best Christmas breakfast ideas are cozy and a little extra for holiday mornings. Think Christmas muffin recipes like apple muffins, quick breads like our pumpkin bread with cream cheese, festive recipes like TikTok cinnamon rolls with heavy cream, Crockpot French toast casserole, or for savory lovers, Instant Pot egg bites and puff pastry breakfast pizza!
What is one thing you should never do to a muffin mixture?
The biggest thing to keep in mind with these Xmas muffins is avoiding overmixing, or they’ll end up dense. Mix just until you no longer see any flour in the muffin batter.
What is the secret ingredient to fluffy mini Christmas muffins?
For perfectly fluffy Christmas themed muffins, make sure you’re using enough baking powder and that it’s still active. You can test it by spooning a little into a bowl and pouring in boiling water. If it bubbles, you’re set!
How to know if my winter muffins are done?
Your homemade Santa hat muffins for Christmas are done if a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How to store the Christmas muffins?
You can store these Christmas baked goods in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze them before adding the frosting for up to 2 months.
More Xmas Baking Recipes
- Christmas Reindeer Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Cookies
- Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
- Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
I found this recipe for Melting Snowman Cupcakes that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Christmas Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 orange for zest and juice
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1 tbsp honey
- Fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, butter, honey, orange juice, and cocoa powder.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and orange zest. Mix until combined.
- Spoon the batter into the mini muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the muffins bake, blend the cream cheese and honey until smooth, then transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove them gently and place them on a cooling rack.
- Once cooled, pipe the cream cheese on each muffin.
- Place a strawberry on top and enjoy your mini Christmas muffins!
Notes
- For uniform Christmas muffins that bake evenly, use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter into your lined muffin tin.
- Don’t forget to leave some room for your holiday muffins to rise when you fill the lined muffin cups.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh so your Christmas mini muffins rise the way they should!
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
