These bakery-style Spiced Eggnog Muffins are oversized oat muffins made with a full cup of eggnog, finished with a crunchy brown sugar streusel and a simple eggnog glaze. They’re soft, tender and warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. If you love a big muffin top, these jumbo muffins with a buttery crumble are for you. They also freeze well, making them an excellent make-ahead treat for the busy holiday season.
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The trick to oatmeal muffins – soak your oats!
Adding oats to muffins gives them a hearty texture, but oats can sometimes make baked goods a bit dry. The secret to keeping oatmeal muffins moist is to soak the oats in a liquid before combining them with the rest of the batter. For these muffins I soak the oats in eggnog, which keeps the crumb tender and adds flavor. I use this method in many muffin recipes — even with steel-cut oats, as long as you allow plenty of soaking time.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Below are the main ingredients and useful substitution notes. For exact measurements and the full recipe, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats (large flake) work best, but quick oats are fine. Steel-cut oats can be used if soaked overnight or for about 5–6 hours.
- Eggnog – Full-fat eggnog gives the most tender result. Light or plant-based eggnogs provide the same flavor but a slightly less tender crumb.
- Oil – Vegetable oil keeps muffins moist, though canola, avocado or light olive oil are good substitutes.
- Spices – Even though eggnog is spiced, adding ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger enhances the flavor across the batter, streusel and glaze.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds richness to the batter and streusel. Light brown sugar is used here, but dark brown sugar can be substituted for a deeper molasses note.
How to make eggnog muffins with streusel and glaze
Here’s a concise overview of the method with photos. For full step-by-step details refer to the recipe card below.
Measuring ingredients
The recipe card below lists US cup measurements for convenience and includes weight (grams) and milliliter measurements for greater accuracy. Use a kitchen scale for grams and a liquid measuring cup for milliliters. Smaller quantities are given in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Tips for recipe success
- Muffins are mildly sweet. The batter contains only 1/3 cup brown sugar, so the streusel and glaze add most of the sweetness. They’re balanced and not overly sweet on their own.
- No liners needed. Baking without liners gives a prettier bakery-style top.
- Grease the pan well. Coat the muffin cups and the surrounding top area where streusel may spill so the domes don’t stick.
- Space the muffins. Make six jumbo muffins in a 12-cup pan by greasing every second cup to allow roomy, high domes.
- Use cold butter for streusel. Cold, cubed butter yields a crumbly topping that bakes into a crunchy streusel without spreading.
- Remember to reduce oven temperature. Start at 425°F for 5 minutes to create a bakery-style top, then lower to 350°F for the remaining bake time to prevent over-browning.
Recipe FAQs
Because the glaze contains eggnog, store glazed muffins in the refrigerator. Warm one briefly in the microwave before serving, or omit the glaze if you prefer to store them at room temperature.
Yes. Muffins freeze well — glazed or unglazed. Place them in a single layer or a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
Yes. Divide the batter among all 12 muffin cups (you won’t fill them to the top). Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F and bake for about 10–12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
More muffin recipes
- Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Partridgeberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Spelt Flour Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Air Fryer Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Spiced Eggnog Muffins with Streusel and Eggnog Glaze
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 cup (105 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (240 ml) full-fat eggnog
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the streusel topping:
- ¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the glaze:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 teaspoons full-fat eggnog
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Add the oats and eggnog to a large bowl. Stir to combine and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes, or until the oats have softened.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease every second cup in a 12-cup muffin tin so six cups are prepared and spaced out.
- To the soaked oats, add the egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest while you make the streusel.
- Make the streusel by combining flour, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the cubed cold butter and work it in with your fingertips until crumbly. If it warms up, chill for 5–10 minutes.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to the top.
- Top each muffin with streusel.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F and bake 14–16 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, a pinch of nutmeg and 3–4 teaspoons eggnog until smooth, adjusting eggnog to your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
Notes
- Without the streusel and glaze the muffins are mildly sweet due to only ⅓ cup brown sugar in the batter.
- Use cold butter for the streusel to achieve a crumbly, crunchy topping.
- The muffins bake up with better tops when made without liners.
- Coat the muffin cups and top rim area with non-stick spray where streusel may spill to prevent sticking.
- This recipe yields six jumbo muffins; a 12-cup pan greased every other cup gives the best spacing for large domes.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
| Carbohydrates: 65g
| Protein: 8g
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary based on substitutions and brands used.
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