If you love the Christmas Fruitcake but do not want to go through the long detailed process, then this easy fruitcake muffins recipe is for you. The whole concept of making these candied fruit muffins happened because my husband loves tutti frutti.
Table of contents
The tiny colorful candied papaya also known as tutti frutti is very popular in Indian baking. We love the tutti frutti loaf cake from the bakeries back in India or these tutti frutti cookies. I don't often get good tutti frutti here in the US. The closest option that I bake with is the fruitcake mix which is a combination of candied fresh fruits and citrus peels.
If you are reading this recipe from India or have Indian stores that sell good quality tutti frutti, then use it instead. These delicious muffins are not as heavy as a traditional Christmas cake. Instead, these are very light and airy and are just the right sweetness.
I bake eggless recipes many times, but I do not mind one or two eggs in my cake or muffin. In this muffin recipe, I decided to use one egg in the recipe to keep it light.
Why bake this fruitcake muffin?
- If you are looking for a quick bake for weekend brunch or after-school snack, this is a perfect recipe.
- We don't need any special gadgets or fancy equipment. All we need is a hand mixer (or a whisk) and a bowl to make the muffin batter.
- A great recipe choice to bake with kids.
- The fruitcake muffin is not boozy as compared to the traditional holiday fruitcake.
- The spices are very minimal and that also makes this muffin much lighter and fresher than a traditional fruitcake.
- And last but y favorite reason to bake these muffins is to use all the fruitcake mix that I load up during the Christmas season.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable recipe.
Flour - I have used all-purpose flour to bake the muffins. We could use half wheat flour and half APF but I found all wheat flour made the muffins a little denser.
Fruitcake Mix - I buy the fruitcake mix from my local grocery store. Make sure to use good quality fruitcake mix. Tutti frutti / candied papaya can be used instead.
Butter - I used softened room-temperature unsalted butter in my recipe today.
Egg - I have used one large egg in the recipe. I am making it eggless, and I use about ¼ cup of milk in the recipe instead. The texture of the muffins will be a little different.
Yogurt - Use full-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt.
Sugar - I have used granulated white sugar.
Leavening agent - We use both baking powder and baking soda in the recipe and also a little salt.
Cinnamon - I have used cinnamon alone for flavoring. We could use a little nutmeg and all-spice for more traditional flavors.
Step-by-step process
Prep work -
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Place liners in a muffin tin and lightly spray them with non-stick cooking/baking spray.
Leave the egg and the butter out to come to room temperature allowing the butter to soften as well.
Prepare the dry ingredients -
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.
Prepare the wet ingredients -
In another bowl, add the softened butter and sugar and beat it well using a hand mixer or a wire whisk.
Add the egg and beat it well until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
Make the muffin batter -
Now add the prepared flour mixture and the yogurt, alternating both between each addition. Whisk it gently to combine.
Add the fruitcake mix (reserving a little to add on top) and mix it gently to combine using a rubber spatula.
Bake the muffins -
Once the batter is ready, divide it evenly into each muffin cup. Do not fill the muffin cups till the top. The fruitcake muffin would rise during baking.
Sprinkle some reserved fruitcake mix on top (optional).
Bake the muffins for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (with a few crumbs attached).
Let the muffins sit in the pan for about 5 minutes and then cool them on a wire rack.
Enjoy the Christmas fruitcake muffins any time of the year!
Variations to Fruitcake muffins
Make the muffins into a tutti-frutti muffin by replacing the fruitcake mix with candied papaya aka tutti-frutti.
Add nuts of your choice along with the fruitcake mix. I like to use sliced almonds or chopped pecans and walnuts.
Add more spices along with cinnamon such as nutmeg and all-spice.
Substitute half the APF with whole wheat flour for a more rustic texture.
Substitute sour cream for yogurt for a slightly tangy flavor.
Storage Tips
- Let the muffins cool down completely on a wire rack before storing them. If there is any warmth in the muffin, it will lead to condensation and eventually cause the muffins to spoil sooner.
- The muffins can stay outside at room temperature for a couple of days and beyond that, they need to be frozen.
- I like to layer my container with parchment paper and also place a piece of parchment paper on top to prevent the muffins from becoming sticky.
- Do not refrigerate muffins or any baked goodies. They dry out in the refrigerator.
- Muffins freeze great for longer storage. I always have a bag of frozen muffins for those days when I need something quick to snack on.
More baking recipes
Recipe card
Fruitcake Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- oven
- Muffin tin
- Muffin liners
- Hand mixer or whisk
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Cup Fruitcake mix
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 5 Tablespoon Butter (unsalted and softened)
- 1 large Egg
- ¾ Cup Yogurt (whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt)
Instructions
Prep work -
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Place liners in a muffin tin and lightly spray them with non-stick cooking/baking spray.
- Leave the egg and the butter out to come to room temperature allowing the butter to soften as well.
Prepare the dry ingredients -
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and keep it aside.1 ½ Cups All-purpose flour, ½ Tablespoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Salt
Prepare the wet ingredients -
- In another bowl, add the softened butter and sugar and beat it well using a hand mixer or a wire whisk.5 Tablespoon Butter, 1 Cup Sugar
- Add the egg and beat it well until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.1 large Egg
Make the muffin batter -
- Now add the prepared flour mixture and the yogurt, alternating both between each addition. Whisk it gently to combine.¾ Cup Yogurt
- Add the fruitcake mix (reserving a little to add on top) and mix it gently to combine using a rubber spatula.1 Cup Fruitcake mix
Bake the muffins -
- Once the batter is ready, divide it evenly into each muffin cup. Do not fill the muffin cups till the top. The fruitcake muffin would rise during baking.
- Sprinkle some reserved fruitcake mix on top (optional).
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (with a few crumbs attached).
- Let the muffins sit in the pan for about 5 minutes and then cool them on a wire rack.
Courtney says
Great idea and delicious! An entire fruitcake is also pretty labor intensive. My grandmother makes fruit cake cookies that the whole family looks forward to at Christmas.
Liv says
How fun are these! I have to admit, I am way too lazy to make a proper christmas fruit cake, so these were the perfect alternative.