I don’t know about you, but this holiday season has me in sweet treat overdrive! These cranberry muffins are so quick and easy to make, and they really bring the holiday spirit. Fresh cranberries add a beautiful color and flavor, and they’re not too sweet, either. Ready in just 35 minutes, I have a feeling this cranberry muffin recipe will be seeing a lot of action this holiday season!

partial overhead view of cranberry muffins in a muffin tin.

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Christmas is fast approaching this year, and I am feeling woefully underprepared. I am usually big on making a huge Christmas morning spread, but this year, I want to do something simple. These cranberry muffins are the perfect easy Christmas breakfast. They’re fun, festive, tart, and delicious!

What’s in This Cranberry Muffin Recipe?

  • Flour: All-purpose flour gives these muffins structure.
  • Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise to become light and fluffy.
  • Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a touch of warmth to the muffins.
  • Salt: Kosher salt enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter makes these muffins moist, rich, and tender.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins. Optionally, I like to top my muffins with some turbinado sugar for a bit of crunch!
  • Milk: Adds moisture to the muffins. I used whole milk, but any kind will work.
  • Greek Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt makes these muffins super moist and tender. Sour cream also works well.
  • Eggs: Bind the batter, add structure, and help keep the muffins moist.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds depth to the muffins.
  • Almond Extract: Adds a hint of nuttiness to the muffins that balances out the tart cranberries.
  • Cranberries: I have found that fresh cranberries work best to add tartness and color, but frozen will work in a pinch.
ingredients for cranberry muffins.
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Tips for Success

  • Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry, dense muffins.
  • Don’t over-mix the muffin batter. There shouldn’t be any dry flour, but stop mixing as soon as it’s combined. Over-mixing can cause dense and chewy muffins.
  • To help prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of your muffins, toss them in a little bit of all-purpose flour.
  • When I’m craving a bit of crunch, I like to fold in about ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
  • Make sure that your oven is fully pre-heated before adding in the muffins. If it is cold, they won’t cook through properly.

How to Store

Store leftover cranberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

closeup view of a halved cranberry muffin.
Recipe Card

Cranberry Muffins Recipe

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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
partial overhead view of cranberry muffins in a muffin tin.
These fresh cranberry muffins are so quick and easy to make, and they really bring the holiday spirit with their tart and sweet flavor!
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, melted (1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • ¾ cup milk 170 grams, room temperature
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 114 grams, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract 2 grams
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries 232 grams
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar 23 grams; optional, for topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
    1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    flour in a glass bowl with a whisk.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
    ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
    pale liquid in a glass bowl with a whisk.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  • Fold in the cranberries.
    2 cups fresh cranberries
    folding cranberries into batter in a glass bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Place an even amount of the batter into the cups of a greased muffin tin.
  • Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the tops.
    2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
    cranberry muffin batter in a muffin tin.
  • Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    baked cranberry muffins in a muffin tin.

Becky’s Tips

Storage: Store cranberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
Serving: 1muffinCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Cranberry Muffins Step by Step

Whisk the Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.

flour in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together ½ cup of melted unsalted butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar, ¾ cup of milk, ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon of almond extract.

pale liquid in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Fold in the Cranberries: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold in 2 cups of fresh cranberries.

folding cranberries into batter in a glass bowl with a rubber spatula.

Divide the Muffins: Place an even amount of the batter into the cups of a greased muffin tin. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar over the tops.

cranberry muffin batter in a muffin tin.

Bake the Muffins: Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

baked cranberry muffins in a muffin tin.

More Muffin Recipes to Try!

Meet Krista Teigen

In 2014, after a decade of work in the HR and Technical Communication fields, Krista Teigan decided to follow her passion for healthy cooking by starting food blog. Along the way, she honed her recipe development and food photography skills, and today, she is thrilled to be helping others in the food blogging space to develop and photograph mouth-watering recipes. Krista lives in Shoreview, Minnesota with her husband and two children. Outside of the kitchen, she enjoys exploring the Twin Cities food scene, cheering for her fave Minnesota sports teams, sweating on her Peloton, and jamming out to 90s and 2000s hits.

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1 Comment
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Joyce
Joyce
December 1, 2024 12:55 am

Can’t wait to try!!