Cranberry Muffins (One Bowl Recipe) (2024)

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These Cranberry Muffins are light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla and filled with fresh, tart cranberries. Topped with a crunchy, cinnamon sugar streusel on huge muffin tops.

These are bakery-style muffins you can make at home in one bowl with simple ingredients.

Step-by-step photos and instructions are below!

Cranberry Muffins (One Bowl Recipe) (1)

These muffins are SO good. They’re soft and airy with a sweet but tart hit of flavor from the cranberries.

Much like the Cranberry Cake I posted recently, simple recipes around the holidays are a key survival tip. Doing complex recipes just doesn’t work for me! I need things that don’t require a lot of ingredients or anything I need to order from a specialty store. I also don’t want to dirty up the entire kitchen so simple, one-bowl recipes are my JAM.

The recipe makes 12 muffins, but if you have a lot of cranberries leftover from making Cranberry Sauce or Cranberry Cake or whatever delight you whipped up for Thanksgiving, I’d make a double batch and share with neighbors!

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Simple ingredients. Nothing fancy, and items you likely already have.
  • Uses just one bowl. We can get behind the low dishes requirement.
  • Adaptable. See the notes for suggestions on how to mix this recipe up!
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Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.

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How to make cranberry muffins from scratch:

Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!

Get prepped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a muffin pan by lining with paper muffin cups or spray with non-stick spray.

Make the batter

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, beaten eggs, milk and vanilla extract.
  3. Stir just until everything is combined.
  4. Fold in the cranberries, then scoop the batter into the muffin tin filling them right to the top.
Cranberry Muffins (One Bowl Recipe) (4)

Make the Streusel Topping

To make the streusel topping, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl.

With your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles crumbs.

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Bake

Sprinkle the streusel on the tops of the muffins then place on the center rack of the oven to bake.

Bake for 28-30 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely and then move to an airtight container for storage.

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Devour.

Kylee’s Notes & FAQs

These will work fine with either fresh or frozen cranberries. Frozen cranberries, however, will tint your batter pink.

Don’t over mix the batter, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing will result in heavier muffins.

Using an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin tin makes things super quick and results in more uniform muffins.

Fill the muffin tins right to the top for the big, fluffy muffin tops.

These can be made into mini muffins vs regular sized muffins. Be sure to adjust the cook time down though, as they won’t need as much time in the oven to cook.

How long will these muffins keep?

They will keep for about 5 days in an airtight container.

Can I freeze these muffins?

Yes, they freeze very well in an airtight container or ziplock bag. They should keep for several months.

Can you use dried cranberries instead of fresh in muffins?

Yes, but you will need to reduce the sugar in the recipe. Dried cranberries are dried with sweeteners and will affect your final result.

Do you have to cook cranberries before baking?

Nope, throw them right in!

Substitutions/Additions

  • You can replace the cranberries with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.
  • Vegetable oil can be replaced with melted butter or melted coconut oil.
  • Replace vanilla extract with orange or lemon extract.
  • Replace the streusel topping with chopped nuts.
  • You can add orange or lemon zest to the batter for different flavor combinations.
  • You can replace part of the white flour with whole wheat. You may need to add a bit of extra milk when doing this.
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Some of our favorite muffin recipes

  • Trail Mix Muffins – Make these fun trail mix muffins for a boost in lunchboxes, or make them for yourself! Fluffy muffins with fruit and nuts – irresistible!
  • Blueberry Crumb Muffins – Not your average muffin, these streusel muffins take it up a notch with a sweet streusel topping
  • Fresh Strawberry Banana Muffins – packed full of fresh flavors, and last about 5 minutes after coming out of the oven! They’ll be devoured FAST!
  • Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins -A hybrid between a donut and a muffin – sweet, fluffy, dipped in butter and then rolled in cinnamon sugar.
  • Jammy Crumb Muffins – Delicate, vanilla-y muffins, with a buttery crumb topping, and a sweet jammy surprise inside, these won’t last long!
  • ALL MUFFIN RECIPES

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Cranberry Muffins (One Bowl Recipe) (8)

Cranberry Muffins

5 from 3 votes

These Cranberry Muffins are light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla and filled with fresh, tart cranberries. Topped with a crunchy, cinnamon sugar streusel on huge muffin tops.

Author: Kylee Ayotte

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the Muffins

For the Streusel Topping

Directions

Get prepped

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Prepare a muffin tin by lining with paper muffin cups or spray with non-stick spray.

Make the batter

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, beaten eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir just until everything is combined.

  • Fold in the cranberries and then scoop the batter into the muffin tin filling them right to the top.

Make the Streusel Topping

  • To make the streusel topping, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl. With your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles crumbs.

Bake

  • Sprinkle the streusel on the tops of the muffins then place on the centre rack of the oven to bake.

  • Bake for 28-30 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

  • Allow to cool and then move to an airtight container for storage.

  • Devour.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Read More

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Comments

  1. Pam Mackey says

    This is a great recipe and so very tasty; I’ve made them several times and end result is always great; have added orange peel along with cranberries; my only problem seems to be getting them out of the muffin tins especially with the muffin tops! I’ll keep working on that though since this is a very easy and adaptive recipe. Thanks.

    Reply

  2. Terry Russell says

    I thought these might be too sweet when I first saw the recipe, but I made them anyhow. They were just right! The tart fresh cranberries needed the sugar. Good recipe!

    Reply

Cranberry Muffins (One Bowl Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist muffins? ›

How to Make Homemade Muffins Moist: Our Top Tips
  1. Tips to Make Homemade Muffins Moist.
  2. Keep Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately.
  3. Add All Flavorings Last.
  4. Consider Paper Liners.
  5. Don't Overfill the Muffin Cups.
  6. Check the Temperature of Your Oven.
  7. Test if Muffins Are Fully Cooked.
  8. Top Your Muffins with Flavor.
Aug 9, 2021

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried in baking? ›

You'll probably want to use about 1 cup of fresh cranberries for every 1/2 cup of dried cranberries called for in the recipe. You can also look for recipes calling for fresh blueberries and use cranberries instead. Since they're similar in size, fresh blueberries and cranberries can be substituted one-for-one.

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh in baking? ›

Yes! Fresh cranberries freeze for up to a year and can often be substituted in recipes that call for fresh cranberries. When cooking with frozen cranberries, do not thaw before using.

Can you use craisins instead of cranberries? ›

Yes, Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries work well in baked goods; however, there is a 1/4 cup (60 mL) difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh cranberries you should use 3/4 cup (175 mL) of Craisins®.

Are muffins better with oil or butter? ›

It is possible to replace oil with butter in a muffin recipe as generally most muffin recipes are quite forgiving and you may find that butter gives a better flavour.

Should you pre-cook cranberries before baking? ›

There's really not much you need to do to prepare fresh cranberries for baking. I just soaked and rinsed my berries to wash them off and then folded them into my cranberry orange pound cake batter. Pro tip: toss your fresh cranberries with a little flour so they won't sink in the batter!

How long to soak cranberries before baking? ›

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Should you chop cranberries before baking? ›

You can slice the cranberries in half, if desired. I leave them whole.

Why are there no cranberries in the stores? ›

* The availability of fresh cranberries is limited because the harvest season is very short. Harvesting begins in September and continues through November, and fresh cranberries may be purchased during that time.

Should dried cranberries be soaked before baking? ›

Don't Skip This Step if You're Cooking or Baking With Dried Cranberries | Livestrong.com. To rehydrate dried cranberries for baking recipes, simply soak them in hot water, juice or other liquid. You don't need to soak dried cranberries overnight.

Should I thaw frozen cranberries before baking? ›

Thankfully, cranberries can be frozen for up to a year. When you're ready to use frozen cranberries for cooking, it's usually best not to thaw them first.

Can I substitute dried cranberries for fresh in muffins? ›

If your recipe calls for fresh cranberries, swap in 3/4 cup of the dried version. Place the dried cranberries into a glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the cranberries until they are all completely covered. You can also substitute hot fruit juice instead of water for added flavor.

What is the closest berry to cranberries? ›

Another Good Substitute: Lingonberries

They are more like a cranberry cousin with the same genus, Vaccinium while redcurrants come from the Ribes family. Because they have a similar flavour to cranberries, they are perfect to substitute in their place in something like cranberry sauce or even a cranberry jam recipe.

What's a good substitute for fresh cranberries? ›

There's not a direct substitute for fresh cranberries, but you could make a relish or chutney using a combination of fresh cherries and pomegranates, as well as a small amount of dried cranberries or dried figs. The flavor will be more sweet than tart, but it serves the same purpose.

What to add to muffin mix to make it moist? ›

Recently I discovered that if I use sour cream in place of milk in a muffin recipe, I get a super moist, fluffy muffin! The switch is very easy. If a recipe calls for 3/4 cup of milk, I simply use 3/4 cup of sour cream instead. Occasionally, I need to add a bit more sour cream to moisten the muffin batter.

What oil is best for moist muffins? ›

Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods. Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake's flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture.

How do you moisten baked muffins? ›

First, prick the muffin tops all over with a toothpick. Next, pour your liquid of choice (e.g., milk or fruit juice) into a bowl, dip a pastry brush into it, and brush the tops of the muffins. The liquid will seep into the muffin's interior, soaking the crumb and softening the muffins, turning them as good as new.

How to get domed muffins? ›

According to O. Corriher, the way to get a perfectly puffed up dome on your muffins is to increase your oven heat. She says that 400° should do it, no matter what the recipe says. The higher baking temperature means that the the outside edges of the muffin will set while the middle is still liquidy.

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