Cranberry Muffins Recipe
These Cranberry Muffins are soft and fluffy with a bakery-quality crumb. Bursting with fresh cranberries and finished with a sparkling sugar crust, they’re hard to resist!
Breakfast recipes like Strawberry Overnight Oats, Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Cups, and these Cranberry Muffins are perfect for busy mornings, or as an easy grab and go snack!
I recently took a trip to visit a close friend from college who lives on Cape Cod.
One of the extra special parts of my trip, aside from eating lots of fresh seafood and cooking a “lobstah” for the first time, was finally seeing a cranberry bog.
It was a neat experience, and I’ve learned a lot about these little antioxidant powerhouses since then. Next on my to-do list is to see a cranberry harvest in action, which was a little too early in the season for me to see.
Since cranberries are harvested in late September through November, it only makes sense that they are a star feature in all kinds of fall recipes, like Fresh Cranberry Sauce or my Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies.
Ingredients for Cranberry Muffins
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- sour cream
- milk
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- fresh cranberries
- sparkling sugar for topping (optional)
How to Make Cranberry Muffins – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add muffin liners to a 12-cup muffin pan then spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Make the batter
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl then add the sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until batter becomes slightly fluffy.
Step 5: Add the cranberries
Stir in the dry ingredients by hand until there are still lumps, then fold in the cranberries until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 6: Fill cranberry muffin cups
Using a cookie scoop, add the batter to each of the muffin liners until they are about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the sparkling sugar on top if using.
Step 7: Bake
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cranberry muffins. Repeat the baking process with the remaining muffin batter then serve.
Tips and Notes
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes, you can definitely use frozen cranberries. There is no need to thaw them beforehand; simply add the frozen cranberries to the batter just as you would the fresh cranberries.
How to Store
These Cranberry Muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to four days. I like to add a layer of paper towels to the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture. I do not recommend storing in the refrigerator for this same reason.
How to Freeze Cranberry Muffins
Once the muffins are completely cooled, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the muffins on the counter before enjoying.
More Cranberry Recipes You Might Enjoy!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Cranberry Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed, dried, and half of them sliced in half
- sparkling sugar, for topping, optional
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add muffin liners to a 12-cup muffin pan then spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl then add the sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until batter becomes slightly fluffy.
- Stir in the dry ingredients by hand until there are still lumps, then fold in the cranberries until combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop, add the batter to each of the muffin liners until they are about 2/3 full.Sprinkle the sparkling sugar on top if using, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffins. Repeat the baking process with the remaining muffin batter then serve.
Notes
- Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes, you can definitely use frozen cranberries. There is no need to thaw them beforehand; simply add the frozen cranberries to the batter just as you would the fresh cranberries.
- How to Store: These Cranberry Muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to four days. I like to add a layer of paper towels to the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture. I do not recommend storing in the refrigerator for this same reason.
- How to Freeze Cranberry Muffins: Once the muffins are completely cooled, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the muffins on the counter before enjoying.
These easy to make and were the perfect on-the-go breakfast! Will make again.
Whipped up a batch of these this afternoon and they did not disappoint! Turned out perfectly light, fluffy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth, indeed!
These were amazing, and the sour cream kept them at the perfect texture. Delish!
Love Cranberry Muffins. I love the mixed flavor of sweet and slightly sourness. All time favorite muffin recipe!
They came out soft, moist and delicious! I especially love the sugar crust..yum! Do you think I can bake this with dried cranberries? Thinking about trying that next..
My kids will melt for these! Love so many of your recipes ๐ย
I really like cranberry loaf so I was excited to find these super moist and tasty cranberry muffins. They came out perfectly!
These muffins look amazing. I love cranberries so I am excited to make these.
These look so good! Cranberries are so good in baked goods and these look like a pretty easy to follow recipe too!
I Love the tartness of cranberries. These muffins look so good!
My Mom and I used to make cranberry muffins all the time when I was a kid. These look so delicious!
These look so delicious! I’m craving muffins now
These look delicious! And these would be perfect for around the holidays!