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Cranberry Sauce Muffins Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 114 reviews

These Cranberry Sauce Muffins are a delightful fall-inspired treat combining the warm flavors of pumpkin and spices with a tangy cranberry sauce topping and a buttery streusel. Perfectly moist and fluffy, topped with a sweet and crumbly streusel, these muffins make a fantastic breakfast or snack during the holiday season.

Ingredients

Scale

Muffin Batter

  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (120 grams)
  • ⅓ cup avocado oil
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp pumpkin spice (optional)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅓–½ cup whole berry or smooth cranberry sauce

Streusel Topping

  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter (28 grams), melted
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 grams)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking.
  2. Prepare muffin tin: Line a 6 or 12 cavity muffin tin with parchment paper liners—6 tulip-style for tall bakery-style muffins or 8-9 standard liners for smaller muffins. Set aside.
  3. Room temperature ingredients: Set out milk, egg, and cranberry sauce to warm to room temperature to ensure even mixing.
  4. Make the streusel: Begin by melting the butter. In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt well. Pour melted butter over this mixture and combine with a fork until crumbly. This step allows the streusel to dry slightly before baking, enhancing texture.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg, avocado oil, milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
  6. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
  7. Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet pumpkin mixture. Stir with a metal whisk until just combined; do not overmix. Some small lumps are okay, and the batter will be thick.
  8. Optional rest: For taller muffins, let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes before baking to allow the flour to hydrate fully and improve rise.
  9. Fill muffin cups: Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Use slightly over ¼ cup per muffin for 6 large muffins or about 3 tablespoons for 8-9 smaller muffins.
  10. Add cranberry layer: Spoon the cranberry sauce on top of each batter-filled muffin and gently spread it evenly over the surface.
  11. Top with streusel: Sprinkle the streusel mixture generously over the cranberry layer on each muffin.
  12. Bake muffins: Place the muffin tin in the oven’s center rack at 400℉, then immediately reduce oven temperature to 350℉ once the door is closed. Bake the 6 large muffins for 24-26 minutes or the smaller 8-9 muffins for 22-23 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  13. Cool muffins: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes to set. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The flavors will deepen and the texture improve once fully cooled. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Allowing milk, egg, and cranberry sauce to reach room temperature helps achieve a smoother batter texture.
  • Letting the batter rest before baking can help muffins rise taller and have a better crumb.
  • Use whole berry cranberry sauce for added texture or smooth for a uniform top layer.
  • The streusel adds a sweet, crunchy contrast to the soft muffin and tangy cranberry.
  • Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cranberry sauce muffins, fall recipes, autumn baking, streusel muffins, holiday muffins

Find it online: https://cookwithruby.com/cranberry-sauce-muffins-recipe/