Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Name: Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup whole milk; 1/2 cup pumpkin puree; 1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed); 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons butter (melted); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup dried cranberries

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Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins cross the gap between the fall and the winter holidays. They are moist fluffy muffins made with pure pumpkin and dried cranberries and are perfect for both Thanksgiving dessert and Christmas brunch!

Be sure to try some of our other favorite pumpkin recipes too. These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a must make and it’s a toss up between pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin french toast for weekend breakfast during pumpkin season.

Delicious cranberry pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin.

Easy Pumpkin and Cranberry Muffins

These homemade muffins are filled with a combination of the two most iconic fall season ingredients – pumpkin spice and tart cranberries. When you can’t decide which one to make, make them both! They are great for breakfast on-the-go on busy mornings or an afternoon snack.

And you don’t have to wait long for them to come out of the oven. After just 15 minutes, these easy muffins are ready to eat.

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The ingredients for cranberry pumpkin muffins - baking powder, pumpkin puree, butter, dried cranberries, flour, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla extract.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Flour: all-purpose flour is the base of the muffins. Feel free to use ½ cup of whole wheat flour in place of ½ cup of all purpose flour if you’d like.
Baking Powder: A leavening agent that makes the muffins rise so they are nice and fluffy.
Whole Milk: This gives the muffins some much-needed moisture. Use any kind of milk you prefer or non-dairy milk like almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk. You can even use buttermilk.
Pumpkin Puree: I use canned pumpkin purée but you can also use homemade pumpkin puree. Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling!
Brown Sugar: Sweetens the batter while giving the muffins a light caramel flavor.
Egg: The binding agent that holds all the ingredients together.
Butter: softened to room temperature. Also gives them extra moisture and a smooth, buttery flavor. Swap the butter for coconut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or even an equal amount of plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce for a lower fat version.
Vanilla Extract: A beautiful flavor that pairs well with any baked good recipe.
Cranberries: Using dried cranberries give the muffins festive pops of color and rounds out the sweetness from the sugar and pumpkin.

Variations To Try

1. Add a ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for added warmth.
2. Swap the light brown sugar with granulated sugar or dark brown sugar for a slightly different flavor.
3. For gluten-free muffins, use gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour.
4. Add a few pumpkin seeds or chopped pecans to the top of the muffins for crunch.

How to Make Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

This recipe takes no shortcuts, but the muffins are still ready in less than 30 minutes. You can’t go wrong with homemade holiday muffins like these!

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F and line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or spray them with non-stick baking spray.

milk, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and vanilla extract whisked together in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

Then, in a separate medium bowl, add the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk together well.

Pumpkin muffin batter in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until there are no lumps of flour. Be careful not to overmix the batter or the muffins will be more dense instead of fluffy.

Cranberry pumpkin batter in a large glass mixing bowl.

Cranberry pumpkin muffin batter poured in cupcake liners a muffin tin.

Step 4: Fold in the dried cranberries. For equal sized muffins, use a cookie scoop to divide the pumpkin mixture into the muffin cups. Fill them up to about ¾.

Step 5: Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

Sprinkle them with powdered sugar or coarse sugar for a little extra treat.
Be careful to not add too much flour. I use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off with the flat side of a butter knife.
Again, watch that you’re not using pumpkin pie filling. It will alter the taste of your muffins!
Fresh cranberries aren’t recommended for this muffin recipe.

What can I serve with these muffins?

These muffins are the perfect things to keep in your kitchen for busy mornings over the holiday season. You can also make a huge batch of them and share them with friends and family at brunches or dinners.

If you’re going to serve them at brunch, make Spinach quiche muffins or bisquick quiche and this easy fruit salad to go with them!

And, don’t forget about the coffee! These muffins are perfect with a glass of maple whipped coffee.

FAQ’s

How to store leftover pumpkin muffins?

Once the muffins cool completely, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You want to maintain moisture by keeping the lid on, but not have excess moisture from any residual heat.

Can you freeze?

Yes, these muffins are perfect to freeze for later. After they have cooled, place them in a freezer bag or container and store for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, in the refrigerator or defrost for a few seconds in the microwave.

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