These Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins are soft, fluffy, and so easy to make! Fresh cranberries add a slight tanginess that goes really well with warming spices in pumpkin pie spice. The muffins are freezer-friendly, gluten-free, and perfect for meal prep or DIY gifts!
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Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
A classic muffin with a twist - We all love a classic pumpkin spice muffin, but what if we added some cranberries? They're a staple during this time of the year, but you don't see them used in pumpkin recipes very often. Fresh cranberries add tanginess and complement the warming spices and pumpkin really well. It's an unexpected twist on the classic muffin, and if you're a fan of cranberries, you have to try these!
Easy and simple - Making the batter for these muffins really couldn't be simpler! The oven does most of the work, and the ingredients are easy to find at most supermarkets. The muffins are also made with gluten-free flour, so everyone can enjoy them!
Freezer-friendly - The muffins store really well in both the fridge and the freezer so you can make them during meal prep or make a double batch for busy mornings during the fall and winter.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - Most of my recipes with flour are developed using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour, but can be made using regular all-purpose flour as well, or other gluten-free flour blends you're used to.
- Brown sugar and turbinado sugar - The muffins are sweetened with brown sugar, which gives them a deeper, more molasses flavor than white sugar would. They're also sprinkled with turbinado sugar before baking to create a crunchy muffin top and add more sweetness to balance the bitterness of cranberries.
- Avocado oil - Pure avocado oil gives the muffins a cake-like texture. You can use another neutral-tasting vegetable oil you'd normally use in muffins or cakes instead if you don't have avocado oil.
- Milk and yogurt - I went with both milk and yogurt for these muffins because, while yogurt makes them extra moist and fluffy, too much of it turns them too dense. I use cashew or almond milk and full-fat Greek yogurt. You can use whole milk or a good creamy vegan yogurt as well.
- Eggs - Large eggs help everything bind together. I haven't tried any vegan substitutes, so I can't guarantee results.
- Canned pumpkin puree - Look for pure pumpkin puree without any additives, not pumpkin pie filling, because it has other ingredients like sugar and spices that would throw off the consistency of the batter.
- Pumpkin spice - This classic spice is usually a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. You can make your own or use store-bought to speed things up.
- Cranberries - You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries. You could also use dried cranberries, but they will give the muffins a completely different flavor because they're dried with sugar so they're much sweeter.
- Pumpkin seeds - This one is optional, but highly recommended! Raw pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top add a nice crunch, flavor, and a little bit of protein.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dried cranberries - While I recommend fresh cranberries, you can use dried ones in a pinch. The muffins will be sweeter because dried cranberries don't taste nearly as sour and bitter as fresh ones. I recommend only adding ½ cup of dried cranberries instead of a full cup.
- Orange zest - If you want to add more depth to the muffins, add some fresh orange zest. It goes really well with the cranberries! Be careful not to overdo it, though, as too much would turn them bitter. ½ teaspoon will be enough.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- Add pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt and whisk until well incorporated.
- Whisk in milk.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches and whisk until just mixed. Don’t overmix.
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- In a small bowl, toss together cranberries (set a few aside for garnish if desired) and tapioca starch.
- Fold the cranberries into the batter using a spatula.
- Spoon the muffin batter into your prepared muffin pan and top with any reserved cranberries, and sprinkle the top of each muffin with turbinado sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven, lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 25-28 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before carefully taking them out and placing them on a cooling wire rack. Enjoy warm.
Tips & Tricks!
- Don't add too many cranberries - They're delicious in combination with pumpkin spice in these muffins, but too many cranberries might make the muffins too tangy and bitter. If you want more cranberries, add a small handful of dried cranberries to the batter as well.
- Sprinkle some sugar on top - Adding turbinado sugar on top before baking the muffins helps to balance the bitterness of the cranberries, and it creates the best crispy muffin tops, similar to the ones you'd find in fancy cafes!
- Don't overmix the batter - Overmixing the batter too much can yield denser muffins that won't rise as much and will have a smooth muffin top.
Storing
Room temperature: I only recommend storing the muffins at room temperature if you're going to eat them all within 24 hours. They can spoil faster because of the fresh cranberries, so I recommend storing them in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer.
Refrigerator: Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Always wait for the muffins to cool down completely before storing and closing the container with a lid to avoid condensation.
Freezer: If you want to store the muffins for longer, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for 3-4 months. Depending on the strength of your freezer and how well it maintains temperature, the storage time may be shorter or longer.
Reheating
If you're reheating the muffins from the fridge, you can warm them up in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes. If they're frozen, I recommend running a defrost setting first or defrosting them in the fridge or at room temperature first. You can warm them up from frozen at 300°F as well, but the middle will stay frozen for longer, so you may have to cut them in half once the outside is defrosted to fully warm them up.
FAQs
Yes, but I recommend adding only ½ cup instead of a full cup and chopping them up so they spread in the batter more. The finished muffins will be sweeter because dried cranberries have added sugar and aren't as sour.
I test all my recipes with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour so that's what I recommend for the best results. You can use dairy-free yogurt and milk, but I haven't tested the muffins with any vegan egg substitutes, so I can't guarantee results.
More Sweet Pumpkin Recipes
If you're looking for other sweet recipes that use pumpkin puree, definitely give any of the five below a try! Head over to Breads and Muffins to see all the latest muffin recipes.
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Print📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins are soft, fluffy, and so easy to make! Fresh cranberries add a slight tanginess that goes really well with warming spices in pumpkin pie spice.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (I recommend full-fat)
- ½ cup milk (I use cashew or almond milk, but whole milk works too)
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1-2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- Add pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt and whisk until well incorporated.
- Whisk in milk.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches and whisk until just mixed. Don’t overmix.
- In a small bowl, toss together cranberries (set a few aside for garnish if desired) and tapioca starch.
- Fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Spoon the muffin batter into your prepared muffin pan and top with any reserved cranberries, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven, lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 25-28 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before carefully taking them out and placing them on a cooling wire rack. Enjoy warm.
Equipment
Notes
Storing: I recommend storing the muffins in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months.
Reheating: Reheat the muffins in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 8-10 minutes. If they’re frozen, you can defrost them in the fridge or on the counter first, or reheat from frozen in the oven. You may need to slice the muffin in half once it’s soft and put it back into the oven because the middle could still be frozen.
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