Cranberry Muffins
Updated Oct 14, 2025
These cranberry muffins are made with fresh cranberries, sliced almonds, and lemon zest. Everything comes together easily and bakes in under 30!
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Make a batch of my cranberry lemon muffins!
I started making these cranberry muffins because I always end up with extra cranberries around the holidays and hate wasting them. They’re a mix of sweet, tart, and a little crunch from the almonds, plus the lemon keeps them bright and fresh.
This cranberry muffin recipe couldn’t be easier. I just mix everything in one bowl, bake it, and let the smell do the rest. They’re the kind of muffin that makes it hard to wait for them to cool before grabbing one.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cranberry Muffins Ingredients
- Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Lemon: Read my tips on how to juice a lemon and how to zest a lemon, because I use both in this recipe.
- Toasted sliced almonds: Here’s a quick tutorial on how to toast almonds. Any nut works, like toasted walnuts or toasted pecans.
- Coconut oil: You can also use vegetable oil or melted butter.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Wet ingredients: Maple syrup, eggs, and Greek yogurt.
How to Make Cranberry Muffins
Cranberry Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 cup cranberries halved
- ½ cup toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a muffin tin or line it with muffin cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, whisk together the maple syrup and coconut oil until combined. Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Then, fold in the cranberries and sliced almonds.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each muffin cup all the way to the top. Bake for 23–27 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the muffins are lightly browned on the edges. Cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
Notes
- My Top Tip: If you use frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them. Use them right from the freezer and fold them quickly into the batter before baking. If they start to thaw, the color will leak and turn your muffins pink.
- Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container with a paper towel under them to absorb any moisture. Fresh cranberry muffins keep well at room temperature for 2–3 days and in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze the muffins solid on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag or container. Frozen cranberry muffins keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add a cranberry jam core. Place a spoonful of cranberry jam in the center of each muffin before baking for a surprise filling.
- Make them even sweeter. Add a handful of white chocolate chips to the batter and top the cooled muffins with a homemade glaze.
Recipe Tips
- If you use frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them. Use them right from the freezer and fold them quickly into the batter before baking. If they start to thaw, the color will leak and turn your muffins pink.
- Don’t overmix the batter. When you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, fold gently until just combined. If you overmix, the muffins can turn out dense.
- Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack. The wire rack lets cool air circulate all around, so you don’t get soggy bottoms.
FAQs
Fresh or frozen works best, but you can use dried cranberries if that’s what you have. I recommend rehydrating them in hot water or orange juice for about 10 minutes before adding them to the batter.
Toss them in a bit of flour before folding them into the batter. This helps them stay evenly distributed.
Comments
I baked these muffins this morning and they are awesome! I must check out your other recipes. Taste and texture were perfect, as was oven timing. I often have to add minutes upon checking, but your 27 minutes was perfect for my oven! Such a smooth process. Only hesitation I had was that I used frozen cranberries so left them whole. I tossed them frozen with flour so they would not sink. Everything turned out perfect..this recipe is definitely a keeper!! Good job Yumna…..and healthy too. ps. l used gluten free flour.
I’m so happy this turned out perfectly for you! And with gluten-free flour! Thank you for sharing your experience, Judi!
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