Fresh Cranberry Muffin Recipe
It’s that time of year for cranberries. I just love cranberries and they’re perfect in these muffins. Sweet white chocolate pairs perfectly with the cranberries and balances their tartness. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations. The muffins are soft, fluffy, buttery, and ultra moist. A combination of sour cream (or Greek yogurt), buttermilk, and the natural juices from the cranberries all help to create moist muffins with a tender crumb. I wish cranberry season wasn’t so short. You can freeze cranberries and they do freeze very well, but they’re really such a ‘now’ ingredient. So many recipes to make, so little time.
What’s in the Fresh Cranberry Muffins?
To make these cranberry muffins with fresh cranberries, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Light brown sugar Eggs Sour cream (or Greek yogurt) Buttermilk Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Baking powder Baking soda Ground cinnamon Salt White chocolate chips Fresh cranberries
How to Make Cranberry Muffins
The cranberry muffin batter comes together like your typical muffin recipe. Whisk together the wet ingredients, add the dry, then fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. After you get the batter in the muffin pan, top each muffin with a few cranberries. The cranberries add such an eye-catching pop of color and make the muffins irresistible. To help create a nice domed top to the muffins, bake the muffins at 425F for 5 minutes before turning the oven down to 350F for the duration, another 18 to 20 minutes. Same principle as with popovers. The intense burst of high heat for 5 minutes helps the muffins rise better. Because cranberries, climates, and ovens vary, keep a close eye on your muffins and bake until done, whatever that means in your oven.
Can I Use Frozen Cranberries?
Yes! I made these cranberry muffins with fresh cranberries, but frozen may be substituted. If using frozen, do not thaw them before adding them to the batter. You may need to add 1 to 2 minutes to the total bake time.
Can I Bake the Batter in a Loaf Pan?
I’m sure you could, although I haven’t tried it myself. You’d need to play around with the oven temperature / bake time though. If you’re looking for a cranberry bread recipe, I recommend following my Cranberry Orange Bread recipe instead. I’ve made that recipe multiple times and know that it works.
Tips for Making the Best Cranberry Muffins
The recipe makes about 14 muffins, or 1 dozen plus a mini loaf. I love my mini loaf pans for that extra little bit of batter that I hate throwing out, but refuse to dirty another muffin pan for a couple muffins. The loaf pan fits perfectly next to the muffin pan on the same oven rack so everything bakes evenly. If desired, you may substitute the white chocolate chips with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Both flavor pairings work well in this recipe!
More Cranberry Recipes:
ALL OF MY CRANBERRY RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Crustless Cranberry Pie —A FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for holiday entertaining!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe!
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars — Fast, easy, no mixer bars with juicy cranberries and big crumbles!! Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert! Soft, chewy, hearty, and so good!!
Cranberry Orange Bread — The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart!
Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe} – They taste just like the real thing and you can make them at home, year-round!
Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bars — Super soft, buttery bars packed with chewy cranberries! And there’s a chocolate overload in every bite!!
Cranberry Seven Layer Bars — If you need a holiday dessert that’s virtually effortless but that tastes like a million bucks, this is the one.
