Zesty lemon and tangy cranberry is one of our favorite combinations, and our Lemon Cranberry Muffins are absolutely packed with flavor. Each muffin is bursting with fresh citrus, balanced by the subtle sweetness of cranberries. Perfect for breakfast, tucking into lunch bags, or as a snack on the go, you will find yourself regularly whipping up a batch (or two!) of these muffins.
Perfectly refreshing and sweet, our Lemon Cranberry Muffins are a wholesome treat for any time of day. Enjoy with your morning coffee, or save one for an afternoon pick-me-up. Either way, their bright flavor is what cravings are made of.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- What to Serve with Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Cranberry is quickly becoming one of my favorite fruits to bake with. This recipe was inspired by my Cranberry Sauce Muffins and Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce.
Why You Will Love These Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- Simple: Just a few ingredients plus pantry baking staples com together to make a delicious muffin.
- Tasty: The sweet and tart flavor combination can't be beat.
- Family Friendly: Even our smallest of taste-testers enthusiastically approve of this recipe!
- Convenient: We love baking a batch of muffins on the weekend for easy breakfast or grab-and-go snacking throughout the week.
- Seasonal: Cranberries may be the most popular around the holidays, but the versatile flavor of these muffins are delicious any time of year.
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need to bake up a delicious batch of Lemon Cranberry Muffins.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Fresh Cranberries: Use frozen if you do not have fresh, just thaw fully in a strainer to drain any excess liquid.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base ingredient of your muffin batter.
- Baking Powder: A leavening agent to help make your muffins fluffy and soft.
- Sea Salt: Brings out all other flavors.
- Buttermilk: A secret way to make your muffins extra soft and fluffy. The slight tang will balance the sweetness as well. If you do not have buttermilk, see recipe notes to quickly make your own substitute.
- Granulated Sugar: Gives the tart flavors a balance of sweetness.
- Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture to your muffins without changing the flavor profile.
- Egg: A binding agent to keep your batter together and give it structure.
- Lemon Zest: Where bright and delicious lemon flavor comes in.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances all flavors while giving a subtle hint of vanilla.
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, spatula, muffin tray, and muffin liners.
Substitutions and Variations
Love this recipe but want to make it your own? Here are some helpful hints to get you started.
- Cranberries: If you don't have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen, or even our Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce.
- Gluten Free: We love doing a direct substitution using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour.
- Dairy Free: You can make your own version of buttermilk with your preferred dairy free milk and lemon juice; or try using vegan sour cream.
- Orange Zest: If you have oranges instead of lemons, feel free to make equally delicious orange cranberry muffins.
- Glaze: Make a lemon glaze to drizzle over these muffins for an extra treat.
How to Make Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Check out how quick and easy it was to make these Lemon Cranberry Muffins in just a few simple steps.
Preheat your oven to 400F and line a 12-tin muffins tray with liners and spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
Add 1 ½ cups of cranberries to a small bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour, and reserve for later.
In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
Whisk buttermilk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, lemon zest and pure vanilla extra in a large bowl. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, it can be a little thick.
Lightly fold in the cranberries and divide batter into prepared muffin tray and add remaining cranberries to the tops.
Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with lightly moist crumbs from the center.
Cool in the tray for 5-10 minutes, then on a wire rack until cool enough to eat or for storage.
Hint: When making muffins, it's important not to overwork your batter. Mix your wet ingredients until just combined. When you add dry ingredients, fold until you do not see any dry streaks. A thick batter is ideal.
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How to Store Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Easy storage is yet another reason why we love this muffin recipe.
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, place in an airtight container in a single layer that is lined with paper towel and store for 3 to 4 days. The paper towel helps retain the moisture in your muffins.
- Freezer: Allow muffins to cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag and then place them into a shallow plastic container. This ensures they do not get squished. Alternatively, you can flash freeze them by placing on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes to freeze muffins. Remove the baking sheet and place muffins in freezer safe plastic bags to store for up to 3 months. Consider labeling the bag with the date they were made and stored to ensure their freshness.
- Reheating: Bring to room temperature. If you like to warm your muffins, reheat in the microwave on low. For added moisture, consider topping with a pat of butter.
What to Serve with Lemon Cranberry Muffins
- Coffee and Tea: A classic pairing, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat. Try our Caramel Mocha Coffee for a sweet combination.
- Brunch: We love serving a batch of these muffins with a big brunch spread, alongside Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine, Spinach and Bacon Quiche, Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, and Gluten Free Buttermilk Waffles.
- Savory Breakfast: These muffins are a great side to balance classic bacon and eggs.
Top Tip
When making most muffin recipes it is important not to overfill your muffin cavities. Three quarters full is usually best. Overfilling can cause the batter to seep into the other muffins as they bake making a huge mess.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about Lemon Cranberry Muffins.
Not to worry, you can easily substitute fresh cranberries for frozen berries, or our Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce.
We have had great luck using a direct 1:1 substitute of all-purpose flour for Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour.
By tossing them with the reserved flour before being added to the rest of your mixture, the coated cranberries will be suspended in your batter, making for a more even distribution.
Yes, these muffins freeze very well, which is also why we love doubling the batch to keep one in the freezer for later. Allow muffins to cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag and then place them into a shallow plastic container. Consider labeling the bag with the date they were made and stored to ensure their freshness.
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Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Spatula
- Muffin Tray
- Muffin Liners
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries rinsed, divided
- 250 grams all-purpose flour (approx. 2 cups), plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup buttermilk see notes for sub
- 100 grams granulated sugar (approx. ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, large
- t tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and line a 12-tin muffins tray with liners and spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Add 1 ½ cups of cranberries to a small bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour, and reserve for later.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and set aside.
- Whisk buttermilk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, lemon zest and pure vanilla extra in a large bowl. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, it can be a little thick.
- Lightly fold in the cranberries and divide batter into prepared muffin tray and add remaining cranberries to the tops.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with lightly moist crumbs from the center.
- Cool in the tray for 5-10 minutes, then on a wire rack until cool enough to eat or for storage.
Notes
- To make a substitute for buttermilk, place 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a small bowl and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, you should see some small thick particles forming when stirring. Then add as needed.
- Fresh cranberries can be substituted with frozen, or our Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce. If using frozen, thaw fully in a strainer first to allow excess liquid to drain.
- Instead of lemon, you can try orange zest to make orange cranberry muffins.
Nutrition
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