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These fluffy pumpkin cranberry muffins are full of warm cinnamon spice, sweet pumpkin flavor, and tart fresh cranberries.
Fall baking has to be my favorite baking that I do all year. I just can’t get enough of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, and maple flavors. I could eat my maple banana bread, dairy-free apple crisp, or pumpkin olive oil cake on repeat and I’d be a happy camper.
And I especially love when fresh cranberries and pumpkin bread unite. Like in these pumpkin cranberry muffins. Nothing says Fall quite like soft, fluffy warm pumpkin bread filled with bright, tart cranberries.
Table of Contents
What makes this recipe great
- It’s full of Fall flavors. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and cranberries are quintessential Fall flavors that are wonderful in baked goods.
- Great any time of day. You could eat these pumpkin cranberry muffins for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
- These muffins are delicious! From the fluffy sweet cinnamon spiced pumpkin bread, to the juice tart cranberries inside, it is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
- You only need one bowl! This is a one bowl recipe, which makes clean up a bit easier.
Recipe ingredients
- Flour– all purpose unbleached flour works best in this recipe.
- Sugar– you can use regular white sugar or cane sugar here.
- Baking soda– this helps the muffins rise.
- Nutmeg and cinnamon– these add warm spices to the muffins, that works so well with pumpkin.
- Eggs– these help bind the muffin batter together.
- Pumpkin puree– make sure to use pure puree and not pumpkin pie filling here.
- Olive oil– this helps make the muffins moist. (And you can’t taste it).
- Water– this gives the batter a smooth consistency.
- Cranberries– fresh cranberries give the tart burst of flavor in these muffins.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- Instead of nutmeg and cinnamon, you could use pumpkin pie spice.
- Instead of olive oil, you could us avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- You could add walnuts, other nuts, chocolate chips.
- You could top the muffins in pumpkin seeds.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda together in one bowl.
Step 2: Make a well in the flour and add the pumpkin puree, olive oil, eggs and water to the bowl. Mix with a fork.
Step 3: Fold fresh cranberries into the batter.
Step 4: Evenly distribute the cranberry pumpkin muffin batter into each greased or lined muffin tin.
Step 5: Bake the muffins.
Expert tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix until no dry flour remains.
- Only use 1 cup of pumpkin puree required in the recipe, not the whole can. Otherwise it adds too much moisture to the muffins.
- Save a few cranberries to add on top. You can also add pumpkin seeds.
- How to store: Store at room temperature on the countertop on a plate and cover in foil or wrap. I sometimes like to cover them with a linen cloth.
- How to freeze: Let the muffins cool completely. Place the muffins in a freezer-safe airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm individual muffins in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Add them into the batter frozen and bake the muffins right away. Don’t thaw them beforehand.
I wouldn’t. You won’t get the juicy tart cranberry flavor that makes these muffins so delicious. You could maybe use both dried cranberries and fresh.
You don’t need any toppings besides cranberries, but pumpkin seeds, streusel, chia seeds, or sugar all work if you want.
Other muffin recipes you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup olive oil, (or avocado oil)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure the oven rack is in the top third of the oven. Grease the muffin tins or line with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Make a well in the bowl and add the eggs, pumpkin puree, olive oil and water. Mix with a fork until there is an even consistency.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans and moving the muffins to wire racks.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix until no dry flour remains.
- Only use 1 cup of pumpkin puree required in the recipe, not the whole can. Otherwise it adds too much moisture to the muffins.
- Save a few cranberries to add on top. You can also add pumpkin seeds.
- How to store: Store at room temperature on the countertop on a plate and cover in foil or wrap. I sometimes like to cover them with a linen cloth.
- How to freeze: Let the muffins cool completely. Place the muffins in a freezer-safe airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm individual muffins in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
