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    Home » Recipes » Muffins

    Easy Cranberry Muffins Recipe

    Published: Nov 8, 2021 · Modified: Sep 21, 2022 by Beth Sachs · 5 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    Easy cranberry muffins pin image.

    Easy cranberry muffins made with fresh tangy cranberries, studded with white chocolate chunks, and flavoured with citrusy clementine zest.

    Perfect for a festive afternoon tea, or why not serve them for Christmas Day breakfast?

    Cranberry white chocolate muffins on a cake stand.

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    Fluffy, moist, and bursting with flavour, these simple cranberry muffins use my failsafe basic muffin recipe as the base! They quite literally NEVER FAIL to deliver!

    I particularly love the contrast between the tart fresh cranberries (you can use frozen cranberries too), sweet white chocolate, and zesty clementine! It's a flavour match made in heaven!

    👩‍🍳 Love muffins? Try my cinnamon apple muffins too!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQs
    • 😋 More muffin recipes to try!
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    Here's why this is the best cranberry muffin recipe!

    • Quick and easy to make.
    • Use fresh or frozen cranberries.
    • Sweet white chocolate drizzle makes them look pretty.
    • Perfect for Christmas morning breakfast.
    • Freezer-friendly.

    🛒 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make fresh cranberry muffins.
    • Cranberries - fresh or frozen. There is no need to defrost frozen cranberries first.
    • White Chocolate - chunks or chips for the muffin batter and melted white chocolate for the drizzle icing.
    • Clementine Zest - can be substituted for orange zest.
    • Dry Ingredients - Plain Flour, Bicarbonate of Soda, Caster Sugar.
    • Wet Ingredients - Melted Butter, Eggs, Natural Yogurt.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    Step 1: Place the dry ingredients into a bowl.

    Step 2: Gently mix in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

    Step 3: Fold through the cranberries, white chocolate chunks and clementine zest.

    Making the cranberry muffin batter in a bowl.

    Step 4: Spoon the batter equally between 12 muffin cases, placed in a muffin tin.

    Step 5: Bake for 16-18 minutes.

    Step 6: Once cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate.

    Cranberry muffins baked in a muffin tin.

    💭 Top tips

    • Thoroughly wash fresh cranberries to remove any dirt and grit. The best way to do this is to place the cranberries in a colander under cold running water.
    • Don't overmix your muffin batter. Overmixing results in tough, chewy muffins.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the cranberry muffins at festive buffets and afternoon tea (alongside my chocolate orange tiffin and mincemeat blondies). They also make a delicious Christmas morning breakfast, with these fruity Christmas bagels!

    📖 Variations

    • Cranberry Orange Muffins. Swap the clementine zest for orange zest. Lemon would also work well.
    • Cranberry Walnut Muffins. Add a handful of walnuts for crunch and texture.
    • Cranberry Apple Muffins. Swap half the cranberries for some peeled and chopped apples for cranberry apple muffins!
    • Make 24 mini muffins instead of 12 regular size muffins. Reduce the cooking time to 14 minutes.
    • Add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a lovely warming flavour.
    • Make them even healthier and add a handful of oats to the mixture.
    • Swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips.
    Cranberry white chocolate muffins on a cake stand.

    🥡 Storage

    • To Store. Place the cooled cranberry muffins into an airtight container or cake tin. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
    • To Freeze. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

    ❓ FAQs

    Can I use dried cranberries instead of frozen?

    Dried cranberries are much sweeter than fresh or frozen cranberries so the muffins will turn out much sweeter in taste. If using dried cranberries I suggest using just 150g and add in a peeled chopped apple.

    Do frozen cranberries need to be defrosted before using them?

    It's best to use frozen cranberries straight from the freezer. If you allow them to defrost they will become quite watery and will make your muffin batter too thin and runny.

    Can I freeze fresh cranberries?

    Yes, just place the fresh cranberries in a freezer bag and place them in your freezer.

    😋 More muffin recipes to try!

    • Rhubarb muffins in a baking tin.
      Rhubarb and White Chocolate Muffins
    • Apple and blackberry muffins on a wooden board.
      Easy Apple and Blackberry Muffins Recipe
    • Easy cinnamon apple muffins on a cake stand.
      Easy Apple and Cinnamon Muffins Recipe
    • B;ackberry and lemon muffins stacked up
      Easy Blackberry and Lemon Muffins Recipe

    Recipe

    Fresh cranberry muffins.
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    5 from 6 votes

    Easy Cranberry Muffins

    Easy cranberry muffins made with fresh tangy cranberries, studded with white chocolate chunks, and flavoured with citrusy clementine zest.
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine British
    Prep Time 8 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 18 minutes minutes
    Total Time 26 minutes minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 266kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
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    Equipment

    • Kitchen Scales
    • Measuring Jug
    • Mixing Bowl
    • 12 Hole Muffin Tin
    • Muffin Cases

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 200 g Plain Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
    • 140 g Caster Sugar
    • 100 ml Natural Yogurt
    • 2 Eggs
    • 140 g Butter melted
    • 175 g Cranberries fresh or frozen
    • 100 g White Chocolate Chips
    • 1 Clementine zest only
    • 50 g White Chocolate melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 190°c (170 fan/ Gas 5/ 375F). Put 12 muffin cases into a 12 hole muffin tin.
    • Put the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and caster sugar into a mixing bowl.
    • In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, and cooled melted butter.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix. Be careful not to overmix.
    • Fold through the cranberries, white chocolate chips, and clementine zest.
    • Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 18 minutes until well risen and golden.
    • Allow to cool then drizzle with melted white chocolate.

    Notes

    Top Tips:
    • Thoroughly wash fresh cranberries to remove any dirt and grit. The best way to do this is to place the cranberries in a colander under cold running water.
    • Don't overmix your muffin batter. Overmixing results in tough, chewy muffins.
     
    Variations:
    • Cranberry Orange Muffins. Swap the clementine zest for orange zest. Lemon would also work well.
    • Cranberry Walnut Muffins. Add a handful of walnuts for crunch and texture.
    • Cranberry Apple Muffins. Swap half the cranberries for some peeled and chopped apples for cranberry apple muffins!
    • Make 24 mini muffins instead of 12 regular size muffins. Reduce the cooking time to 14 minutes.
    • Add a teaspoon of cinnamon for a lovely warming flavour.
    • Make them even healthier and add a handful of oats to the mixture.
    • Swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips.
     
    Storage:
    • To Store. Place the cooled cranberry muffins into an airtight container or cake tin. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
    • To Freeze. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Cranberry Muffins
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    266
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    11
    g
    17
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    31
    mg
    10
    %
    Sodium
     
    118
    mg
    5
    %
    Potassium
     
    109
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    38
    g
    13
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    21
    g
    23
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    66
    IU
    1
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    5
    mg
    6
    %
    Calcium
     
    59
    mg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    More Easy Muffin Recipes

    • Blackcurrant muffins on a cake stand.
      Easy Blackcurrant Muffins with White Chocolate Chips
    • Christmas cake muffins on a wooden board.
      Easy Christmas Cake Muffins Recipe
    • Banana and peanut butter muffins on a cake stand.
      Easy Banana & Peanut Butter Muffins
    • A stack of pumpkin muffins in a cake stand.
      Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Danielle Wolter

      November 08, 2021 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing! They would make the perfect christmas morning breakfast - easy to make ahead.

      Reply
    2. Natalie

      November 08, 2021 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      Beautiful muffins. The texture is so soft and perfect. I bet these muffins are amazing with a cup of tea. I'm baking them today. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Jessica Stroup

      November 08, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      These were fantastic! So fluffy and delicious!

      Reply
    4. Katherine

      November 08, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Mmmm the flavors of fall! These muffins sound incredible, particularly with the white chocolate.

      Reply
    5. veenaazmanov

      November 08, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is so perfect for the Tea Time Treat. Cranberry sounds so tempting and this looks too yum.

      Reply
    5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Beth!

    Mum of three (and two crazy dogs), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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