Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

These muffins made with pumpkin puree, fall spices and cranberries have fall written all over them. The scent is a feast of its own, but served warm from the oven with a pat of butter, you’ll love all the complex flavors of these pumpkin cranberry muffins: rich, spicy, tart and sweet. Enjoy a bite with an autumnal tea or a coffee with a little pumpkin spice creamer, and I’d say your fall morning is set.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

• All-purpose flour: We like all-purpose flour best for our muffin recipes. The mix of hard and soft wheat gives the cranberry pumpkin muffins structure while providing a tender crumb.
• Baking soda: Test your baking soda if it’s been sitting in the pantry for a while. We want our muffins to rise nice and tall with beautiful bakery-style domes.
• Pumpkin pie spice: This premade spice mix has a curated blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. It’s the easiest way to add all four spices in one go!
• Eggs: I always like to bring my eggs to room temperature when baking so they blend easily into batters and doughs. To do this, either take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes beforehand or submerge them in warm (not hot!) water for 10 minutes.
• Sugar: Feel free to use granulated sugar, brown sugar or a mix of both for these muffins.
• Pumpkin: Always reach for the best canned pumpkin at the store. I wouldn’t substitute homemade pumpkin puree for canned pumpkin, as homemade pumpkin puree can be a bit more watery than canned, altering the texture and flavor of your pumpkin cranberry muffin recipe.
• Canola oil: Since oil is liquid at room temperature, it keeps the pumpkin and cranberry muffins nice and moist for longer than melted butter will.
• Cranberries: If using fresh cranberries, be sure to rinse them well first, then chop them into pieces.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs and sugar, then add the canned pumpkin and canola oil and mix well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the cranberries.

Step 2: Portion into muffin tins

Line the muffin cups with foil or paper liners. Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full of batter.

Editor’s Tip: I love using a cookie scoop for this step, as it fills each cup consistently and cleanly.

Step 3: Bake

Slide the muffin trays into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a few muffins comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool the muffins in their cups for five minutes to finish setting up, then remove them from the pans and onto wire racks.

Recipe Variations

• Add orange zest: Cranberries and pumpkin pair excellently with orange, so it only makes sense to add a little orange zest to the muffin batter.
• Bake with a streusel: For anyone who loves a bit of texture on pastries, you’ll definitely want to add a knobbly, crumbly streusel topping here. Sprinkle the unbaked streusel all over the portioned muffin batter just before baking.
• Make them gluten-free: Need to make these gluten-free? Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Also, double-check that all other packaged goods are certified gluten-free.

How to Store Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Store pumpkin muffins with cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature. They can last up to three days at room temperature. You could also store them in the fridge for up to five days, but know that the fridge will dry them out a bit.

Can you freeze pumpkin cranberry muffins?

Yes, you can freeze pumpkin and cranberry muffins. Once they cool to room temperature, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to three months. Whenever you’re ready to enjoy the muffins again, defrost them at room temperature.

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin Tips

Can you use frozen cranberries to make cranberry pumpkin muffins?

Yes, you can use frozen cranberries to make pumpkin muffins with cranberries. Allow the frozen cranberries to thaw completely to room temperature, then drain the excess water and pat the cranberries dry. Then, chop them up and fold them into the muffin batter.

How do you serve pumpkin cranberry muffins?

Serve pumpkin and cranberry muffins warm from the oven or at room temperature. They’re excellent as-is but lovely with a pat of butter. If you’re hosting a gathering, serve them with tea or coffee and, to complete the meal, with other brunch recipes.

Can you bake the pumpkin cranberry muffin recipe in a jumbo or mini muffin tray?

Yes, you can bake cranberry pumpkin muffins in a jumbo or mini muffin tray. Line the tins with muffin liners and fill them 3/4 full of batter. Bake them until a toothpick inserted into the center of a couple muffins comes back with just a few crumbs, 10 to 12 minutes for mini muffins and 22 to 25 minutes for jumbo muffins.