Cranberry Sauce Muffins with Pumpkin and Streusel Topping Recipe

Introduction

Cranberry Sauce Muffins are a delightful twist on your typical muffin, packed with seasonal flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, and tart cranberries. These muffins balance moist, tender crumb with a sweet and crunchy streusel topping, perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack.

Ingredients

• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (120 grams)
• ⅓ cup avocado oil
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp pumpkin spice (optional)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ to ½ cup whole berry or smooth cranberry sauce
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter (28 grams), melted
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 grams) for streusel
• ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon for streusel
• ⅛ tsp salt for streusel

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line a 6 or 12 cavity muffin tin with 6 tulip-style parchment liners for tall muffins or 8-9 standard parchment liners for smaller muffins. Set aside.
2. Step 2: Let the milk, egg, and cranberry sauce come to room temperature.
3. Step 3: Prepare the streusel first: Melt the butter. In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over the mixture and use a fork to combine until crumbly. Set aside to dry slightly.
4. Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, avocado oil, milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until well blended.
5. Step 5: In a separate medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
6. Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. The batter should be thick with a few small lumps remaining. Avoid overmixing.
7. Step 7: Optional: Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes if you want taller muffins.
8. Step 8: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners. Use a little over ¼ cup of batter per liner for tall muffins (6 liners), or about 3 tablespoons for smaller muffins (8-9 liners).
9. Step 9: Spread ⅓ to ½ cup of cranberry sauce evenly over the top of each muffin.
10. Step 10: Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin.
11. Step 11: Place the muffin tray on the center oven rack. Once you close the door, reduce the heat to 350℉.
12. Step 12: Bake tall muffins for 24-26 minutes or smaller muffins for 22-23 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
13. Step 13: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins taste best once fully cooled as the flavors develop further.

Tips & Variations

• Use fresh or frozen cranberries cooked down with sugar as a substitute if you don’t have canned cranberry sauce.
• For a richer flavor, substitute some of the avocado oil with melted coconut oil or butter in the batter.
• Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the streusel for extra crunch and texture.
• If you prefer a smoother texture, swirl the cranberry sauce gently into the batter instead of topping.

Storage

Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, warm muffins briefly in a microwave or oven until soft and cozy.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use other types of flour for this recipe?

All-purpose flour works best for structure and texture, but you can substitute whole wheat flour for up to half the amount for a heartier muffin. Keep in mind that the muffins may be denser with whole wheat flour.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

To make these muffins vegan, replace the egg with a flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water) and use plant-based milk. Also, ensure your cranberry sauce does not contain gelatin or animal products.

Cranberry Sauce Muffins with Pumpkin and Streusel Topping Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 130 reviews

These moist and flavorful Cranberry Sauce Muffins combine the natural sweetness of pumpkin puree with tart cranberry sauce, topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel. Perfect for fall breakfasts or holiday treats, these muffins feature a tender crumb with a delightful balance of spices and fruit. The recipe yields either tall bakery-style muffins or smaller standard-sized muffins, offering versatility for any occasion.

• Author: Maya
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 24 minutes
• Total Time: 39 minutes
• Yield: 6 tall muffins or 8–9 smaller muffins 1x
• Category: Baking
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Muffin Batter

• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (120 grams)
• ⅓ cup avocado oil
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp pumpkin spice (optional)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ to ½ cup whole berry or smooth cranberry sauce

Streusel Topping

• 2 TBSP unsalted butter (28 grams), melted
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 grams)
• ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking the muffins properly.
2. Prepare muffin tin: Line a 6 or 12 cavity muffin tin with tulip-style parchment paper liners for tall bakery muffins or with 8-9 standard parchment paper liners for smaller muffins, then set aside.
3. Bring ingredients to room temperature: Set out the milk, egg, and cranberry sauce so they come to room temperature, helping the batter mix more evenly.
4. Make the streusel topping: Start by melting the butter. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over the mixture and mix with a fork until small crumbly pieces form. This step is done first to allow the streusel to dry out slightly during the preparation time.
5. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg, avocado oil, milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until well combined.
6. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute all ingredients.
7. Combine wet and dry mixtures: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir gently with a metal whisk until the mixture is just combined. The batter will be thick and may have small lumps; avoid overmixing.
8. Optional resting: For extra tall and tender muffins, let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes before baking.
9. Fill muffin cups: Using a spoon, scoop batter into the prepared muffin liners—about a little over ¼ cup for 6 tall muffins or around 3 tablespoons for 8-9 smaller muffins.
10. Add cranberry sauce layer: Spoon cranberry sauce onto the top of each muffin gently, spreading it evenly across the batter surface.
11. Top with streusel: Sprinkle the prepared streusel mixture evenly over each muffin.
12. Bake muffins: Place the muffin tray on the center rack of the preheated oven. Immediately reduce heat to 350℉ once the door closes. Bake 24-26 minutes for tall muffins or 22-23 minutes for smaller muffins. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
13. Cool: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The flavor improves as they cool. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Allowing the batter to rest before baking helps develop taller muffins with a better crumb structure.
• Using room temperature ingredients aids in even mixing and better texture.
• You can use either whole berry or smooth cranberry sauce based on your preference.
• For a dairy-free option, substitute milk with almond or oat milk and use a vegan butter alternative for the streusel.
• Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Freeze cooled muffins for longer storage; thaw at room temperature before serving.

Keywords: cranberry muffins, pumpkin muffins, fall baking, streusel topping, holiday muffins, pumpkin spice, cranberry sauce recipe