There's nothing like the taste of lemon in Lemon Cranberry Muffins They offer the perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors all in one good for your tummy goodness.
The tangy lemon zest pairs perfectly with the burst of sweetness from the cranberries, resulting in a delicious and satisfying taste experience.
Like muffins? Banana Blueberry Crumble Muffins with a delicious crumble topping, Gluten Free Banana Muffins or my Pumpkin Spice Muffins.
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These muffins are also incredibly versatile, making them the perfect choice for breakfast, lunch, or even as a snack. They can be enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee or tea, or even cold as a grab-and-go option.
You can also make gluten-free lemon cranberry muffins as an alternative to traditional wheat-based muffins, making them suitable for those with dietary restrictions.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Minimal clean up involved
- Easy to make
- Mixer not needed
- Absolutely delicious flavor that kids and adult will enjoy
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Can I use Fresh Cranberries instead of frozen ?
Yes. You’ll be surprised to know that fresh cranberries don’t need any special preparation before using them in baked goods or substituting fresh cranberries for frozen cranberries.
Although, you may want to coat them in flour so that they all don’t sink to the bottom.
Note that this recipe relies on the humidity from frozen cranberries and that using fresh cranberries might result in a dryer muffin.
Can You use Dried Cranberries instead of Frozen Cranberries?
Yes. You can use dried cranberries as a substitute for frozen or fresh cranberries. However, note that because the cranberries are dried and dehydrated they will be smaller than fresh or frozen. So you won’t need as much dried cranberries in a recipe. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of fresh/frozen cranberries use ½ to ¾ of a cup of dried cranberries.
Ingredients
These lemon cranberry muffins are made with the following ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Milk
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Frozen Cranberries
- Almond Slices (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Lemon Cranberry Muffins
This recipe makes 9 to 10 extra large muffins. Start to preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare muffin baking trays that can hold 12 muffins. Fit each muffin hole with a liner.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine all of the wet ingredients, except frozen cranberries, in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together to combine.
Then begin to add the dry ingredients whisking to incorporate the flour. As the batter starts to get thick, switch to a spatula and continue to add the flour a little at a time until finished and the batter is smooth and doesn't contain any lumps.
Add the frozen cranberries and stir until evenly distributed. Do not over stir or your batter will turn pink.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Test doneness by placing a toothpick in centre of muffin. If it comes out clean, then the muffins are ready.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Test doneness by placing a toothpick in centre of muffin. If it comes out clean, then the muffins are ready.
Hint: Cooking the muffins at a high temperature allows them to rise with fluffy tops. You can cook them at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, just keep an eye on them to make sure that the tops don’t burn.
You can also reduce the temperature after 15 minutes and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
If you are making regular size muffins, check the muffins at 15 minutes for doneness. Place a toothpick in the centre of the muffin and if it comes out dry to the touch, then the muffins are ready.
Storage
These lemon cranberry muffins store well in a bag at room temperature. However note that Homemade muffins do not contain preservatives, so they need to be consumed within 3 to 4 days. If you make a lot of muffins, freeze half and take them out as you need them. Let them thaw out for an hour before consuming.
Top tip
This recipe makes 9 large muffins or 12 regular size muffins.
Do not thaw out the cranberries otherwise they will turn the muffin batter pink and they will easily break apart when mixing.
If you are making regular size muffins, check doneness at 10 minute mark.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ideas on how you can make this dish different or fit a certain diet:
- Gluten Free Lemon Cranberry Muffins - make these muffins gluten free by using gluten free flour.
- Blueberries - use blueberries instead of cranberries for a lemon blueberry muffin
- Orange - instead of using lemon juice use orange juice for a zesty twist.
- Vegan Lemon Cranberry - use a milk and egg substitute to make these vegan
If you know how to make this recipe unique or suit your diet - go for it! Let me know what you did and how it turned out by leaving me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
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Recipe Details
Homemade Lemon Cranberry Muffins
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon up to ½ cup of lemon juice and the zest of the lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract opptional
- 1 cup cranberries frozen, do not thaw
- ½ cup slivered almonds optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare muffin baking trays that can hold 12 muffins. Fit each muffin hole with a liner.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl3 cups all purpose flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt, 1 ⅓ cup sugar
- Combine all of the wet ingredients, except frozen cranberries and butter, in a large bowl½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract
- Whisk the wet ingredients together to combine. Then begin to add the dry ingredients whisking to incorporate the flour a little at a time add softened butter in between additions.½ cup butter
- As the batter starts to get thick, switch to a spatula and continue to add the flour a little at a time until finished and the batter is smooth and doesn't contain any lumps.
- Add the frozen cranberries and incorporate into batter using a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over stir or your batter will turn pink.1 cup cranberries
- Using a spoon, carefully place the batter in each muffin liner and sprinkle the almond slivers on top.½ cup slivered almonds
- Bake for 6 minutes at 400℉, lower temperature to 350℉ and continue to bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. (note if you are baking regular size muffins, check doneness at 10 minute mark and go from there).
- Remove from oven once done and let cool.
Notes
Top tip
This recipe makes 9 large muffins or 12 regular size muffins. Do not thaw out the cranberries otherwise they will turn the muffin batter pink and they will easily break apart when mixing. If you are making regular size muffins, check doneness at 10 minute mark.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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