The holidays wouldn't feel complete with some cranberry apple muffins! In this recipe, you can expect the festive, warming flavors of cranberries, apple, and cinnamon, along with the crunch of pecans.
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These cranberry apple muffins also include grated carrots to boost the nutrition content! So yes, it is possible to make muffins that are delicious, healthy, and festive. What’s not to love!
After combining the ingredients in the right order, you just need to divide it between the cavities in a muffin tin and bake. Imagine how good your kitchen is going to smell once these are baking in the oven. And when you eat one still warm? Heaven!
Iced thumbprint cookies and this yummy eggnog bread pudding are two other holiday desserts I love to make every year. Check those out too!
Main Ingredients
It’s worth taking a look at the key ingredients in this recipe since there are some variations and substitutions that work well and some ways you can tweak the muffins to customize them. These are some of the main ingredients used:
- Apples: For sweetness and fruity flavor. Apples are the main ingredient in these muffins. Take your pick from green or red apples. I like a combination of Granny Smith, Jonagold, and maybe Gala. Unripe pear can also work here! Avoid Red Delicious apples or anything with a softer consistency; when I tried to grate those they turned to mush!
- Cranberries: For color and a tart and sweet taste. Take your pick from fresh cranberries or frozen ones. If you really don’t like these berries, you can substitute extra apple instead, but then you’ll need less sugar since you won’t be countering the tartness of cranberries.
- Carrots: These add sweetness and nutrients. Although you won’t really taste the carrots in the cranberry apple muffins once finished, they do suit the recipe, adding nutrients as well as a sweet flavor.
- Pecans: For crunch. Feel free to use walnuts, hazelnuts, or mixed nuts instead. Any nut you choose will add a nice crunch.
- Cinnamon: Adds an earthy flavor. This spice is warming, earthy and festive. You can always swap some of the cinnamon for nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or any other spices you want.
- Baking powder and baking soda: For the best texture. Both help to trap air in the batter resulting in light, fluffy muffins.
Instructions Overview
Are you in a holiday baking mood yet? If not, you soon will be! Let’s find out how to make these festive cranberry apple muffins.
First of all, you will beat the eggs. Next, combine the apples and sugar then let the mixture stand.
Add the cranberries, carrots, pecans, egg, and oil to the apples, then mix in the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt. Don’t over-mix it; just make sure everything is more or less combined.
Divide this batter between 18 muffin cavities and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let them cool and then enjoy!
Common Questions
Have the eggs and oil at room temperature before you begin the recipe. This results in a nice, smooth mixture that traps the air easily. When the air expands during baking, your muffins will rise and become as light and fluffy as you’d hope.
Choose something mild or neutral-tasting and light, such as vegetable, corn, soybean, sunflower, or canola oil. You can also use melted unsalted butter if you prefer or some of each.
I typically use all-purpose flour for muffins, but you can also use cake flour if you have it. Cake flour has a low protein content so it doesn’t form so much gluten. This helps to make your muffins light as opposed to chewy, although if you only have all-purpose flour on hand, then go with that because it also works fine in muffins.
Yes, you can and you don’t have to thaw them either. The berries will warm up during cooking and there won’t be any difference once the cranberry apple muffins are finished. Prefer blueberries instead? No problem, because they’re also delicious.
Chopnotch Tips
- Wondering how to grate apples? The simplest way is to hold a peeled apple by the top and bottom and then grate it in the big holes of a box or paddle grater. When you hit the core, rotate it 90 degrees and repeat. Do this twice more and then only the core will remain. Watch your fingers! Nobody wants shredded fingertips. Another option is to remove the skin and core and use a food processor to shred the apples.
- Serve these festive little treats for breakfast or brunch. I love making them around Christmas to start each day off in a fun, holiday style!
- I’d recommend not refrigerating these muffins because the cold temperature would dry them out too fast. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat them within 3 or 4 days if possible.
Cranberry apple muffins make wonderful breakfast, brunch, picnic, or snack treats. Apples and carrot pair with pecans, cinnamon and more, to make these tasty muffins which are light as air.
Related Recipes
Let us know what you think! Give this recipe a rating in the comments section below.
Recipe
How to Make
Cranberry Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups apples, peeled and shredded
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cranberries, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and set them aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the apples and sugar together and then let stand for 10 minutes.
- Add the cranberries, carrots, pecans, eggs, and oil to the apple mixture and mix well. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the apple mixture and mix until just moistened.
- Transfer the batter into the lined muffin cavities, filling each one ⅔ of the way full, and then bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then remove the muffins from the tin and transfer them onto a cooling rack to continue cooling. Serve slightly warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Wondering how to grate apples? The simplest way is to hold a peeled apple by the top and bottom and then grate it in the big holes of a box or paddle grater. When you hit the core, rotate it 90 degrees and repeat. Do this twice more and then only the core will remain. Watch your fingers! Nobody wants shredded fingertips. Another option is to remove the skin and core and use a food processor to shred the apples.
- Serve these festive little treats for breakfast or brunch. I love making them around Christmas to start each day off in a fun, holiday style!
- I’d recommend not refrigerating these muffins because the cold temperature would dry them out too fast. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat them within 3 or 4 days if possible.
Can apple sauce be substituted for sugar in addition to using apple fruit. Please let me know. Thanks
Hi Sheila, I haven't tried this myself, but it would add a lot of extra moisture to the muffins. I'm concerned they may not come out right, but you can certainly give it a try!
Can wheat flour be substituted for all purpose flour for the cranberry muffins. Please let me know. Thanks
Hi Sheila, thanks for your question! I wouldn't recommend it because using whole wheat flour would change their flavor quite a bit and make them a lot denser. I think you would be better off blending some whole wheat flour with the all-purpose flour instead. For example, try to use 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour + 1 cup of wheat flour.