These Fresh Cranberry Muffins are flavored with classic gingerbread spices and molasses, making them the perfect holiday or Christmas muffin recipe!
Creating This Cranberry Muffin Recipe
I have been a fan of Silk products for years. When I learned that Silk was coming out with Cashewmilk I was really interested in giving it a try. Cashewmilk is available in original and unsweetened.
Silk Cashewmilk is really creamy. I enjoyed the original over a bowl of granola or in smoothies and the unsweetened as a dairy-free substitute in recipes. I like that Cashewmilk has 50% more calcium than dairy milk and 60 calories per serving in Original; 25% fewer calories than skim milk.*
Rather than share a savory recipe with you, I decided to give Silk Cashewmilk a try in this spiced cranberry muffin recipe.
I have been working on some new holiday breakfast recipes to enjoy over the Christmas break when the kids are home and my family is visiting, and I thought it would be fun to see how a dairy alternative would perform in holiday baking.
I first made these gingerbread spiced cranberry muffins about 3 years ago but I never shared them here on GoodLife Eats. I was happy to see that they turned out just as tasty using a dairy-free alternative as they do using dairy milk.
These muffins are really easy to whip up on a weekend morning or for a lazy holiday breakfast. The sweetness of the gingerbread pairs really well with the tartness of the cranberries.
Ingredients in Fresh Cranberry Muffins
If you’re thinking of making this recipe as your Christmas muffins this year, buy the ingredients now! Here’s what you’ll need for the gingerbread spiced fresh cranberry muffins:
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Brown sugar
- Ground flax
- Baking soda
- Spices
- Molasses
- Milk (I used Silk Cashewmilk)
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Fresh cranberries
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Muffins
Making cranberry muffins with fresh cranberries couldn’t be easier! You can get these muffins in the oven in just 10 minutes, and they can be prepared the day before.
- In a bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground flax, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice, and ground cloves. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the molasses, Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk, butter, and egg.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the liquids in and stir until just mixedt.
- Fold in the chopped cranberries.
- Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Can I Use Frozen or Dried Cranberries?
I made these cranberry muffins with fresh cranberries because I always have an abundance on hand during the holidays. However, you may use frozen or dried cranberries instead if that’s what you have on hand.
If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them first. Chop them up and add them directly to the muffin batter. Note that the muffins may need to bake for an additional 1 to 3 minutes.
How to Store Muffins
STEP ONE:Transfer the baked muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. If you store warm muffins, you’ll end up with a lot of excess moisture on your muffins due to condensation (and this causes them to go soggy AND mold).
STEP TWO: Place a sheet of paper towels on the bottom of a large, lidded storage container. You can also use gallon sized ziptop bags with a sheet of paper towel inside.
The paper towels will help absorb any excess moisture that is released from the muffins and help prevent them from becoming soggy.
STEP THREE:Transfer the muffins to the paper towel lined container or bag.
STEP FOUR:Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.
Depending on how deep your container is, you may be able to fit more than one layer of muffins. In this case, repeat the process – always end with a paper towel on top of the last layer of muffins. A bag will likely fit only one layer.
STEP FIVE:Place the lid on the container (or zip the bag) and store at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Cranberry Muffins
- I used Silk Cashewmilk in this recipe, but any type of milk will work. Silk has other non-dairy milks, if you have a nut allergy in your family.
- Do NOT use blackstrap molasses in the muffins. It’s very bitter and I don’t like baking with it. Any other type of molasses will work, though!
- Fresh cranberry muffins freeze well, so consider making a big batch ahead of the holidays so you always have something quick and easy to heat up on busy mornings.
More Easy Christmas Breakfast Recipes:
I have lots of Christmas recipes on my site, but here are some of my all-time favorite holiday breakfasts!
Apple Cranberry Muffins are packed with oats, fall spices, fresh cranberries, and shredded apples. They’re the perfect Christmas or Thanksgiving muffin recipe and are so easy to make!
These Pumpkin Spice French Toast Cups are made with a pool of caramel sauce on the bottom and are topped with streusel.
This Citrus Cardamom Coffee Cake is the perfect, cozy homemade coffee cake recipe. Your house will smell amazing while baking it!
This Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread is essentially a monkey bread from scratch with a homemade caramel topping. Perfect for holiday brunches!
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts are made with a homemade crust, cream cheese cinnamon-sugar filling, and a molasses glaze. So much better than store-bought!
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Spiced Fresh Cranberry Muffins
Yield: 18
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
These Fresh Cranberry Muffins are flavored with classic gingerbread spices and molasses, making them the perfect holiday or Christmas muffin recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk (regular milk may be substituted)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/3 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins by lining with muffin cups or greasing well. Set aside.
- In a medium-large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground flax, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice, and ground cloves. Whisk until well sifted. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the molasses, Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk, butter, and egg. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the liquids in and stir until just mixed – do not beat. Fold in the chopped cranberries.
- Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups. Use approximately 3 tablespoons of batter per muffin.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 189Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
*Silk Original Cashewmilk: 60 cal/serv; skim dairy milk: 80 cal/serv. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26. Data consistent with typical skim dairy milk
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
