These Easy Apple Cranberry Muffins are just the ticket for a quick and delicious breakfast on the go, with fresh juicy apples, tart cranberries, and toasted pecans.
Moist and tender, these healthy apple cranberry muffins come together in a flash and would also be a great after-school or after work snack for the big and little kids in your house. They also will fill your home with the most wonderful cinnamon smell while they are baking!
Recently, friends brought us some fresh apples from North Carolina, and they are what inspired me to make these scrumptious apple cranberry muffins. But what sets these yummy muffins apart from most apple muffin recipes is the addition of tart dried cranberries and toasted pecans.
These muffins aren’t too sweet, and even though it’s still hot outside here in North Florida, the crisp apple bits make me think warm and cozy thoughts of cooler fall temperatures, which are hopefully on the way.
Can you freeze Apple Cranberry Muffins?
Yes! Apple Cranberry Muffins freeze beautifully. Just pack them in an airtight freezer bag, and they will keep in the freezer for several months. To serve, just allow them to thaw and pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds; then top with a pat of butter while they are still warm. Yum!
What kind of apples work best in Apple Cranberry Muffins?
Actually, you can use any type of apple you have on hand. I used Granny Smith apples because that’s what I had, but Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Golden Delicious would also work well. You can even mix them up and use two different kinds of apples.
How to make Easy Apple Cranberry Muffin Recipe
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick baking spray and peel and chop the apples.
Cream the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy.
Add the egg and continue mixing to combine.
Add the buttermilk and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a medium size bowl and whisk to combine.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and just mix until everything is combined. Do not overmix.
Add the apples, cranberries, and pecans and fold in with a spoon.
Use an ice-cream scoop to add the muffin batter to the muffin pan. The mixture will be thick.
Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.(Because oven temperatures vary, start checking the muffins to see if they are done at 20 minutes.)
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-7 minutes. Turn the muffins out on a wire baking rack to finish cooling.
Tips:
To roast pecans, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and top with two tablespoons unsalted butter. Roast for about 6 minutes, remove from the oven and toss to make sure all of the pecans are coated in the melted butter. Season with kosher salt and place back in the oven to roast for about 5-6 more minutes. Start tasting them at about 10 minutes total cooking time and remove from the oven when done.
To make homemade buttermilk, add one tablespoon white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk. Let sit 5 minutes, then use as directed in the recipe.
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**This recipe was originally published November 2, 2015. It is being republished today with new photos and slight upgrades to the recipe.
Easy Apple Cranberry Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk *see tips for making your own buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 2 cups apples peeled, cored and chopped (2-3 apples)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Cream the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and continue mixing to combine.
- Add the buttermilk and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a medium size bowl and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and just mix until everything is combined. Do not overmix.
- Add the apples, cranberries, and pecans and fold in with a spoon.
- Use an ice-cream scoop to add the muffin batter to the muffin pan. The mixture will be thick.
- Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Because oven temperatures vary, start checking the muffins to see if they are done at 20 minutes.)
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-7 minutes. Turn the muffins out on a wire baking rack to finish cooling.
Made these yesterday 4/14/20 and they were delicious. So easy to make and I thought they were just the right level of sweetness. I used honey crisp apples and the muffins were so moist with a nice crunchy top.
Hey Eleanor, I’m so glad you liked them. I hope you are doing well in all of this craziness and we can get together soon!
Miss you!
Sharon
I made these muffins today and they were not only easy; they were absolutely delicious. I doubled the recipe to make two dozen muffins, so I could share them with my neighbors.
Made these just yesertday, 1-sep-2018, and they’re quite tasty, although a bit too sweet and greasy for my tastes. I would reduce the butter to 90 gr (a little less than 1/2 c) and the granulated sugar to 1/3c.
My muffins did not come out with the high dome as yours in the photo, perhaps my oven is at fault.
Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Hi Ana, so glad you enjoyed the muffins. And I’m happy you were able to adjust the recipe to your tastes. Thanks so much for leaving a comment!
All my best!
Sharon