When asked to name the flavors of fall, many of us will turn to apples and pumpkin. Well, I propose we add cranberry to the mix! To start, these Cranberry Walnut Muffins.
I love cranberries for that unique tart-and-sweet they provide to baked goods. And I like to add plenty of orange zest because, well, it works! You could almost call these Cranberry – Orange Muffins.
But walnuts are also a key ingredient. Chopped walnuts added to both the batter and the streusel topping give this muffin a fullness of texture and flavor that is uniquely satisfying.
Why I love these muffins
Tart cranberries work unusually well in baked goods. The play of tart and sweet is a natural delight to the taste buds!
Cranberry muffins are my guy’s favorite, and I’ve been playing with this recipe for a couple years, working to get it right. I am finally happy, and so is he!
Using dried cranberries (Craisins) means I can make these delicious muffins any time I want, not just in fall. And that’s a real win!
Ingredients
How to make these dried cranberry muffins
Muffins are pretty easy to make, but there is one rule you need to remember: do not over-mix. Over-mixing can result in a “tough” muffin, which no one wants. Treating this batter gently helps to ensure a deliciously tender crumb.
Start with the dry ingredients. Mix them together and set aside.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the Greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla. Mix these well to combine.
Now, add the bowl of dry ingredients and mix just enough to blend.
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Fold in the flavor: dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and orange zest.
Spoon the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners.
And then, streusel topping
In theory, the streusel could be considered optional I suppose. But not for me! Streusel totally makes the muffin for me. 😃
I combine equal amounts of flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, and chopped walnuts for this streusel topping. Optionally, I sometimes add a little melted butter. When you combine these ingredients, the butter helps make the streusel a little “sticky”, for lack of a better term. It will stay on top of the muffin as the batter rises in the muffin cup.
If you don’t add the butter, the streusel will just be a little drier and messier when you eat the muffin. But it is delicious either way. 😀
Expert Tips
Using dried cranberries (Craisins) instead of fresh means that you can enjoy these muffins year-round, not just when fresh cranberries are in the grocery stores.
Mini muffins can also be made with this recipe! Simply spray the pan first with cooking spray (I find the mini paper liners too annoying to deal with LOL). The baking time is shorter, please refer to the notes in the recipe card. This batter will make about 32-36 mini muffins.
More recipes that use dried cranberries (Craisins)
- Cranberry Sauce from Dried Cranberries
- Eggnog Cranberry Bread
- Cranberry Goat Cheese Log
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Broccoli and Kale Salad
📖 Recipe
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Cranberry Walnut Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup Greek yogurt 2% or higher fat, vanilla or plain
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 2 eggs large
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange)
Streusel:
- ¼ cup oats
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- optional: 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium to large mixing bowl.2 cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Lightly beat the eggs and add in the Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.1 cup Greek yogurt, ⅔ cup canola oil, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- Add wet mixture to the dry and mix just enough to blend.
- Fold in the dried cranberries, walnuts and orange zest. Do not overmix to ensure a tender muffin.1 ½ cups dried cranberries, ½ cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients. Spoon on top of the muffin batter in each cup.¼ cup oats, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup walnuts, optional: 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove muffins to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Liz Schafer
The bake time was way off! my oven was at 375 and muffins were as as hard as a rock after 30 minutes!
Sula
Thank you for your comment - it prompted me to make these muffins right away this morning! Hubs happily ate 2 and I'm enjoyed one for myself. I baked at 375F for exactly 30 minutes, and the muffins are not hard - they are soft, tender, and entirely delicious!
Do you remember what kind of yogurt and oil you used? I used Fage 5% Greek yogurt and Simple Truth Organic canola oil. If you used something different, I'd be happy to re-test the recipe with whatever brands you used.
Audrey
The tart cranberries and then the crunch of the walnuts are so perfect together!
Sula
Thank you!
Judith
I love the fruity flavours of the cranberries combined with the orange zest. Will definitely make these again!
Sula
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Emily Flint
I made these with vanilla greek yogurt and they were so delicious! You were right, the addition of walnuts to the streusel was a game-changer.
Sula
Thank you for trying this out, and for the kind review. The walnuts definitely make a difference!