These Cranberry Crumble Muffins are my sweet little answer to the question many face after Thanksgiving: what do I do with all this cranberry sauce? Instead of letting it sit in the fridge for days, I swirled generous spoonfuls of smooth, sieved cranberry sauce right into a buttery muffin batter, no fresh cranberries needed. The result surprised me in the best way. The muffins bake up soft and tender, and the cranberry leaves bright, tangy streaks through every bite.
They come out golden with a light, crunchy crumble on top, the kind you want to enjoy warm as you pull them open and see the ribbon of cranberry inside. They feel homey and comforting, perfect for slow mornings or an afternoon tea break.
And if there’s no leftover sauce around, you can still make these anytime. Just cook up a small batch of cranberry sauce and strain it smooth, and you’re ready for a cozy bake.
These muffins remind me that baking doesn’t have to be complicated. A jar of sauce, a simple batter, and a bit of crumble can bring real warmth back to the table.
How to make cranberry swirl muffins
Begin with preparing the cranberry sauce or use leftover cranberry sauce if you have some ready. To prepare it, place the cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan. Next, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the cranberries have softened and the sauce has thickened. Finally, strain the sauce through a sieve to remove skins and seeds, and let it cool slightly before using.
Next, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cavity muffin pan with paper liners or silicone cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. Gradually incorporate the oil, then the buttermilk, and mix until smooth.
Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
Add about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Top each with 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce and use a toothpick or skewer to swirl it into the batter.
Divide the rest of the batter evenly among the cups. Top again with 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce per muffin and swirl gently.
Prepare the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, and melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over each muffin.
Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Finally, cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature!
Hope you will try them out, and if you do, don’t forget to share the photos with me on Instagram. Enjoy!
Other recipes you may like to try
This soft, golden Cranberry Babka swirled with tangy cranberry filling is perfect for cozy mornings or holiday brunch.
These buttery Cranberry Pinwheel Cookies made with smooth cranberry filling, are sweet, slightly tart, and ideal with tea or coffee or for holidays.
This moist fudgy Chocolate Cranberry Cake cake topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and cranberry swirl is a festive and simple dessert that brings cozy holiday flavor to any table.
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Cranberry White Chocolate Meringue Roll
Chocolate Cranberry Sugar Cookies
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15 Sweet and Savory Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Vertical Layer Cake
Triple Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Cake
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Cake
Cranberry Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (220g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 2/3 cup (135g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (110ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk
Cranberry Sauce – to get 3/4 cup (180g)
- 9 oz (250g) cranberries , fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 tbsp (15g) lemon juice or water
Crumb Topping
- 3 tbsp (45g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter , melted
Instructions
- Prepare the cranberry sauce or use leftover cranberry sauce.
- To prepare it, place cranberries, sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Sieve to remove any skins or seeds. Let il cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190). Line a 12-cavity muffin pan with paper liners or silicone cups.
Prepare the muffin batter.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour with baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl add eggs, sugar and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Incorporate the oil.
- Add the buttermilk.
- Incorporate the flour mixture making sure to not overmix the batter.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup.
- Top with 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the sauce into the batter.
- Divide the remaining batter equally into muffin cups.
- Top with another teaspoon of cranberry sauce.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the sauce into the batter.
Prepare crumb topping.
- In a medium add sugar with flour and melted butter.
- Mix to combine.
- Divide the crumbs on top of each muffin.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool muffins on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
