Cranberry Sauce Muffins are an easy healthy breakfast or snack solution for your leftover cranberry sauce. Super moist, dairy free and sweetened with date paste. These easy muffins have the spice of the holidays, orange zest and jeweled with delicious slightly sweet and tart cranberries.
Jump to:
- What's to Love
- What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce?
- Homemade Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
- Low Sugar Honey Sweetened Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
- Date Paste Compared to Regular Granulated Sugar
- How to Make Date Paste from Scratch?
- Ingredients and Substitution Options
- How to Make Holiday Muffins?
- Baking Tips
- Cranberries are the Year Around Super Food
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- More delicious Bread and Muffin Recipes
- Cranberry Sauce Muffins
What's to Love
Are ready to start the holiday baking? If you are a slow starter like us, then these muffins are super easy way to start the transition and you can use up the leftover cranberry sauce. Win- Win!
Every bite of these easy date sweetened muffins is like taking a bite of the holidays. With the ginger, cinnamon, cranberries and dates, it tastes like our Gingerbread Boys and Girls Cookies, but a bit healthier. We are not quite ready to indulge in everything sweet. Instead we enjoy making things a little more nutritious using date paste instead of refined sugar like in our apple oatmeal date cookies.
What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce?
Cranberry sauce has been a part of our Thanksgiving and holidays as long as we can remember. Some of our favorite recipes using cranberry sauce are…
- Drizzle sauce over cream cheese and goat cheese ball and serve with crackers for a fun appetizer.
- Delicious on toast, scones or as a topping for ice cream or our Easy Microwave Chocolate Pudding.
- Rocks over our Spiced Cranberry Glazed Ham.
- Slather cranberry sauce over their turkey sandwiches the next day for lunches.
- However, our favorite way to use up that extra cranberry sauce is to make Cranberry Sauce Muffins!
Homemade Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
Please skip the stuff in the can! There is nothing odder than having a gelatin based wiggly food on the dinner table that still has the ridges in the can showing. (smiling). If you made these muffins with the stuff in the can, you could call it Jellied Cranberry Muffins.
Did you know it takes less than 10 minutes to whip up your own cranberry sauce? Really! The canned stuff is just a can of sugar, preservatives, cranberries and some other items we cannot pronounce.
Our homemade lower sugar honey sweetened cranberry sauce has a delightful blend of sweet and sour cranberries that makes it addictive. Making your own sauce is as simple as putting everything into a saucepan and letting it come up to boil and once the cranberries start to pop and let out their juices, it is ready. Just as simple as that!
Low Sugar Honey Sweetened Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
- Fresh Cranberries – 12 oz
- Juice of 1 fresh orange
- Orange zest - 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
- Honey ⅓ cup +2 tablespoons
- Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Date Paste Compared to Regular Granulated Sugar
Did you know that dates have a lower glycemic spike compared to granulated sugar? According to a study by NIH, dates caused less of a postprandial elevation in sugar levels compared to regular granulated sugar consumption. In other words, the glucose level raises more slowly and does not spike as abruptly regular granulated sugar.
However, at the end of the day, sugar is sugar. Whether it is a natural and unrefined or refined. That is exactly why we used lower amount of date paste and just ⅓ cup chopped dates in our eggless marbled banana bread. It gives this healthy muffin recipe a lovely delicately sweet and slightly sour cranberries for one addictive bite.
How to Make Date Paste from Scratch?
You are going to want to make a batch of date paste as soon as possible because it is absolutely delicious in our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, Easy Pumpkin Empanadas, Homemade Cream Earl Bubble Tea and of course in our cranberry holiday muffins.
In order to make homemade date paste, you will need 2 cups of pitted dates (medjool dates are our favorite), and about ½ cup of warm water and blitz it in a food processor until smooth. Make a batch today so you have it for all of your holiday baking.
Ingredients and Substitution Options
- All Purpose Flour - (we have not tested this recipe with a gluten free flour mix or blend)
- Date paste – To sweeten the muffins, you can exchange 1:1 with regular granulated sugar or brown sugar. If you want to use another sweetener alternative, you will have to determine the ratio exchange for ¾ cup of sugar. Each sugar alternative works a little differently.
- Almond milk – We wanted dairy free muffins as dairy is not our friend. However, you can use regular milk or other non-dairy milk brands of choice.
- Cranberry Sauce – Our Honey Sweetened cranberry sauce is a less sweet compared to the regular recipes or use up the leftover cranberry sauce on hand.
- Orange juice – We used fresh, but you can also use orange juice in a can.
- Orange Zest – Fresh citrus zest in the muffin batter and as a garnish is really nice. You can use mandarin oranges or even lemon zest if you do not have fresh oranges on hand.
- Mix Ins – Have fun with this! Add chocolate chips, nuts or raisins as desired. We garnished our muffins with a little bit of dried old fashion oatmeal for a fun topping. However, it is completely optional.
How to Make Holiday Muffins?
- In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon) and set aside.
- Then, in your mixing bowl add your wet ingredients (date paste, eggs, almond milk, vanilla and coconut oil) and mix until well incorporated.
- Now, slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a mixer.
- Last not but least, add your delicious holiday cranberry sauce and orange zest.
- Place in muffin cup and bake at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for about 14- 16 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean and slightly golden on the top.
- Remove from the oven and dust with a little orange zest if desired. Let rest in your tins for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool.
Baking Tips
- Use cupcake liners or grease pan with oil spray to prevent sticking.
- When, date paste is refrigerated it is very firm. You will need to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl a few times to get the date paste off the bottom.
- If you have made homemade date paste from scratch and your paste is still a little chunky, that makes for one extra delicious muffin bite. Don’t sweat it.
- You can exchange date paste with granulated or brown sugar in a 1:1 ratio. We used ¾ date paste so exchange with ¾ cup brown or granulated sugar.
- Fill your cupcake tins up to the top. They will rise and make 12 large gorgeous muffins. No one like those little skimpy muffins with a flat top because you filled it only ¾ of the way full.
- Add ins are fun! Try mini chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, etc. We love the little extra nutty flavor of plain dried oats as a topping for ours. Totally optional, but delicious.
- Cranberry sauce muffins can be refrigerated for up to a week in a sealed container or can be stored frozen for up to 2 months.
- These little holiday muffins are fantastic for breakfasts on the go, car trips, school and work lunches or as a snack. You might also like our Cranberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies or sheet pan peanut butter and jelly pancakes for a quick breakfast idea.
Cranberries are the Year Around Super Food
Muffins made with cranberry sauce are chock full of full of delicious whole bursted cranberries. Cranberries are filled with antioxidants, vitamin C and have been proven positive for antimicrobial effects and gut health, according to a study by NIH. This time of the year we need to be extra kind to our bodies and nourish them from the inside, as the outside stressors can really take a toll on our bodies.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Make sure your ingredients such as eggs, date paste and coconut oil (melted) are at room temperature first. This ensures that the ingredients combine well, and this makes for a lighter and fluffy muffin. Most importantly DO NOT OVERMIX your muffin batter! Small little lumps are okay. If you overmix your muffin batter, it will activate the glutens and make your muffins tough.
Muffins will be done when they have a lightly golden top and a toothpick comes out clean without any batter on it. As every oven heats a little differently, we always set our timer for about 3 minutes less than the instructions. Then, start to check the muffins and add more time as needed. You can always bake a little longer, but you can’t fix over baked muffins. If you touch the top of the muffins, they should spring back.
The muffin tops are the best. We could not agree more. In order to get a large muffin with a big muffin top, fill your muffin tins almost to the top with your muffin batter. Muffins will rise high in the oven for a big muffin top.
More delicious Bread and Muffin Recipes
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-free and Sugar Free)
Hong Zao Bread (Chinese Date Bread)
Grab n Go Chai Breakfast Biscuit
Baked Matcha Lemon Glazed Donuts
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Cranberry Sauce Muffins
Equipment
- muffin or cupcake tin
- mixer
- cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger dried ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
- ¾ cup date paste instructions below
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup almond milk or dairy alternative of choice
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted or oil of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup cranberry sauce leftover cranberry sauce (We used a honey sweetened cranberry sauce - see notes below)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest and extra for garnish
- ¼ cup old fashion oats dried (optional for garlish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 204 Celsius (400 degrees F)
- Place cupcake/muffin liners in the cupcake tin or spray cupcake tin with oil to prevent sticking. (We always have better luck with the cupcake liners)
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and mix together. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine date paste and eggs and mix with blender. Add almond milk or dairy of choice, coconut oil and vanilla and mix well.
- Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Do not over mix! It's okay if the batter is slightly lumpy.
- Fold in cranberry sauce and orange zest. If you would like to add fun add ins like mini chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc., go ahead and do this now.
- Scoop muffin mixture into lined muffin tins. We use an ice cream scooper. Fill almost to the top. This recipe will make 12 large muffins with big muffin tops.
- Garnish with a dried oatmeal flakes as desired
- Bake for 14-16 minutes. Muffins will be done when they are slightly golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. (As everyone’s oven is always just a little different, we suggest you set your timer for about 12minutes and then check on them. Add more time as needed.) Allow to rest for 5minutes in the muffin tin. Remove the muffins from the muffin tin and rest on a wire rack.
- Grate a little orange zest on top for garnish, if desired and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Fresh Cranberries – 12 oz
- Juice of 1 fresh orange
- Orange zest - 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
- Honey ⅓ cup +2 tablespoons
- Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Cal says
Great way to recycle the cranberries.... I know what we're making for boxing day breakfast!
HWC Magazine says
Good for you Cal! We are shopping online today like many others. Stay safe and please take care
Aarthi says
These muffins look scrumptious , lovely batter color , love the idea of using natural date paste for sweetness and cranberry sauce is delicious. Like everything about these muffins , and I would surely love to have it on my everyday breakfast , so YUM and fresh! Thanks for the recipe.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Aarthi! We love using date paste instead of refined sugar. It adds a delicate sweetness and also a little added dimension of flavor to the muffins. Happy weekend to you! Take Care
Kelley Simmons says
These muffins look perfect for Christmas! Can't wait to try these!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Kelley! The spices really make this muffin taste just like Christmas morning. We hope you give this recipe a try soon. Stay well and take care
Kevin says
We were going to make blueberry muffins this morning - but I found my daughter ate the frozen blueberries... SO I googled what to do substitue with and I find this recipe -- what luck. My family was so surprised because we have never had this type of flavor before. Very good.
HWC Magazine says
So happy that we could help you through that out of blueberries dilemma, Kevin. We always end up with extra leftover cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving too.
Barb says
Can't wait to make these. These go in the over on Friday morning.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Barb. We had so much leftover cranberry sauce too. The boys are not big on cranberry sauce with turkey but they certainly packed away these cranberry sauce muffins in a jiffy. Take Care
John / Kitchen Riffs says
What a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce! These muffins sound wonderful, and I like date-sweetened goodies. This would be terrific for the morning after Thanksgiving. Scratch that -- Saturday morning. Friday morning we'll be eating leftover turkey, gravy, and stuffing for breakfast. 🙂 Good recipe -- thanks.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much John. Hey there is nothing wrong with turkey for breakfast but when you get bored with that, we hope you give this recipe a go. Wishing you a super Thanksgiving holiday week ahead. Take care
Judy L Purcell says
what a brilliant idea to use up cranberry sauce ... cuz er'body has cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Judy. You bet, especially this year. Wishing your family a super Thanksgiving week ahead.
Raymund says
This looks so Christmasy and I love it
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Raymund. When they are baking, it smells like Christmas with all the lovely spices and orange. Stay well and take care
Larry says
These look Delish
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Larry. Stay well and take care
Liz says
Gosh, the texture looks perfect....not to mention this delicious flavor combination!! Perfect for breakfast the week after Thanksgiving!!!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks Liz. The cranberry sauce and date paste really makes these muffing extra moist. Wishing you and your family a super Thanksgiving week ahead. Take Care
Hannah Kaminsky says
I must admit, I hate cranberry sauce. Cranberry muffins, on the other hand? That I can get into! It would be worth making some just to have for these little morsels. I'll keep an eye out for sales at the grocery store, post-Thanksgiving. 😉
HWC Magazine says
Cranberry sauce does not get as much love at the Thanksgiving table compared to the mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy thats for sure. However, cranberry sauce in muffins is just delicious. You are going to love that slightly sweet and pop of slightly sour in the muffins. Makes them really moist. Take Care
Becky says
I am going to try these this Wednesday and see how it goes for me. I will revert back. They look so very good to eat.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Becky! Let us know how it goes.
Katerina says
What a fabulous recipe for using up leftover cranberry sauce! I love all the healthier ingredients in this muffins, and I agree that these would be perfect for breakfast or a snack. Thank you for sharing!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Katerina. I am so glad we made them a little healthier as the boys inhaled this batch in less than 24 hours. LOL Stay well and take care
Raul says
Holy Perfect Timing Batman! I can make one cranberry dish and use it for the main and the dessert!?!?!? I’m in !!!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Raul! We always end up having leftover cranberry sauce around the holidays too, especially this year with smaller gatherings. You can also free your leftover cranberry sauce and save it for our https://www.hwcmagazine.com/recipe/spiced-cranberry-glazed-ham/. Take Care and wishing you a super Thanksgiving week ahead.
peaceloveandsmoothies says
Ooooh, those look so good!