Vegan cranberry muffins are lightly sweetened and use fresh cranberries and lemon to deliver bursts of tart flavour in every bite. Made using wholesome ingredients, and one bowl.
This recipe was originally published in December 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
These are perfect for your holiday baking, or any time you crave a sweet and tart treat that won’t eat up your daily calorie intake.
These healthy cranberry muffins make a fantastic breakfast, snack, or wholesome dessert.
Jump to:
How are they healthy?
These vegan cranberry muffins are incredibly wholesome and use healthier ingredients, compared to most muffin options.
There are no refined ingredients like white flour, white sugar, and oil. Instead, I’m using gluten-free oat flour with unsweetened applesauce, and a touch of unrefined coconut sugar.
These delicious muffins are low in calories, low in fat, and low in sugar! So feel good about including these as part of a healthy breakfast.
Why you’ll love these!
- They’re healthy! For the reasons mentioned above! 😉
- Incredibly tasty! Considering there’s no oil, no dairy, and very little sugar, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how delicious these vegan cranberry muffins are!
- Sweet and tart, all in one. I love the well-rounded flavour in these.
- Simple to make! Just one bowl and no complicated steps.
- Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert, and a great addition to your Christmas baking.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this wholesome vegan cranberry muffin recipe.
- Oat flour: Oat flour is a naturally gluten-free flour that’s wholesome and far more nutrient-dense compared to all-purpose flour.
- Oats: Choose certified gluten-free if needed as sometimes cross-contamination may occur.
- Coconut sugar: An unrefined sweetener choice, but you may use other granulated sugars like date sugar if preferred.
- Applesauce: This replaces the need for eggs and/or flax eggs while adding a little sweetness and moisture at the same time.
- Lemon: For a delicious tart flavour and to fluff up our muffins by creating vegan buttermilk when combined with soy milk.
- Milk: Soy milk reacts best to lemon juice to create vegan buttermilk. However, if you require a soy-free option, use almond milk or another plant milk.
- Vanilla: Choose pure vanilla extract, not artificially flavoured.
- Cranberries:
- Baking powder/soda: For lift and texture. Make sure your ingredients are active and fresh. Baking powder that has been open for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step-by-step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Pour all the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Let that rest for 5 minutes to curdle the milk, (creating vegan buttermilk) as shown above.
Then add all the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Fold in the cranberries and then divide the mixture into your muffin pan.
Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and dry.
Let the muffins rest for at least 10 minutes before handling, and then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
Substitutions + Variations
- If you don’t have oat flour, you can quickly make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender until a flour consistency is reached. (This is also less expensive than purchasing oat flour.)
- I’ve also successfully used whole wheat flour in place of oat flour.
- Swap the cranberries for another fresh berry like blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.
- Make vegan cranberry orange muffins by using freshly squeezed orange juice instead of lemon juice, and orange zest instead of lemon.
Or try my cranberry orange bread.
Storage
These vegan cranberry muffins taste best within 1-2 days of baking. (Like most muffins.)
However, they’ll keep at room temperature, in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic wrap for 3-4 days. Make sure to keep them covered so they don’t get dry.
Alternatively, you may refrigerate them in a sealed container for 5-6 days.
To freeze, make sure to fully cool the muffins to room temperature first. Then store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips for Success
- Use active/fresh baking powder. Baking powder that has been open for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Do not overmix your batter. With most muffin recipes, it’s best not to over-mix for optimal texture and fluffiness. When combining wet and dry ingredients, just mix until there are no more floury bits, but don’t worry about working out every lump.
- Let your muffins cool. These vegan cranberry muffins need at least 10 minutes to rest once removed from the oven. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
More delicious vegan muffins
If you tried this recipe, please let me know in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don't forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube to see more delicious food.
Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from approx. 1 large lemon
- ⅓ cup lemon juice from approx. 1 large lemon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1.25 cups fresh cranberries
Dry Ingredients
- 150 grams oat flour approx. 1.5 cups
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup unrefined coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/176℃ and line a muffin pan with parchment liners.
- Stir all the wet ingredients (except the cranberries) into a large bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes to curdle the soy milk. (See process shots above for a reference.)
- Once curdled, add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined without overmixing. Then fold in the cranberries.
- Divide the mixture between your 12 muffin tins and bake for 24-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry. Remove from the oven and let the muffin tray rest for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
- Use active/fresh baking powder. Baking powder that has been open for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Do not overmix your batter. With most muffin recipes, it’s best not to over-mix for optimal texture and fluffiness. When combining wet and dry ingredients, just mix until there are no more floury bits, but don’t worry about working out every lump.
- Let your muffins cool. They need at least 10 minutes to rest once removed from the oven. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
Ora says
Can you use maple syrup in place of coconut sugars?
Rosa says
Hi Ora, I haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for certain if it would alter the texture.