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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Vegan Cranberry Muffins w/ Lemon [Oil Free]

    Published: Dec 2, 2020 · Modified: Dec 20, 2020 by Rosa · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

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    vegan cranberry muffins PIN with text overlay.
    vegan cranberry muffins PIN with text overlay.
    vegan cranberry muffins PIN with text overlay.
    vegan cranberry muffins PIN with text overlay.
    vegan cranberry muffins PIN with text overlay.

    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, one bowl, and ready in under 30 minutes!

    Cranberry muffin sliced in half to expose cranberries inside.

    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.

    Are these muffins healthy?

    Yes, these vegan cranberry muffins are ACTUALLY wholesome and a FAR healthier choice than most muffins out there.

    Not only are they free from dairy and eggs, but they’re also accidentally gluten free too! This makes them allergen friendly AND low in calories, low in fat, and low in sugar!

    Instead of using traditional ingredients like white flour and oil, I’m swapping for healthier choices like oat flour (or whole wheat) and unsweetened applesauce.

    So go ahead and include these scrumptious muffins as part of a healthy breakfast. At only 87 calories each, you can even have two. 😉

    Overhead view of vegan cranberry muffins on marble counter.

    Why you’ll love these!

    1. They’re healthy! For the reasons mentioned above! 😉
    2. 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!
    3. Sweet and tart, all in one. I love the well rounded flavour in these.
    4. Simple to make! Just one bowl and less than 30 minutes needed.
    5. Perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert, and a great addition to your Christmas baking.
    Muffins on marble counter with cranberries and lemon slices scattered between them.

    How to make them

    (This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

    Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. (photos 1-2)

    Then add the wet ingredients, except the cranberries and mix until combined, without overmixing. (photo 3)

    Now gently fold in the cranberries. (photo 4)

    Large bowl with dry ingredients, then wet added and then cranberries added.

    Divide your mixture among 12 muffin cups. Use a non stick muffin pan, or muffin liners. Your muffin tins will be almost full, but these won’t rise too much, so that’s just how you want them. (photos 5-6)

    Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, approx. 18-20 minutes. (photo 7)

    Muffin batter being poured into muffin pan and then baked.

    Let your muffins rest for at least 10 minutes before handling, and then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling, or enjoy warm.

    Overhead view of cranberry muffins with cranberries, oats and lemon slices scattered around.

    How long do they keep?

    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 in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

    Can I freeze them?

    Yes! If you’re planning ahead, or want to freeze some for another day, just make sure to fully cool the muffins to room temperature first.

    Then place them in an air tight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

    What if I don’t have oat flour?

    If you don’t have any oat flour on hand, you may sub for whole wheat flour. Or, you may grind rolled oats in a blender until a flour consistency is reached.

    This is not only less expensive than purchasing oat flour, but also extremely quick and simple.

    Can I make any other substitutions or variations?

    For nut free, you may sub the cashew milk for soy or coconut milk instead.

    Turn these into cranberry orange muffins by subbing the lemon juice for freshly squeezed orange juice, and the zest for orange zest. (Or make my cranberry orange bread.)

    You may sub the cranberries for another fresh fruit, like blueberries, if preferred.

    Expert Tips for Success

    1. Do not over mix 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.
    2. Use a non stick muffin pan (or grease your tins if needed). If you decide to use muffin liners instead, make sure the muffins are COMPLETELY cooled before removing the liners. If you try to remove the liners too soon, the muffin won’t peel clean from the liner.
    3. Let your muffins cool. With or without liners, your vegan cranberry muffins need at least 10 minutes to rest once removed from the oven. After the rest period, you may carefully remove them from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

    More favourite muffin recipes

    • Vegan Raspberry Muffins
    • Mini Quinoa Sweet Potato Muffins
    • Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
    • Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins
    • Banana Pumpkin Muffins

    If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it 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 Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

    Buon appetito

    Rosa

    Cranberry muffin sliced in half to expose cranberries inside.

    Vegan Cranberry Muffins w/ Lemon [Oil Free]

    Vegan cranberry muffins are lightly sweetened, and use fresh cranberries and lemon to deliver bursts of tart flavour in every bite. Just one bowl, and less than 30 minutes!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    Total Time: 28 minutes
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 12 Muffins
    Calories: 87kcal

    Equipment

    Empty 12 muffin pan on white background.
    Muffin Pan

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 1 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour
    • 1 cup rolled oats
    • ¼ cup unrefined coconut sugar or brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

    Wet Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup lemon juice from approx 1 large lemon
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
    • 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk or soy milk
    • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1.25 cups fresh cranberries
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
    • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk together. Then add all the wet ingredients, except the cranberries. and mix until combined without over mixing. Gently fold in the cranberries.
    • Divide the mixture between your 12 muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

    Notes

    Do not over mix 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.
    Use a non stick muffin pan (or grease your tins if needed). If you decide to use muffin liners instead, make sure the muffins are COMPLETELY cooled before removing the liners. If you try to remove the liners too soon, the muffin won’t peel clean from the liner.
    Let your muffins cool. With or without liners, your vegan cranberry muffins need at least 10 minutes to rest once removed from the oven. After the rest period, you may carefully remove them from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
    Store leftovers at room temperature for 3-4 days in a sealed container or covered in plastic wrap. Make sure you cover the muffins once cooled or they will get dry.
    Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze air tight for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Mention @this.healthy.kitchen on IG and tag #thishealthykitchen!
    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
    548 shares

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    1. Heather

      March 14, 2022 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I switched out the cranberries for frozen blueberries that I coated with a little bit of whole wheat flour prior to mixing into the batter. I baked them for about 23 minutes. Came out perfect. 😍😋

      Reply
      • Rosa

        March 14, 2022 at 5:38 pm

        Thrilled you enjoyed it Heather! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cindy

      January 31, 2021 at 6:00 am

      5 stars
      These are really delicious! Hard to believe they’re low in sugar and so low in calories!!! Absolutely amazing! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        January 31, 2021 at 10:01 am

        That’s wonderful to hear, so glad you enjoyed Cindy. Thanks very much for the review. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sandra

      December 08, 2020 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent muffins! I soaked 1 c oats overnight in 1 c flax milk. For the oat flour I measured 1 c oats prior to grinding. I made cranberry lemon and mini blueberry orange muffing. Two batches of success! Zero oil, zero wheat. Nice flavors and textures. Have not had a muffin this delicious in a long time.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        December 09, 2020 at 8:38 am

        Thanks very much for the review Sandra. Thrilled you enjoyed the muffins!

        Reply
    4. Gayle

      December 04, 2020 at 9:53 am

      5 stars
      Wow these were great. I used orange (which was one of the options instead of lemon. Amazing, that a muffin which has no oil, no dairy, no eggs, no gluten and no sugar ( I used honey instead of sugar) can taste so good!

      Recipes like this help people who are vegan and gluten-free continue eating healthy, and avoid feeling deprived. I have tried a lot of gluten free.baking recipes which i have found on the web, which have been dissapointing.. So I’ve learned to really appreciate a good recipe. Thank you so much !

      Reply
      • Rosa

        December 04, 2020 at 11:18 am

        Aww thanks so much Gayle. I’m completely flattered. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, and thrilled you enjoyed. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Nicole Adam

      December 02, 2020 at 11:29 am

      It is ok to use white flour?

      Reply
      • Rosa

        December 02, 2020 at 11:33 am

        I haven’t tried with white flour, but I think it should work fine. Hope you enjoy the muffins! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Rae

      May 07, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      These sound delicious, can’t wait to try! Just wondering if you thought substituting the fresh cranberries with dried cranberries would work?

      Reply
      • Rosa

        May 07, 2020 at 7:01 pm

        Hi Rae, yes that should work, enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    7. jacquie

      December 05, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      this look great! I love how small the amount of added sugar is since i usually find recipes to way to sweet. could i make them in a loaf pan as i don’t have a muffin tin? Thanks.

      Reply
      • rosa

        December 06, 2019 at 12:41 pm

        Hi Jacquie, I haven’t tried it in a loaf pan but that should work. Just bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Nikki

      December 04, 2019 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      These look and sound so delicious 😋 I’d like to make them for Holiday get together.

      Reply
      • rosa

        December 04, 2019 at 8:27 pm

        Thanks Nikki! Hope you enjoy. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Sofia

      December 01, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy to make and tastes healthy & delicious! Perfect holiday flavour. Highly recommend!

      Reply
      • rosa

        December 02, 2019 at 7:18 am

        Thanks so much Sofia. Thrilled you enjoyed these muffins. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Rosa! Welcome to This Healthy Kitchen where you'll find tasty and nutritious, plant-based recipes. I'm an avid home cook who believes food is medicine. Each recipe is made using wholesome ingredients, and under 400 calories per serving with several gluten-free and oil-free options! Occasional cheat days included. 😉

    More about me →

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    548 shares