Description
These Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins transform sweet-tart holiday cranberry sauce into moist, flavorful muffins perfect for breakfast, snacks, or anytime indulgence. Featuring a tender crumb with a cinnamon-spiced crumb topping, they are easy to make, customizable, and a delightful way to enjoy leftover cranberry sauce year-round.
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Batter
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for GF option)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
Optional Add-ins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (for nutty addition)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (for citrus twist)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or ginger (for extra spices)
Instructions
- Prepare your oven and muffin tin: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup well to prevent sticking.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk these together so the spices and leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, vegetable oil or melted butter, milk or buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thick.
- Incorporate cranberry sauce: Stir the leftover cranberry sauce into the wet ingredients until well combined, adding moisture and bursts of tart flavor throughout the muffins.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender and fluffy.
- Prepare the crumb topping: Mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cold butter cut into small pieces until coarse crumbs form, adding that signature coffee cake crunch and sweetness.
- Fill and top muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over each muffin.
- Bake until golden: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool and enjoy: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm if preferred.
Notes
- Use fresh cranberry sauce: Homemade or store-bought fruit-packed sauce works best for flavor.
- Don’t overmix: Stir batter just until combined for tender muffins.
- Room temperature ingredients: Ensure eggs and dairy are at room temp for a smooth batter.
- Check baking time: Oven temperatures vary; start checking muffins at 18 minutes to avoid dryness.
- Reserve some crumb topping: Save a pinch to sprinkle after baking for extra texture and crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: cranberry sauce muffins, leftover cranberry recipe, coffee cake muffins, holiday leftovers, breakfast muffins, gluten free muffin recipe
