Mini Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Mini cranberry pumpkin muffins are a perfect grab and go for a quick breakfast or snack. Muffins work well when creating simplified meal options.

Creating easy foods for children (and adults) to grab is one less meal that needs to be prepared in the moment.

Because muffins can last for a few days at room temperature and for about 3 months in the freezer, baking batches of these yummy muffins can be enjoyed for many fall cozy days to come.

Adding pumpkins into baked goods is popular during the fall season for good reason. You can find canned and fresh pumpkins everywhere!

Also, I personally always enjoy adding vegetables into my children’s diet in tasty creative ways.

We served these mini muffins for a weekday dessert. And the remaining muffins were left on our kitchen table for the kids to freely help themselves during the next day.

(They didn’t last that long for us to freeze)

The taste of the tart and juicy cranberries balance well with the taste of the mildly sweet pumpkin. There are a few tricks to end up with moist muffins that I share later on.

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. (You will want to cut the cranberries into smaller pieces)

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE MINI CRANBERRY PUMPKIN MUFFINS?

The tools and ingredients for baking mini cranberry pumpkin muffins can be gathered in a cinch.

The tools you will need are:

• Mini muffin baking pan
• 1 large mixing bowl
• Baking spatula
• Fork, whisk, or hand mixer to beat the eggs
• Ice cream or cookie dough scooper (it’s easier to use a cookie dough scooper because it’s smaller and neater to fill a mini muffin pan)
• Optional – cupcake liners

Ingredients you will need are:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon pink salt
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin ( I used Libby’s)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped into small pieces

HOW TO MAKE MINI CRANBERRY PUMPKIN MUFFINS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Preparing the dry ingredients:

In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk ingredients together well.

Preparing the add-ins:

In a separate bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil. Mix all of these wet ingredients well.

Slowly add wet ingredients in the bowl with prepared dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix the dry and wet ingredients. Gently combine cranberries into the muffin batter.

Using a scooper, fill mini muffin pans 3/4 full. (This is a general rule for filling most muffins pans to allow space for muffins to rise without spilling over.)

Place in the oven as quickly as possible.

Bake for 20 mins. Allow to cool before serving.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT NOT TO OVER-MIX MUFFIN BATTER?

One of the signs of a good muffin is a soft, light, and airy texture. To get this final result, it all starts during the mixing process.

Unlike pancake or waffle batter, you don’t want to continually mix the muffin batter. By over mixing the batter, the air bubbles will get crushed causing the texture of the muffin to not be fluffy and airy.

The texture of the muffin will be dense and chewy.

It’s best to mix the dry and wet ingredients just enough to moisten the batter. Just enough so that no more dry flour is visible.

Tip: If muffin appears over mixed try adding 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter. The butter will help make the muffins light and fluffy.

WHY YOU SHOULD BAKE MUFFINS IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU FINISH MIXING THE BATTER?

Once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined the leavening process has begun. Simply put, leavening agents helped baked goods to rise.

The leavening agent in muffin batter is baking soda. The leavening process happens pretty quickly, so baking your batter as soon as possible is best if you want to enjoy a muffin that has risen and is light and fluffy.

HOW LONG WILL MINI CRANBERRY PUMPKIN MUFFINS LAST AFTER THEY ARE BAKED?

Mini cranberry pumpkin muffins are a quick grab-and-go and can last about 2-3 days when stored properly at room temperature.

To store properly allow the muffins to cool completely on a wire rack. They must be cooled completely and no longer letting off heat. If muffins are stored while still letting off heat they will become soggy and not last as long.

Once muffins have cooled line a food storage container with a paper towel or flour sack towel or similar. Place muffins on top of your choice of liner. Then, place another liner on top of the muffins. Close tight and leave out at room temperature.

YOU CAN FREEZE MINI MUFFINS:

Wrap muffins in freezer wrap or freezer bags air-tight with all air squeezed out. For added protection against freezer burn or dried out muffins place wrapped muffins inside of freezer ziplock bag. Allow to sit out at room temperature to unthaw.

MORE MUFFIN IDEAS:

The fun part about muffins is that there are a variety of ways to eat them.

Try adding warm butter on top or inside your muffins. Or, a slather of cool cream cheese.

You can also make mini bacon and egg sliders by using the muffins as the bread.

Or, experiment with different add-ins such as nuts, blueberries, or bananas. It’s also quite popular to sprinkle the top of muffins with powdered sugar for a little added sweetness.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough Waffles

Blueberry Sourdough Waffles

How To Make Sourdough Starter For Fermented Breads And Baking

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