Cranberry Crumb Muffins

By Samantha Seneviratne

Published Oct. 29, 2021

Cranberry Crumb Muffins
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(1,078)
Comments
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In these tender muffins, a crunchy topping adds nice textural contrast, and supertart cranberries keep the sweetness balanced. Fresh or frozen cranberries work well, but if using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before they go into the batter. The batter may seem extra stiff from the cold berries, but it will bake up just fine. (They may need an extra minute or two in the oven.) Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a mix of the three would be lovely. If you use berries, you can expect some color streaking, but they will taste great. Chopped up in-season peaches or plums would be tasty, too. Use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to portion muffin batter into the prepared pan: It’s easy, quick and helps to keep the muffins the same size.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 muffins

    For the Crumb Topping

    • ¾cup/96 grams all-purpose flour
    • ½cup/89 grams loosely packed dark brown sugar
    • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼teaspoon kosher salt
    • 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, melted

    For the Muffins

    • 2cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2½teaspoons baking powder
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼teaspoon baking soda
    • 2cups cranberries/227 grams, fresh or frozen (but not thawed)
    • 1cup/99 grams pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
    • ½cup/120 grams full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
    • ¼cup whole milk, at room temperature
    • 8tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • ¾cup/151 grams granulated sugar
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

387 calories; 21 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 241 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the crumb mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter, and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the muffins: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the cranberries and pecans, and gently toss to combine.

  4. Step 4

    In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and the milk. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

  5. Step 5

    Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Fold in the sour cream mixture. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Squeeze the crumb mixture to create clumps of varying size, and sprinkle evenly over the tops. (It’s OK if some of the crumb mixture lands on the tray.)

  6. Step 6

    Bake the muffins until they are puffed and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 26 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,078 user ratings
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Comments

Caro

A tender- crumbed muffin - perfect for a November weekend morning bake. I added some orange zest because it plays nicely with cranberries

Stacey

I can't believe these don't have more reviews they are so good. Added lemon and orange zest per another reviewers suggestion, and also replaced sour cream with buttermilk b/c it's what I had on hand. Reduced milk by 3 tbsp because of modification. Also added half cup of flax meal to attempt a healthy ingredient and then only half cup of nuts for balance. If I make again I would up the cranberries to 3 cups.

Sue

Yes! This is a simple quick bread with over-complicated instructions. Cream butter and sugar together (a wooden spoon is ideal; no need for a mixer). Mix in the dairy and eggs until homogenous. Add the dry ingredients directly to the wet, being sure not to add the leavening and salt in a lump and to mix them throughout the batter. You can even mix the crumble in the same bowl after you've portioned out the batter, if you're feeling really lazy or short on bowls.

Cris

A little flaky and dry for my taste… I thought the pastry and crumble was going to be completely moist. Perhaps next time, I'll add another tablespoon of butter and sour cream. As for the tartness of the cranberries and the amount of sugar, it was perfectly balanced.

Franny Curtis

I love that this recipe has only 3/4 cup sugar!! Used fresh cranberries and it was still the perfect sweetness.

Sabrina Michele

I recently made this recipe for a second time—this time following some of the previous bakers’ suggestions, and “Wow!” What a world of difference they made. My initial rating of the muffins was a 3/5, but with the mods? A 5/5. I halved the recipe because, as a party of 1, I don’t need 12 muffins. 🫠 I added a 1/8 tsp. Cloves, 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon to the batter. I also zested an entire Meyer Lemon. I ended up w/ 7 muffins in Tulip Liners. The crumb topping seems like a lot, but used it all. Amazing. They almost looked like they weren’t done, but the toothpick came out clean, so. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Absolutely amazing. Will make again. Personally enjoyed them with homemade chicken noodle soup.

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