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(1,010)
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
1,010 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.

Margaret

Yum! I used whole wheat flour and added a chopped apple. I have a goal to use up the extra cranberries every Thanksgiving. I finally did it!

ML

These are okay, even with added lemon zest based on suggestions to add citrus zest (I didn’t have orange). I think the muffin itself needs some spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, and/or ginger. As written, the cranberry is punchy but the rest is rather bland. I don’t think the pecans added anything and would omit next time. Topping is good, but as others noted, it yields too much for the number of muffins. Highly recommend using tulip shaped liners to catch the crumble. All in all, these good enough that they will not go to waste, but some improvements are needed if there is a next batch.

ML

Why is the flour mixed with the butter mixture before mixing in the sour cream mixture? Why not cream the butter and mix in other wet ingredients first, then add the flour mixture to cut down on dirty bowls? Interested in knowing if there is science behind the instructions as written.

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