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Easy Cranberry Lemon Muffins Recipe for a Bright, Bakery-Style Breakfast

Easy Cranberry Lemon Muffins

These tender cranberry lemon muffins combine bright citrus flavor with juicy, tart cranberries in a simple one-bowl-style batter. They bake into 12 golden breakfast muffins and can be finished with an optional lemon glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups (240 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Milk
  • 1 lemon Finely grated lemon zest
  • 1-2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Fruit
  • 1 1/2 cups (150-165 g) Fresh or frozen cranberries

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease each cup well.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined.
  3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until the flour is nearly incorporated. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are desirable.
  4. Fold in the cranberries gently. If using frozen cranberries, add them directly from the freezer without thawing.
  5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds to three-quarters full.
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool the muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Add optional lemon glaze after the muffins have cooled.

Notes

Zest the lemon before juicing it because the zest supplies most of the lemon flavor. Frozen cranberries should be used frozen to reduce color bleeding and help them remain distributed through the batter. For an optional glaze, whisk about 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice and drizzle over cooled muffins.