Cranberry Banana Muffins are super moist muffins with the sweetness of bananas and sugar and the tartness of fresh cranberries for a perfect breakfast or snack. Enjoy the natural fruity taste from bananas and a vibrant burst of flavor from the cranberries in each bite, a fun muffin for your taste buds! This recipe is adapted from Peas and Carrots Cranberry Banana Bread, made into muffins. For another moist and tender muffin bursting with flavor, try my Cranberry Orange Muffins, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the muffins.
Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness to the muffins. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt in the recipe.
Bananas: For the distinct banana flavor, you need about a cup of mashed ripe bananas or 2 large bananas. They also help keep the muffins moist.
Eggs: Room-temperature eggs act as a binding agent and give structure to the muffins. Out of eggs? Try one of my egg substitutes!
Cranberries: Fresh cranberries provide tartness and a vibrant color! If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before using.
Can I Use Dried Cranberries?
Sure, you can use dried cranberries in cranberry banana muffins. This will add a little more sweetness and less tartness to the muffins.
Can I Add Any Mix-Ins To The Muffins?
Absolutely! Although delicious and full of flavor as-is, you can customize the flavor by adding mix-ins. Try adding nuts like chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Or, try the muffins with chocolate chips (which I want to try next)!
How To Store Cranberry Banana Muffins
There are a few ways to store muffins:
- Room Temperature: Because they are best enjoyed at room temperature, this is usually the recommended way to store them. I use a larger sealable plastic bag or an airtight container to store the muffins in a single layer. Some folks recommend adding a piece of paper towel to the bottom so that it will soak up any condensation. If your muffins are properly cooled before storing, this may not be necessary. However, if using an airtight container, I will often add a piece of bread to the container, torn in half, and fit in between the muffins. The bread will soak up moisture as well. They are best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: (Refrigeration, in general, dries out baked goods faster so a typical muffin recipe shouldn’t be refrigerated.) Place in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container and then place into the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove from refrigerator and pop into the microwave for 10 seconds or just allow muffin to come to room temperature naturally, about 15 minutes.
- Freezer: Place cooled muffins into a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag or a freezer-safe airtight container and pack as closely as possible without crushing. Remove as much air as possible. Label with date and recipe name.
More Muffin Recipes
Cranberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup (61 g) whole milk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (165 g) fresh cranberries, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- To a medium bowl, add sugar and butter. Mix until combined.
- Add bananas, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in cranberries.
- Evenly divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the muffins rest for about 5 minutes in the muffin tin before removing them and transferring to a wire rack.
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I wasn't expecting to like this flavor combination but it works amazingly! Both flavors of cranberry and banana shine through, and the muffin is exceptionally moist.
Elizabeth
What a lovely flavor combination! You get the sweetness from the bananas and then a tartness from cranberries. The texture is perfectly moist! Yum!
Rachael
This is an unexpected flavor combination that I loved! It is a wonderful twist on a traditional banana muffin!
Bella
These muffins are moist! I've never tried this flavor combination before, but I love banana muffins. There is a strong tang from the cranberries. This is excellent if you like tart muffins!
Annabelle
I wouldn't have though to put these flavors together, but I'm glad someone did! These muffins are delicious, and so simple!
Selena
Super moist muffin, but it's just not my thing. I didn't love the banana and cranberry combination.
Can frozen cranberries be used?
Here is what it says in the post: (Should you have any questions in the future, please do feel free to check there and see if I have already addressed your inquiry!) 🙂
Cranberries: Fresh cranberries provide tartness and a vibrant color! If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before using.
what can I replace the bananas with?
CouldI use buttermilk instead if plain milk