
Lea’s Cranberry Muffins

Thanksgiving Tastes & Traditions
Thanksgiving doesn’t end when the dishes are cleared — it lingers in the small moments that follow: quiet breakfasts, shared coffee, and one more bite of something homemade. Lea’s Cranberry Muffins are the perfect way to savor the season a little longer. Made with leftover cranberry sauce, these tender, crumb-topped muffins transform holiday remnants into a sweet, make-ahead treat for the days after the feast.
Part of our Tastes and Traditions collection, this recipe celebrates the spirit of the holidays — where life happens around food, and simple gestures become lasting memories.
Lea's Cranberry Muffins
A few days before Thanksgiving, I’ll make the cranberry sauce with whatever I have on hand. I’ll weigh the cranberries, add 30% of the weight in sugar, 1-2 Tbsp of lemon or orange juice, large pieces of rind (without the pith), a scrapped vanilla bean or 1-2 Tbsp of vanilla extract, and a bit of water. I’ll cook this on low for 20-30 minutes or until most of the cranberries are popped, then remove the vanilla bean and pieces of citrus rind and chill. Leftover cranberry sauce gets turned into cranberry muffins.
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
250 grams AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
165 grams vegetable oil
375 grams sugar
225 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Crumb Topping
65 grams brown sugar
65 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
113 grams butter, melted
215 grams AP flour
Procedure
- Prepare the Crumb Topping. Add sugars, cinnamon and salt to melted butter, whisk until combined. Add flour and stir until crumbs form. Let sit for about 20 min. Then break up the crumbs to use on muffins.
- Prepare the Muffin Batter. Combine flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Combine vegetable oil, sugar, milk, vanilla and eggs and whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Batter should still be lumpy but with no visible dry flour.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins about 1/2 to 2/3 full, add some cranberry sauce (about 1 Tbsp per muffin) and swirl with a toothpick. Top with crumb topping. Bake 350 for about 15-20 until done.
Note: Muffin batter and crumb topping can be made a head and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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