Apple Cranberry & Cheddar Muffins

This hearty little breakfast muffin recipe makes delicious muffins that are lactose-free and quick to bake if you are short on time.

This recipe courtesy of our Friends at Cabot Cheese, King Arthur Flour, and Ocean Spray Cranberry!

Baking this recipe yields one dozen muffins when baked in regular sized muffin cups.

I am rather fond of Apple Cranberry and Cheddar Muffins. They’re not quite savory, not quite sweet, yet altogether delicious and with little gooey flecks of cheese dotted throughout the crumb.

The first time I baked these I knew this would become a standard rotational recipe in my house. Just out of the oven, warm with butter and a cup of hot coffee or served alongside my Spinach Bacon and Bleu Cheese Quiche in lieu of rolls or cornbread, there is no wrong way to enjoy these.

If I bake a dozen, usually eight or so are eaten at breakfast. What remains are easily wrapped well in plastic wrap, then placed in a freezer bag to be frozen and enjoyed another day. I have even griddled them – split down the middle and toasted over high-ish heat in a pan with brown butter until nicely toasted. HELLO!

During the last five minutes of the bake, I added a few strands of shredded sharp cheddar to the tops of these muffins and popped them back into the oven. They came out looking and tasting amazing. There’s just something about cheese!

These muffins really are a fresh shout out to autumn. They are chock full of apples and dried cranberries and gooey sharp cheddar cheese. Funny enough, there is no milk in the recipe. So if taking these to share as a party side dish with folks who may have dairy aversions, these are perfect.

They gain their moisture from fresh diced apple, cranberry juice, and vegetable oil. If you wanted a less-dense crumb, you could swap the dried cranberries for fresh. I do not advise trying that though until you have experienced this method exactly the way it’s written herein. I love when great tasting recipes are this easy.

Apple Cranberry and Cheddar Muffins are quick to throw together, they bake up lickety split, and leftovers freeze very well!

Breakfast muffin recipes are always something I keep my eyes peeled for. Apple cranberry muffins, plain apple muffins, a cinnamon muffin recipe, or delicious cheese muffins all begin with a basic muffin recipe. This method is no different.

The measured dry ingredients support a host of different ingredient possibilities. I am using just under one cup Ocean Spray cranberry juice if you need a gouge to go by. And no, the cranberry juice is not discernable once these are baked. I cream everything together by hand until just incorporated and let the science do its thing!

All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC

Apple Cranberry & Cheddar Muffins

Jenny from Not Entirely Average

This hearty little breakfast muffin recipe makes delicious muffins that are lactose-free and quick bake if you are short on time.

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Servings: 12 servings

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 225 kcal

Equipment

• 12 cup muffin pan

Ingredients

 

Ingredients for Apple Cranberry & Cheddar Muffins

• 2 cups all purpose flour I am using King Arthur
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated, I am using Cabot
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice I am using Ocean Spray
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 apple finely diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries I am using Ocean Spray Craisins

Instructions

 

The Method

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat insides of 12-hole muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin cups.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in grated cheddar.
• Whisk together cranberry juice, vegetable oil and egg, in another bowl. Add juice mixture to dry ingredients along with apples and cranberries; stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated, but batter is still lumpy.
• Fill muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned on top and skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for about 1 minute before removing from pan.
• If desired, during the last 5 minutes of bake time, scatter a few pieces of shredded cheddar atop muffins and return to oven to complete the bake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 269mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 132IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 1mg

Keyword apple, apple cranberry cheddar muffins, bake, baking, best breakfast foods, breakfast muffin, Brunch, cheddar, cranberry, lactose free, muffin, no dairy, savory muffin

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!