Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

These Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten-free) are bursting with tangy cranberry flavour and pack a nutritional punch! Without any added sugar and filled with fibre-packed fruit and oats, you'll be making these all season long😄

Don't you just love cranberry season?

These cranberry muffins are a perfect way to use up those delicious, tart little fruits.

If you're buying fresh cranberries, why not pick up an extra bag of them and pop them in the freezer.

Fresh cranberries freeze beautifully and you can even made these muffins with frozen cranberries - no need to thaw 'em out.

Much like this recipe for Healthy Gluten Free Apple Muffins with Cinnamon or these Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies, healthy, gluten-free snacks just gotta be on hand.

Here's what you'll need to make these gluten-free healthy cranberry muffins:

• Gluten Free Flour (I love Bob's Red Mill version)
• Gluten Free Rolled Oats - my fave: Only Oats Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (not the quick ones for this recipe)
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• A large orange (for the rind)
• 2 small or 1 large very ripe bananas - or the thawed ones from your freezer work well
• Milk
• Olive oil
• Applesauce
• Egg
• Cranberries -  fresh or frozen

Full ingredient list below.

And maybe bookmark this recipe for Cranberry and Orange Oatmeal Scones because you'll use the oats and orange and a lot of the other ingredients.

And this recipe for Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce is another one to check out.

The cranberry sauce is so good, you can spread it on toast (and yes, turkey!🦃)

Instructions

These cranberry muffins are so easy to make.

Here's how you make them:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with silicone muffin cups or brush the muffin tins a little oil.
• Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind in a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, oil, applesauce and egg with a wire whisk.
• Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in cranberries.
• Fill each muffin cup to the top. About 2 tablespoon in each cup.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Let muffins cool out of the muffin tins completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh, frozen ones?

Dried cranberries will work for this recipe just fine.

Downside?

You don't get the exploding-cranberry-in-your-mouth-taste like you do with the fresh/frozen ones.

I have fresh cranberries. Do I have to cut them in half before I use them?

Nope! You can just throw 'em in there.

I mean, if you have time to spare, feel free to cut them in half.

But I personally love the exploding-in-your-mouth-bite that you get when you use the whole cranberries.

You can even use frozen, whole cranberries too! No need to thaw out the cranberries before using them either. Just throw them whole, right into the batter.

This recipe has no sugar? Is that right?

Yes it is! And as a result, you can imagine these are NOT a sweet muffin🚫

So if you're used to very sweet baked goods, these healthy cranberry muffins might not be for you.

Baking Time Tip

With most baked goods, when the ratio of "dry" (flours, oats, baking powder or soda, salt, etc) to "wet" (egg, oil, applesauce, milk, etc) is off, a denser muffin is the result and that needs more time in the oven.

For this recipe, if the bananas you use are large, that can boost the moisture up and increase the baking time needed.

If after 25 minutes, the muffins aren't done, put back for intervals of 3 minutes until done, checking after each 3 minutes.

Using Frozen Bananas? Here's a tip

If your bananas are very large or you're using up the frozen bananas in your freezer, aim for ¾ cup of total banana for this recipe.

Much more banana than that and you'll have a very wet muffin that may not cook in the 25 minutes recommended.

I hope you give these muffins a try and love them.

If you do make them, be sure to rate and comment below. I love hearing from you.

*virtual* high five🖐️

~April

If you like the sound of these healthy cranberry muffins, here are some other gluten-free recipes to check out:

• Healthy Banana Bread with White Beans
• Gluten-Free Breakfast Oat Cookies with Date Sugar
• Healthy Gluten-Free Granola
• Super Moist Pumpkin Bread
• Cranberry and Orange Oatmeal Scones
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Energy Bars
• Healthy 3-Ingredient Sweet and Salty Oat Cookies
• Healthy Breakfast Bars You Can Grab and Go

This recipe was originally posted September 20th, 2020 and was updated on May 28th, 2022 with more details, notes and new photos.