Get ready to spread some holiday cheer with these healthy cranberry gingerbread muffins! A moist delicious gluten free muffin loaded with fresh cranberries and crystallized ginger. No added oil or refined sugar. Just simple wholesome ingredients like oat flour, molasses, butternut squash, and maple syrup. Your friends and family will LOVE this recipe!
What you need for this recipe: rolled oats, brown rice flour (or white rice flour will work), baking soda, nutmeg, clove, pureed butternut squash (or pumpkin) molasses, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, almond or coconut milk, cranberries, crystallized ginger, (optional) coconut cream and honey.
As soon as November hits I stock up on bags of fresh cranberries and quite literally use them in anything and everything! (If you haven't tried adding fresh cranberries to your smoothies yet you better get on it!). My very favorite way to use cranberries is in baked goods, especially muffins.
There is nothing better than that pop of tart cranberry goodness when you bite into a muffin. YUM!
I went all out with these cranberry muffins and added a ton, an obscene amount, a crazy big pile, of delicious chopped crystallized ginger. OMG. OMG. OMG. Seriously, cranberries, and spicy ginger, and gingerbread spices, and oh my oh my… my head is about to pop off from excitement!
Side note: I found something called “Australian Crystallized Ginger” at Whole Foods which cost about 80 bazillion dollars (or 8 dollars, whatevs'), and it is quite literally ginger from heaven. I am super lucky that there was enough left to go in these muffins because I couldn't stop eating it!
I digress. Shall we get back to these gorgeous muffins?
How to Make Amazing Gluten-Free Muffins
- Start with a blend of gluten-free flours. I am currently crushing on oat flour and brown rice flour. Almond flour and coconut flour (or Bob's Red Mill Paleo flour mix) is also a good combo, but I've personally become a bit tired of the almond meal texture in a muffin. The brown rice flour and oat flour has a very similar texture to conventional white flour.
- Add butternut squash, applesauce, or pumpkin puree. This is my other secret weapon (read: not secret at all). This helps to create a super moist, pillowy muffin. Yes please!
- Add a ton of flavor! I love adding warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to my muffins. Blueberries, cranberries, cherries, either dry or fresh are also a great addition to any gluten-free muffin!
More Amazing Muffin or Quick Bread Recipes You Will Love
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Gluten Free Turmeric Chai Pumpkin Muffins
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Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
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Gluten-Free Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
-
Gluten-Free Apple Muffins with Streusel Topping
-
Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
-
Sweet Potato Pineapple Muffins
These muffins embody everything I want to eat in the last few weeks of December:
- Loaded with holiday cheer (ahem… cheer in the form of winter spices like nutmeg, clove, and ginger)
- Not loaded with sugar! I love having healthier baked goods on hand during the holidays. Traditional cookies are bountiful, desserts, are around every corner, and my body does not want any more sugar-loaded treats. With only maple syrup and a bit of molasses, these muffins satisfy my “sweet” tooth without giving me a sugar belly ache.
- Cranberries – I literally cannot eat enough cranberries. Nutrition Nerd Fact Alert! Cranberries are loaded with fiber (4.6 grams in a cup), supportive to prevent urinary tract infections, thanks to proanthocyanidins which reduce the ability for bacteria to stick to the wall of the urinary tract. They are also loaded with vitamin C for an extra immune boost during the holidays.
- Portable – Oh my goodness does your schedule feel crazy out of control the week before Christmas too? What the what! I need portable nourishment this week, and these muffins are exactly what portable nourishment should look like!
- Coconut Cream Glaze – What's that you said, Abra? A coconut cream glaze? Oh my! Well, why didn't you just say so! Seriously, this is the easiest dairy free glaze and you should probably just drizzle it over all of your cookies because it is so pretty! I simply whisk together coconut cream with a tiny bit of honey, maple syrup, or confectioners sugar and glaze away!
Cranberry Gingerbread muffins coming in for the win this holiday season! Just don't forget that glorious coconut cream glaze!!
Healthy Cranberry Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour (see note)
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground clove
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pureed butternut squash (pumpkin will also work)
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk (or any milk)
Add In's
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup crystallized ginger chopped small
(optional) Glaze
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
- 1 tsp honey (or any sweetener including confectioners sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners
- Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine
- Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine
- Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and using a wooden spoon, stir to combine.
- Fold in cranberries and crystallized ginger.
- Scoop batter into lined muffin tins filling to 3/4 full (or if using parchment cup liners you can fill higher)
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until browned on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack for 15-30 minutes
- Optional: While muffins are baking whisk to combine coconut cream and honey. When muffins are cool drizzle with glaze and top with additional crystallized ginger
Notes
- To make oat flour place 1 cup rolled oats in food processor or high speed blender and process until oats resemble flour
- Substitute almond milk for coconut milk
- Substitute eggs for a flax or chia egg
- Substitute honey in the glaze for maple syrup or confectioners sugar
Nutrition
In this recipe I used:
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