These pumpkin muffins are super soft, moist and loaded with dried cranberries! A combination of homemade roasted pumpkin puree, cinnamon powder, and dried cranberries makes them extra special. You'll absolutely love these muffins for fall!  

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My family and I don't really celebrate halloween but we do love all the fall vibes and especially all the baking for this season! It's all so cosy and colourful with crispy autumn leaves everywhere. Which is why it's the perfect time to bake some pumpkin muffins!

These super moist pumpkin muffins with dried cranberries are very easy to make but super delicious. There is no mixer required. This is a one-bowl recipe. They turn out moist and perfectly baked every time in just a few minutes. A combination of homemade roasted pumpkin puree, cinnamon powder, and dried cranberries makes them extra special. Perfect treat for fall/autumn but you can make them all year round. It is really impossible to stop eating at one or even two muffins!

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Ingredients for Pumpkin Muffins

A handful of simple ingredients are required for this recipe. You can get these fluffy and moist muffins in just a few minutes because everything comes together super quickly.

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Here is what you’ll need,

• All-purpose flour: Measure your flour accurately to get the best results.
• Pumpkin puree: I always like homemade pumpkin puree because
  1. it’s freshly made
  2. free from preservatives
  3. flavour and texture is better than canned pumpkin puree
  4. it’s very easy to make and you can make it ahead of time. If you don’t want to make your own pumpkin puree, you can go for canned pumpkin puree but don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling, just the canned pumpkin puree (100%).

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• Baking powder and Baking soda: These are used to make the muffins rise.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavour
• Eggs: Eggs should be at room temperature
• Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the muffins moist. I used sunflower oil but you can use any neutral oil.
• Buttermilk: I want to say thanks to buttermilk as it makes muffins soft and fluffy. I used store-bought low-fat buttermilk. If you can’t find that you can make your own buttermilk. Take 1/4 cup milk (at room temperature) and add 1 tsp lemon juice, set aside for 10 minutes before adding to the batter.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar helps to keep these muffins soft and moist. I used here light brown sugar but you can use dark brown as well. I also used granulated sugar along with light brown sugar.
• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries add such a tangy flavour to these muffins. The Combination of the tartness of cranberries and sweetness from the muffins makes them super delicious.
• Cinnamon powder: Cinnamon powder and pumpkin puree goes very well with each other. It is the perfect combo for fall treats. I love pumpkin things but I don’t necessarily love pumpkin spices in each and every recipe. You can play with spices and add pumpkin spices along with cinnamon powder if you like.

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How to make Pumpkin Muffins

Here we will make super moist dried cranberries pumpkin muffins step by step,

Step 1. Make pumpkin purée:

To make pumpkin purée, only one ingredient is required because it is pure purée, there is no salt, oil, or additive. It is so easy to make and you can make it a day before because it needs time to cool. I will roast the pumpkin here, you can boil it as well but I think roasting is the best method,
1. it adds a richer and sweeter flavour
2. you don’t need to strain the purée because we get pumpkin purée with drier consistency
3. you don’t have to remove the peel first, as it is roasted in the oven with the peel on.

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First wash the skin of the pumpkin thoroughly using a sharp knife, carefully remove the top around the stem.
Cut the pumpkin into large wedges. Then by using a spoon, scrape out all of the seeds and strings.
Place it flesh side down onto a baking tray lined with a non-stick baking mat for easy cleanup.
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For a 1300 gm pumpkin (also called cooking pumpkin or a pie pumpkin), we get 2 cups of purée.
Put the pumpkin into a pre-heated fan oven at 160°C/320°F for 50-60 minutes depending on the size of the wedges and the pumpkin type.
It is done when the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork. Take it out from the oven and allow it to cool until you can handle it. Then by using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the pumpkin wedges and discard the skin. Place the pumpkin flesh in a food processor, whiz until it is creamy and smooth. It is now ready to use. You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. To freeze the purée, keep it in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag. It will last up to 3 months. After defrosting, if there is a little liquid in it, first strain it then use it in the recipe.

Step 2: Preheat the fan oven to 175°C/347°F and add the paper liners to a muffin tin. Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon powder in a large bowl. Sift them, whisk together, and set them aside.

Step 3: In a bowl, add eggs and whisk them just for one minute, then add granulated sugar and light brown sugar, whisk to combine, then add vanilla extract and buttermilk, again whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin purée and whisk once again until well combined.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter. If you want the light and airy crumb.

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Step 5: Add the dried cranberries and gently fold in the batter.

Step6: Fill the muffins papers 3/4 of the way full by using a large ice-cream scoop for this or simply fill each cavity by using a spoon then place a few dried cranberries on the top of each muffin to make their look fancy (it’s totally optional). I like the fancy look of these muffins.

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Bake at 175°C/347°F in a fan oven for 5-6 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/320°F and bake for additional 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Keep an eye on them, don’t over bake them. You can serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee or they are delicious when they’ve cooled as well.

Step 7: Leave them to cool for 5 minutes in a muffin tin then transfer the muffins on a wire rack.

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Recipe tips to get perfect Dried Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

1. To get a sweet pumpkin purée, always choose a smaller pumpkin. If you are making pumpkin purée by roasting pumpkin into the oven, no need to strain it but if you feel the pumpkin purée is watery, just strain it over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid to get a thick consistency. If you are using canned pumpkin purée, it must be 100% pumpkin purée. Don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling.
2. Measure your flour accurately to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have one, spoon and level your flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
3. Don’t over mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are just combined into the wet ingredients, stop mixing too much otherwise it results in dense muffins.
4. Fill the muffin liners only 3/4 full to prevent them overflowing.
5. Don’t open the door during the baking process. Keep an eye on them but don’t open the door as the muffins bake. This will cause a drop in the oven temperature which will prevent the top of the muffins from rising high.
6. Don’t over bake: Each and every oven is different. You will have to experiment a little bit with your oven. You need to reduce the temperature in a fan-assisted oven as compared to conventional ovens. So adjust your oven temperature accordingly. Keep an eye on them as they bake! Don’t over bake them otherwise you will get dry muffins rather than soft and moist.
7. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.

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FAQ

How to store the pumpkin purée?

You can store your pumpkin purée in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week otherwise it is better to freeze. Freeze in a zip-lock plastic bag and it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is better to store 1 cup of purée per bag (220 g) as it is easy to remember. Defrost overnight in the fridge or in the microwave.

How to store the Muffins?

If these pumpkin muffins are stored in an airtight container, they remain soft and moist at room temperature for up to 3 days. They will last up to a week in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer if they are stored in a freezer bag. First, cool them completely then wrap in plastic wrap individually and finally put them in a large plastic bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To defrost, you will have to bring them to room temperature or reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Happy Fall Baking!