Keto Cranberry Muffins combine so many vibrant flavors. The tang of cranberries, the zestiness of citrus, and the sweet bite of a light and fluffy muffin. This easy muffin recipe is also low carb, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
My darling baby boy turned one month old on Friday. I had decided after he was born that I wasn't going to try to lose the baby weight until he was a month old. I knew friends would be bringing us a few dinners (and desserts) that weren't going to be Trim Healthy Mama friendly or low carb.
I had a fairly easy birth this time (as far as birth goes) but had some postpartum complications afterward. I really needed to take it easy on myself both physically and mentally for a while. I gave myself a month off to just eat whatever.
One of the things I had were some fabulous Cranberry Orange Muffins while at a retreat day. I'm not a huge muffin fan but I love cranberries and these just looked too good not to try. They were really good. I even wrapped a second one in a napkin and snuck it home in the diaper bag for an afternoon snack. After that indulgence, I knew one of the first recipes I wanted to make when I was back on my feet was a batch of healthy keto cranberry muffins.
I took my Sour Cream Vanilla Cupcakes as a starting point and tweaked them to make them more like a muffin and added orange extract and cranberries. Recipe success. They froze well which was also a bonus for the mornings I don't have a chance to cook myself a hot breakfast.
Ingredients
Almond Flour - blanched almond flour has a mild flavor and gives a tender crumb to baked goods. It is used in many low carb recipes.
Coconut Flour - coconut helps balance the oiliness of almond flour so I generally use the two of these together.
Sugar-Free Sweetener - I use my blend of erythritol, xylitol, and stevia in my recipes. It is twice as sweet as sugar, so you need less and I make it from generic brands that are inexpensive.
Butter - Be sure that it's softened so that it's easy to mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Greek yogurt - This adds moisture and is good for the gut.
Eggs - Large eggs are what I tend to use when baking.
Baking powder - Adds a fluffy texture.
Orange extract - This adds a pop of citrus that pairs with the sweetness of the cranberries.
Fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries - You can use either in this recipe.
How to Make Keto Cranberry Muffins
This is a dump-and-stir recipe. My favorite kind. Just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Done.
First Step: Mix together all the batter ingredients in a large bowl. I just use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula but if you prefer to use an electric mixer you can.
Stir in the cranberries. If you use frozen cranberries the batter will get cold. This is totally ok!
Second Step: Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan.
Third Step: Bake the keto cranberry muffins until golden brown. That's it!
Variations
Add orange zest - A little bit of zest will make the flavor of the keto cranberry muffins really stand out! You can use extracts and zests interchangably. They are both more potent than using orange juice or another citrus juice.
Add vanilla extract - Put a tad bit of vanilla into the muffin batter and see what you think.
Glaze - Make an orange glaze and drizzle it on top. Just mix powdered sweetener with a tiny splash of cream and add a few drops of orange extract. A lemon glaze made with lemon juice is another great choice.
Common Questions
Do I Need Cupcake Papers?
I made most of the batch with cupcake liners and a few without muffin liners. I wasn't sure which way would work better and look prettier for the photos. Both ways worked. The non-lined muffins came out of the muffin tin fairly easily, but I liked the look of them with the papers more. And there is less clean up that way. I do not enjoy having to scrub each individual cup of a muffin tin.
How do I know when the muffins are done baking?
The toothpick method is going to be the best option. This is a simple way to check the inside of the keto cranberry muffins. Use a clean toothpick and stick it into the middle of the muffins. If it comes out clean, they're done and ready to take out of the oven.
If there is batter on the toothpick, they just need a little bit more time to cook.
Why are my muffins sinking in the middle?
If you do use frozen cranberries, make sure that they don't have a ton of extra liquid in them or that will come out while baking and cause there to be excess moisture in the muffins.
How do I store leftover keto cranberry muffins?
Once the muffins have cooled, store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. This will keep them fresh and ready to enjoy for up to 2 days. If you want them warm, you can always pop them in the microwave to warm up a little bit.
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Keto Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 oz butter softened
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 14 muffin cups with liners and spray with cooking spray.
- Combine all the ingredients, except the cranberries, and stir well. Fold in the cranberries. Divide between the prepared muffin tins.
- Bake 25-30 min until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published October 15, 2017. Revised and Republished October 5, 2022.
Camila says
These muffins are amazing! I love the sweet and tangy result that went great with my afternoon tea. Now wondering what other fruit I could make these next... Thank you for the recipe!
Arlo says
Recipe sounds yummy. I am unsure about what amount I should substitute when using Lakanto. I don't want to mess it up....can you please tell me how much? Thanks.
Taryn says
I'd use 3/4 of a cup.
hannah says
Just wanted to let others know that I subbed the almond & coconut flour for 1 and 1/3 cup of THM baking blend and it came out great. Super yummy!
Alice E. Abbott says
I don't have any coconut flour, can I use all almond flour?
Taryn says
Yes, if the batter seems too wet add a little extra.
Mary Louise says
Can I use a substitute for the 2 eggs?
Taryn says
I'm sorry I'm not very familiar with egg free baking and can't guarantee those methods would work with these muffins.
Rebekah says
These muffins were delicious - great flavor - but I am having a problem with rise? maybe this is typical of keto/low carb? What should I expect with this recipe? My muffins baked completely and were firm and golden, but as soon as pulling from the oven they began to deflate and continued until they were cool. They might stand 1/2"high max? I'm pretty sure it isn't my baking powder b/c it gives good results in other recipes . . .
Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!
Taryn says
They should definitely be higher than that. Mine were about 1.5-2 inches high. You can make 12 instead of 20 to increase the size of each muffin. I'd try using 2 tsp of baking powder next time. It won't hurt and should increase the rise.
Rebekah says
Will do that - thanks! They have such a fantastic flavor. Everyone loved them. 🙂
DEE DEE says
Can I substitute zesting an orange peel instead of the extract
Taryn says
Sure!
Martha says
Can u add protein powder to increase the protein?
Taryn says
I don't bake much with protein powder but I don't see why it wouldn't work to add some.
Sandra says
Just made these and they taste yummy! However, they were very crumbly and stuck to the liners. I hadn’t read reviews and thought to chop up the cranberries next time. Now I see others have tried that. I used 0% Greek yogurt and THM Super Sweet. Love the flavor. Thanks for sharing
Taryn says
I'm glad you liked them. It helps to use aluminum liners and spray with cooking spray.
Kathleen Bushey says
Can't wait to try these tomorrow however I have a few questions. I have xylitol and wonder if it's possible to use that in place of the other sweetener. Also is the substitution the same when switching sour cream for yogurt? Can I mix in a blender and/or use a mixer.
Thanks for all your help.
Taryn says
Yes to all the questions. You will need about 1.5 of the sweetener amount if using xylitol. A mixer would be better than a blender. This batter might br too thick to blend. I haven't tried it.
Serenity Simpson says
These muffins are excellent!! They taste like the muffins I used to get at the bakery except now I don't feel guilty.
Thank you!
Lynn says
Can I use splenda as my sweetner?
Taryn says
I have not tested this recipe with splenda. I think it would work but I'm not sure how much you would need.
Barbara says
I haven’t tried these muffins yet.
Are you using a mini or regular muffin pan?
Thank you.
Barbara
Taryn says
A regular muffin pan.
val says
what can i substitute the yogurt with anything??
Taryn says
Sure, coconut cream or sour cream would work.
Kari says
Only 82 calories a muffin? That seems low. 😊
Can I use THM baking blend to lower the calories? If so, how much? What would that take the calories to? I’m trying the arch my calories for a few weeks to see if that blows me.
Taryn says
I just ran the numbers again and it came up with 93 calories. I think it just varies a bit by the brands used. THM BB should work to sub.
Purh says
I mixed all the wet ingredients then added the 1/2 cup of coconut flour knowing that it would absorb. Well lo and behold it did thus the mix not wet enough to add the almond flour. I am not sure how to rememdy this.
Taryn says
In my instructions, I say to just add everything at once and then stir. There is enough liquid for the dry ingredients. You could add an extra egg.
Helene says
Great recipe, Made them this AM. I too chopped the cranberries, and substituted sour cream for the yogurt. Very moist. This recipe is a keeper.. Thanks for posting it!!!
Cindy Hays says
Looks like a great recipe. I a wondering if I can use the THM Baking Blend instead of almond and coconut flour?
Taryn says
I think so. Let me know if you try it 🙂
Pam says
These were delicious! I honestly don't like a lot of thm baked goods, but I did like these! I used vanilla greek yogurt and 3/4 cup xylitol to sweeten because that's what I had. Definitely a keeper, thanks!
claudia says
I made these today and they are fabulously sweet and tangy. I did add a little salt. I wasn't sure if the cranberries should be whole or chopped, so I chopped some and left some whole. It worked and the family loves them. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jody B says
These were absolutely wonderful! Best muffin recipe EVER!! Could I use blueberries? Would 2 cups be too much? Thank so much!
Taryn says
Yay! So glad you liked them. You can definitely use blueberries and play around with extracts. Vanilla or lemon extract would go great with blueberries. Start with one cup and see how they look. One and a half might be perfect.