Cranberry Orange Muffins - Keto, Low Carb, Gluten-Free, THM S (2024)

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 mySour Cream Vanilla Cupcakesas 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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Originally Published October 15, 2017. Revised and Republished October 5, 2022.