Oh, muffins. I so much love muffins.
Living in San Diego means not much in the way of seasons. Every day is blue-skied, sunshiny perfection. It’s paradise—unless you actually like seasons.
So when I took Goldie for our pre-breakfast walk yesterday I was sorta shocked to feel an actual nip in the air. The kind of nip that ushers in holiday excitement, cravings to go apple-picking, and a need to eat and drink pumpkin-flavored everything.
So I made these pumpkin muffins. They are to muffins what San Diego is to rain-haters like me: sheer bliss.
They’re light, fluffy and pumpkin-y, just a little spicy, with cranberries to cut through the sweet of the maple glaze on top. And the sprinkle of pecans adds a perfect crunch.
These muffins are phenomenal all on their own, so if you’re not in the mood for the extra step of adding the glaze you definitely can skip that. Either way you make them, these cranberry-pumpkin muffins will be delicious.
So many textures and all the fall flavors. If there’s a better way to celebrate fall (all one day of it I’ll probably experience this year), then I haven’t the faintest idea what it is.
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract (if desired)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup pecans
- Spread pecans on large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until slightly browned. Flip them halfway through cooking to ensure they’re toasted evenly. Chop and set aside.
- Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.
- Melt butter in microwave for about 30 seconds. Set aside to cool so you don’t scramble the eggs.
- In a small mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin, eggs, and sugars until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, then the cranberries, and stir until just combined. (Over-mixing will result in tough muffins and nobody wants that.)
- Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Don’t fill cups more than two-thirds full.
- Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when you press lightly with your finger.
- Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes in muffin tins before moving to a wire rack.
- When the muffins have cooled a bit, make the glaze. Melt the butter, then stir in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract (if using), and salt. Stir briskly to remove any lumps of powdered sugar.
- Spoon a small amount of the glaze onto each muffin. Top each with a sprinkle of chopped pecans. Serve! (They are oh-so-good with lots of butter. But what isn’t?)
Autumnal perfection.
Carol Y says
This recipe looks perfect for a fall snack. I am going to make these for my mom since she is a big fan of anything pumpkin. And this has all the food groups!
Kelsie says
You’ll have to let me know how they turn out. I hope she loves them as much as I do!