“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose…”
…what a romantic image of Christmas those lyrics conjure up in one’s mind. However, if you’re anything like me you’ll only be half way through your Christmas shopping, have just two presents wrapped (because the store did it!) and your kitchen will resemble a spewing volcano of festive chaos.
Thank goodness I’m not hosting Christmas, but there will be 24 hungry people at our family Christmas table this year. In order to cater to such a large crowd every married household is allocated a dish to contribute, and this being my first year to participate (no pressure then!), I am delighted to have been allocated the role of sweet maker – yes I will be a sugar-coated cross between Willy Wonker and Santa Claus!
So I felt it my duty to try out lots of delicious Christmas recipes – Santa would be proud of the festive pooch I’m developing in his honour – and this is one I had to share, Cranberry Sauce Muffins.
This recipe is not only reasonably healthy, replacing refined sugar with coconut sugar and using nutrient rich avocado oil, but will also use up any surplus cranberry sauce that you’ll have made for the big day. By using cranberry sauce rather than regular cranberries, you end up with a wonderfully moist muffin that contains a rich swirl of cranberry flavour.
If you haven’t made your cranberry sauce yet, don’t panic! Try my fabulously tasty, super healthy Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe, it only takes 20 minutes and contains all-natural ingredients.
Before you start to make the dough for your Cranberry Sauce Muffins, preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Alternatively, if you want to use muffin cases, insert them into the cups of the muffin pan.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, 1 cup of oats, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon – making sure to put the 3 tablespoons of oats aside for the topping.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients – cranberry sauce, milk, avocado oil and egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended, being careful not to over mix – but please don’t be shocked or disturbed by the colour and consistency of the dough, it might look like an ugly duckling right now, but it’ll turn into the most beautiful swan of muffins, I promise!
Now divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups and add a sprinkle of oats, using the 3 tablespoons you put aside earlier.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry. Place on a wire rack to cool. I like to leave mine to cool for 5 minutes and serve while they’re still warm with some extra cranberry sauce on the side, but they are equally delish as they are, on their own. These muffins were born to be eaten for brunch, or with your morning coffee.
- Tovolo® Stainless Steel Whisk
- Tovolo® ‘Cupcake’ Silicone Spatula
- Tovolo® Set of Three Mixing Bowls with Lids
- Tovolo® Cupcake Scoop
- Cooling Rack
- USA Pan Muffin Pan
Readers in the UK, France, Germany, Spain & Italy can now purchase these, and other products, from the Arugula & Rocket Cookshop on Amazon.
Cranberry Sauce Muffins
Ingredients:
1½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup + 3 Tbsp Rolled Oats
½ Cup Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Cinnamon
1½ Cups Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1½ Cups Cranberry Sauce
½ Cup Almond Milk (or Milk)
1/3 Cup Avocado Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
1 Large Egg
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, 1 cup of oats, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Put the 3 tablespoons of oats aside for the topping.
In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients – cranberry sauce, milk, avocado oil and egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended, be careful not to over mix.
Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups.
Sprinkle with the three tablespoons of oats.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry.
Cool on a wire rack.
Arugula & Rocket 
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