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    Masala & Chai » Recipes » Thanksgiving

    Published: Nov 26, 2021 · Modified: Sep 14, 2022 by Shweta Garg · This post may contain affiliate links

    Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins

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    bite shot of leftover cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins

    Stuck with a ton of leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving Day dinner? Make these scrumptious bakery-style Coffee Cake Muffins with layers of cranberry sauce! They're topped with a sweet buttery crumble for a perfect breakfast treat served with coffee.

    leftover cranberry sauce muffin on a tea towel with a bundle in the back

    So... It's the day after Thanksgiving and you're left with a scary amount of leftover cranberry sauce in your refrigerator. Cranberry sauce is definitely not my favorite side, but I don't hate it either. It's one of those things that needs to be paired with something else.

    These scrumptious coffee cake muffins have cranberry sauce baked right into them! The muffin is soft and delicious, it's as rich and buttery as you'd expect... as if it's from the bakery down the street!

    The tangy, sweet cranberry sauce is mellowed out by the muffin itself and the crispy sweet crumble topping. The muffins are also easier to send guests home with to enjoy than a whole coffee cake!

    It's the best way to transform Thanksgiving leftovers into a bakery-style breakfast treat that is wonderful when paired with coffee. The fam will love these as opposed to eating straight cranberry sauce for dayysss.

    Jump to:
    • How to make Cranberry Sauce Muffins
    • More Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes
    • Storage Instructions
    • More Thanksgiving Dishes to try
    • Recipe

    How to make Cranberry Sauce Muffins

    If you're just in the mood for some delicious cranberry muffins, you can find the full recipe for my Spiced Ginger Cranberry Sauce!

    three mini cocottes with spiced ginger cranberry sauce

    You'll want to ensure the sauce isn't runny otherwise it'll leak out of the muffin - so simmer it for a few minutes if necessary.

    The Crumble Topping

    To make the coffee cake muffins, start off by making the crumble topping first. It needs to sit for the butter to hydrate the flour to get a particularly buttery crumble.

    Simply toss together the flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter into the bowl and give it another toss so that everything is incorporated. Set the bowl to the side while you work on the muffin batter.

    The Coffee Cake Muffins

    Start with preheating the oven to 375°F and lining a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

    Now, let's get started on the batter. The batter can be made with a stand mixer, electric beater, or just a whisk. First, mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside the dry ingredients.

    Now, for the wet ingredients. In the mixing bowl, add the softened butter with the white and brown sugars and beat it on medium speed until it's a pale yellow and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.

    Then, add the eggs one by one until they're fully incorporated. Lastly, add the buttermilk and sour cream and continue to mix until it's all homogenous.

    Turn the mixer speed to the lowest setting and add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix just until it's incorporated. Do not over-beat the batter, otherwise the muffins will be incredibly dense. The batter will be a bit sticky and thick.

    Assembly

    coffee cake muffin batter in a ovenex muffin pan with cranberry sauce in half

    To assemble the cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins, start by scooping about a tablespoon of batter into the cupcake liners. Since the batter is thick, you'll need to spread it to the edges with a spoon. Then, spoon about half a tablespoon of cranberry sauce directly into the center of the batter.

    Split the rest of the batter to top off the muffins. Fill them to just about the top of the liner and use the back of a spoon to spread out the batter until it's flat and encases the cranberry sauce.

    Pro Tip: This is important - otherwise the cranberry sauce will leak out and the muffin will easily fall apart when removed from the wrapper.

    Add another teaspoon to half tablespoon of cranberry sauce on the top - this will act as kind of a glue for the crumb topping.

    ovenex muffin pan with cranberry sauce coffee cake muffin crumbles unbaked

    Press the crumb topping into the top of the muffin so that it sticks and pile it high. The muffins will rise and expand in the oven, so the more crumb topping the better to get even coverage.

    Transfer the muffin pan into the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or just until the crumb topping is a light golden brown. Stick a toothpick into the center - if it's clean the the muffins are done! Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to set for about 10 minutes.

    bite shot of leftover cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins

    Once they've set, enjoy the muffins fresh out of the oven or at room temperature.

    More Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes

    Still have more leftover cranberry sauce? Did you buy the tub from Costco and have regrets? Here are a few more ideas:

    • Puff pastry baked in a muffin pan with brie, cranberry sauce, and a bit of rosemary
    • A turkey sandwich with leftover stuffing, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, etc. Anything that was leftover can be piled straight into the sandwich
    • Overnight oats with layers of cranberry sauce
    • Mix cranberry sauce with another fruit like apples or cherries for a cobbler

    Storage Instructions

    Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Muffin dough can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 weeks if properly wrapped. When ready to bake, bring it to room temperature and then transfer to the muffin pan. The baked muffins can be frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    stack of cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins in a muffin pan

    More Thanksgiving Dishes to try

    • Leftover Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
    • Cranberry Pistachio Goat Cheese Log
    • Garam Masala Oven Roasted Carrots
    • Tadka Mashed Potatoes

    I love seeing when you share my recipes! Tag me on Instagram @masalaandchai so I can enjoy them virtually with you! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube.

    I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!

    Recipe

    bite shot of leftover cranberry sauce coffee cake muffins

    Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins

    Stuck with a ton of leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving Day dinner? Make these scrumptious bakery-style Coffee Cake Muffins with layers of cranberry sauce! They're topped with a sweet buttery crumble for a perfect breakfast treat served with coffee.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12 muffins
    Calories: 428kcal
    Author: Shweta Garg

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Stand Mixer
    • Muffin Pan
    • Cupcake Liners

    Ingredients
      

    Crumb Toppings

    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • pinch of salt
    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

    Coffee Cake Muffins

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 1 cup cranberry sauce
    Text Ingredients

    Instructions

    Crumble Topping

    • Add the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, salt cinnamon, and cardamom into a mixing bowl. Give it a whisk to combine all the dry ingredients.
    • Pour in the melted butter and stir everything together with a spatula. Set the crumble to the side to hydrate.

    Coffee Cake Muffins

    • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
    • Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Whisk to mix together the dry ingredients.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy.
    • Add the eggs one by one until they're fully incorporated. Then, add the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract and continue to beat until the wet ingredients are fully combined.
    • Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat together just until combined, be careful not to mix it more than necessary.
    • Spoon about a tablespoon of the batter into the cupcake liners. Spread it all the way to the edges. Add about ½ tablespoon of cranberry sauce directly into the center of the batter. Then, fill the rest of the cupcake liner to the top with the batter over the cranberry sauce. Spread it to all of the edges using the back of a spoon, being sure to encase the cranberry sauce at the edges.
    • Lightly spoon ~1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce over the top of the batter.
    • Give the crumble topping a quick mix. Top the muffins with 2-3 tablespoons of the crumble topping. Be sure to press them into the batter so they don't fall off.
    • Pop the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumble is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
    • Remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow them to set for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tray. Serve the muffins warm or room temperature.

    Notes

    STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
    Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
    Muffin dough can also be store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks if properly wrapped and stored. When ready to bake, bring it to room temperature and then transfer to the muffin pan. The baked muffins can be frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @masalaandchai and #masalaandchai in your post and stories on Instagram!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leigh says

      November 27, 2022 at 7:08 pm

      These are okay. I wouldn't make again without significant alterations. I questioned 1 TB of baking powder but went with it ... The batter seemed much more leavened than necessary, not sure if that's a mistake. These would benefit from less sugar and more citrus/zest in the batter.

      Reply
      • Shweta Garg says

        November 28, 2022 at 11:03 am

        Hi Leigh, that would be incorrect. This does require 1 tablespoon of baking powder. These muffins took me several trials to get the right texture and taste. If you disagree, you can search “coffee cake muffins” on Google and see every recipe uses about the same amount of leavening as well!

        Sugar and citrus zest is a personal preference. You are free to drop the sugar (though I think it’s necessary to balance the tang from cranberry sauce, buttermilk, and sour cream) but it may make the muffins less moist. Add zest of your choice. Personally, my cranberry sauce already has a lot of orange zest and juice.

        Reply
    2. Crys says

      November 25, 2022 at 2:45 pm

      The perfect tanginess and flavor! Omg. Hits the spot and uses up leftovers. One less thing to have to find room for on my fridge!

      Reply
    3. Cecilia says

      January 22, 2022 at 12:10 pm

      How much vanilla extract is required as per step 4 in the Cranberry sauce Coffee Cake Muffins??

      Reply
      • Shweta says

        January 23, 2022 at 12:05 am

        Thank you for pointing out my mistake! I always measure vanilla extract with my heart but I recommend 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.

        Reply

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    ABOUT SHWETA

    Shweta at the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland

    I’m Shweta, a self taught recipe developer and food photographer living in New York City. I’m a full time cloud consultant who also enjoys eating out at restaurants, discovering and supporting small business, and cozying up with a cup of chai.

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