I have been a little obsessed with cranberries. I put them in my smoothies, eat them raw, and have been dying to get them into some baked goods. Why the sudden cranberry craze? It could have been due to this little field trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But more about that later….

These muffins were a combination of everything I love in the fall: pumpkin, cranberries, roasted pecans, applesauce, and golden raisins. I ‘cleaned’ them up with some whole food, non-processed substitutions. These are hearty enough for breakfast but sweet enough for dessert. I hope you enjoy them!

Cran-Glory Muffins
Adapted from Morning Glory Muffins recipe from Southern Living

 

 

1 cup pecans, chopped
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup honey
3/4 cup applesauce OR 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup pumpkin*
1 eight oz can crushed pineapple (in juice), undrained
2 large carrots, grated (1 cup)
1/2 cup golden raisins,
1 cup fresh cranberries

*I had some pumpkin leftover from making cookies. Lots of pumpkin recipes call for 1 cup of pumpkin so you may have some left if you are using canned pumpkin. This is a great way to use it!

  1. Toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 350. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for 5-7 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  2. Change the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. Mix together honey, applesauce (and pumpkin, if using), eggs, and vanilla.
  5. Fold in pineapple and carrots.
  6. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
  7. Fold in pecans, cranberries, and raisins.
  8. Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes.

Recipe Review: These were definitely an experiment. When I tried them out of the oven, I wasn’t too impressed. The next day I tried them again, and whoa! So much better! I think the muffins needed some time to cool down and let the flavors meld. These are a great fall treat. I hope you enjoy them!

Note: Try to eat these within 3 days of making them. After that, the flavors lose their bite and they don’t freeze well. Lucky it won’t be hard to eat them quickly!

 

 

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email