Cranberries resemble bright red rubies and are one of the most eye-catching fruits to use in baked goods. They add a beautiful color accent and little natural sugar to muffins, but many recipes that include them attempt to combat their tartness with an excess of refined sugar and butter. To make a light version and keep both calories and fat in check, use wholesome and reduced-fat ingredients and make moderately sized muffins instead of the gigantic versions you might find in coffee shop cases.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2
Mix 2 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Step 3
Whisk 2/3 cup low-fat milk, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and an egg in a second bowl.
Step 4
Chop the cranberries roughly with a sharp knife or a food processor. When they're in large pieces, stir them gently into the flour mixture.
Step 5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir carefully just until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened and the batter is uniform.
Step 6
Coat all muffin cups in your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray. Pour an even amount of batter into each muffin cup.
Step 7
Bake the muffins for about 18 minutes or until they are no longer dense and moist.
Step 8
Unmold the muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack. According to "Cooking Light" magazine, each muffin has about 175 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates and 1 g fiber.
Tips and Warnings
- To give the muffins an impressive presentation, sprinkle their tops with a generous amount of large-crystal raw sugar before you bake them. Using whole-grain flour in cranberry muffins increases the fiber content and has benefits for your digestive health. "Taste of Home" magazine suggests substituting some or all of the all-purpose flour in a muffin recipe with a low-protein, whole-grain flour such as whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour. Such a substitution will also help produce muffins that are more tender.
Things You'll Need
- Oven
- 2 bowls
- Whisk
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- Knife
- 2/3 cup low-fat milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 egg
- Cooking spray
- Muffin pan
- Wire rack
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