These tender Keto Cranberry Muffins have a light fluffy crumb that is bursting with fresh cranberries. They’re easy to make and perfect for quick breakfasts or snacks.
I am not much of a hoarder, but I do have a tendency to hoard fresh cranberries in the fall. Once I start seeing them in the stores, I find myself buying a bag or two on every shopping trip. And although I already have a few bags stashed in my freezer, I can’t resist the call of these tart red berries.
All the better to make recipes like these Keto Cranberry Muffins, right? I also like to have them on hand for Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce and Keto Cranberry Orange Bread. Really, there is a never-ending supply of delicious low carb cranberry recipes!
Grab a bag (or five!) the next time you’re at the store, because there is so much keto baking to be done!
Why readers love this recipe
I created this recipe in 2016 and it was the first time I ever used my blender to make keto muffins. And I was utterly thrilled with the results. They came out so fluffy and with a delightfully fine crumb.
For anyone who thinks that almond flour can’t rival wheat flour for texture, this is the recipe you need to try! They are easy to whip up in your blender and the sour cream gives them an incomparable texture.
And they are bursting with fresh cranberries. I love how cranberries hold their shape but also release their juices while baking. All that tart flavor comes through perfectly.
Muffins like these are great for stocking your freezer. Simply place them into a ziplock freezer bag and freeze. They can last for several months. They can also be refrigerated for up to a week for easy keto breakfasts.
Reader Reviews
“I am so glad these are low carb, because they are so good!! Super soft & chewy from the cranberries. I did add nuts, because I love the crunch!” — Natalie
“I love these muffins, made them several times!! Very easy!! I put most in the freezer and when I want a little treat I have with a cup of tea and put a little cream cheese on the muffin!! Delicious! Sometimes I have for breakfast with coffee! Love your recipes. Thank you!!” — Charlotte
“I just made the recipe today, followed everything to the letter! AMAZING!!! I just loved eating that muffin, it’s my new recipe from now on. Many thanks for being so generous and sharing. This recipe is a 5***** one!” — Claire
Ingredient Notes
- Sour cream: I love using sour cream in baked goods like muffins and keto cakes. It makes them extra tender. You can also use Greek yogurt, but I recommend full fat for the best flavor.
- Almond flour: As with any almond flour recipe, the finer your flour, the finer the consistency. I always have good results with Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sweetener: I use an erythritol based sweetener but others may also work. Please see the Tips for Success for more information.
- Eggs: Be sure you bring them to room temperature first for smoother blending.
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries will work best. You can also use frozen but make sure to thaw them first.
- Pecans: Other nut options include walnuts or almonds.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Blend the wet ingredients: Combine the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large blender jar. Blend about 30 seconds.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend again until smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute. If your batter is overly thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin it out (different brands of almond flour can vary).
3. Add the cranberries: By hand, stir in cranberries, keeping a few for the top of the muffins, and chopped pecans if using.
4. Bake the muffins: Divide the mixture in a muffin tin lined with parchment or silicone liners. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, until just golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely.
Tips for Success
I like using a high-powered blender for this recipe, to really combine the batter and fluff it up a little. I am a huge fan of my BlendTec and it’s been going strong for over 12 years! You can blend it in a food processor as well. Mixing in a bowl is fine but you don’t get quite the fluffiness.
When baking keto muffin recipes, always use silicone or parchment paper liners. Regular paper liners stick badly and you lose too much of the muffin when trying to peel it off.
You aren’t limited to cranberries and pecans in this recipe. Let your imagination run wild! Lemon blueberry, cranberry orange, chocolate chip, you name it. You can use this as a basic keto muffin recipe and add in whatever you want.
These muffins should work with any kind of sweetener. Do keep in mind that if you use one that contains a lot of allulose, they will darken quickly in the oven. Keep your eye on them as you may need to take them out earlier. I also recommend using silicone muffin liners when baking with allulose.
Are cranberries good for you?
- Fresh cranberries are very low in carbs and high in fiber
- 1 cup of cranberries has only 12 grams of carbs
- They are full of phytonutrients and antioxidants
- They are anti-inflammatory
- Cranberries are high in vitamin C
- Beware of dried cranberries, as they are usually full of added sugars. I have a great recipe for sugar-free dried cranberries that you can make at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh cranberries are very tart on their own so I don’t recommend eating them raw. But they don’t need to be cooked in advance when adding them to baked goods. They soften and release their juice so as long as the recipe is sweet, they will add a delightful tartness.
These muffins freeze very well so go ahead and make a big batch. Let the muffins cool completely and then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will last up to 3 months.
This keto cranberry muffin recipe has 8.4g of carbs and 3.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.5g net carbs per muffin.
Keto Cranberry Muffin Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (336 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup (54.5 g) chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners.
- Combine the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large blender jar. Blend about 30 seconds.
- Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend again until smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute. If your batter is overly thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin it out (different brands of almond flour can vary).
- By hand, stir in cranberries, keeping a few for the top of the muffins, and chopped pecans if using.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until just golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
they were very good, I used frozen cranberries, it’s always a plus when my husband likes them.
They turned out very good, I used frozen cranberries, it’s always a plus when my husband likes them
OMG these muffins are to die for!
I am making them again today with the pecans. I hooked a friend on them by gifting them to her at Christmas time.
Love your recipes – keep on keepin on!
Althea
I hate it when people comment on a recipe prior to baking and tasting haha, so held off responding while I waited for them to cool.
I added orange zest and substituted orange extract for vanilla as I love orange cranberry anything.
I find muffins made almond flour alone tend to come out flat, so I substituted 1/4 cup of oat fibre flour(1:1 with almond) and also incorporated a small scoop of sourdough discard (in the wet ingredients) and they did fluff up, and had a nice texture (still less rise vs AP flour, but that’s life on keto lol).
Absolutely delicious! I have never used cranberries in a muffin recipe before. This will now be a repeat muffin recipe for any time of year. Now to make some cranberry bread. Thank you for all the work for creating each of your recipes and then continuing to update them. You my go to resource whenever I’m looking for a new low carb recipe.
We don’t get fresh cranberries in Australia, if I used ‘no added sugar’ dried cranberries and soaked them overnight, would that work?
I’ve been a fan of Carolyn’s recipes for years. I always throw back to her Keto Blueberry Muffin Recipe, subbing in cranberries instead, or use her Basic Almond Flour Muffin recipe. But today I decided to try this Keto Cranberry Muffin Recipe, which is made in the blender. My life has changed! These muffins are so fluffy that you would never know they weren’t wheat flour based. What a fabulous crumb! What a delicious recipe! Wow!! Thank you, Carolyn! ❤️
can I sub yogurt for sour cream?
Yes.
thanks! I used vanilla yogurt and I’m having one now, delicious!
Just came out of the oven. Sooooo good! I used 1/2 tsp of orange and vanilla extract and about 1 tsp of orange zest. I may add an orange extract glaze to the rest – or not – they are delicious without it! Thank you so much for the hard work you put in to creating these recipes. I started a low carb diet over 1 1/2 years ago, and recipes like these give me confidence that I could do this the rest of my life. Next recipe! Your cranberry bread!
Made these this morning and just ate one for lunch. So good. I can definitely see using this as a base recipe for many kinds of muffins. Thanks for another great recipe.
yum!! a great muffin. a great way to use these cranberries in freezer. everybody loved them. they couldnt believe they were low carb.
Have you left the sweetener out before?
No.
Can I make this recipe with hazelnut flour?
That would be tasty!
Delicious! I really enjoy that these are not overly sweet – they are just right. I had pecans and cranberries on top as well as in the recipe. I used some frozen cranberries that I had in the fridge overnight to defrost. I know I can count on your recipes. Thank you for another lovely recipe, Carolyn!
Perfect sweet tart for breakfast or late night snack. Easy recipe especially for the leftover cranberries at Thanksgiving. I used my new silicone muffin pan without liners.
I plan on making these this week but my muffin tin has the smaller muffins. Have you made the smaller size and if so how do you adjust the cooking time? Thank you!
Do you mean mini muffins? I am not sure how long that would take to bake so you would need to keep your eye on them.