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.
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What could I use in place of swerve? Splenda? Sugar?
Either would be fine in these.
These are great muffins!. I think I’ll also use this as a base for blueberry with lemon zest muffins, too. I have 1 question: could I substitute 1/4 cup oil or melted butter for one of the eggs? Looking at standard muffins recipes, they all seen to have the added fat.
Carolyn ,
Best ever muffin! I will use this as a base for blueberry, peach,etc muffins, the possibilities are endless 😉
What size pan should I you use if I’d like to make it as a coffee cake and what would be the baking time?
Also, for chocolate muffin, how much cocoa powder would you add and should I add extra liquid? I’m thinking chocolate chocolate chip muffin:)
These sound so yummy? I like Swerve, but my husband is not a fan 🙁 Do you think THM Gentle Sweet could be used in place of Swerve? I am afraid the batter would be too thin with the Gentle Sweet (1/2 c Swerve = 3 Tbsp Gentle Sweet). TIA
I think it will be absolutely fine with the THM sweeteners.
Just made these this morning and they were great. I added extra liquid sucralose and used my homemade cranberry sauce instead of raw cranberries. This is a keeper. Thanks so much.
Sounds good!
I just made these with blueberries and thick coconut yogurt to make it dairy free and it came out perfect and they look just like yours, I also added a few extra drops of Stevia to make them a little sweeter.
Thank you so much for this recipe this will be something I will do a lot at home with some variations.
Carolyn, I used orange extract instead of vanilla and added a teaspoon of dried valencia orange peel to the batter because I wanted some orange cranberry muffins. This recipe is a keeper! So delicious! Thank you!
Sounds delish!
I just made these this morning and they are fantastic! My 14 yo DD and I had them with our morning cuppa! I am making them again but using 1/2 Cranberry & 1/2 Blueberries to make “sweet & Sour” Muffins- as always, your recipes are Fantastic! Thanks so much!!
Every week we have breakfast for dinner one night. Since we are relatively new to low carb, it has been one experiment after another. These are fabulous!!! I, too, added orange peel to the batter. I love my new silicone pans for baking them.
Glad you liked them. Welcome to the lifestyle!
I only have 1 cup almond flour, could I sub it for something else? Thanks!
That depends on what you have. If you have coconut flour, you could do 1/3 cup coconut flour for each cup of almond flour. You might need more eggs and liquid, though. I haven’t tested it so I can’t be sure.
I have everything but the sour cream… Would Greek yogurt be a good substitute? They sound great!
I think that should work just fine.
I made these tonight with whole milk Greek yogurt ! Turned out great! I also added frozen cranberries, blueberries, and 1/2 coconut sugar instead of the swerve since I don’t have any. The texture of these muffins were wonderful better than any gluten-free muffin I’ve ever made ! Not very sweet with the coconut sugar so next time I’ll be sure to use the swerve(as the recipe called for) or maple syrup instead of water since they were to thick for my vitamin to blend without a 1/2 cup of water. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hey Carolyn,
First off – love your recipes!! I discovered you several months ago when I started low carb / keto. I have since transitioned to Trim Healthy Mama, and am LOVING it. However – I can’t have much of those calorie dense almond flour packed goodies. 🙁 I really love your recipes, and I really love the THM Baking Blend. I know you’ve used the baking blend before. Is there a formula to convert straight almond flour recipes to using the baking blend? I tried subbing 1:1 on some muffins, but they cam out dense and kinda dry. I know the BB is more absorbent, so maybe add more liquid? Another egg? Your help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks!
I feel like it very much depends on the recipe because some recipes already have the added moisture built in. These are pretty moist but I would probably do more like 2 1/3 cups baking blend. then I would see how thick the batter is. If it’s really runny and liquidy, I’d add another 1/3 cup.
Thanks for asking this question.
Would I use the same amount of Truvia as Swerve? Thanks
I believe that the regular Trivia (not the baking blend) is sweeter but I don’t know the conversion.
Made these and loved them. The subtle nutty sweetness of the muffins with the bright zing of the cranberries – seriously good. Made them in my nutribullet in two batches. I’m glad the previous poster mentioned the waffles – This was such an old post I never would have found it but now am anxious to try. Thanks for another good recipe.
Made these and loved them. The cranberries really popped. I used Sukrin:1 instead of Swerve and my non-D hubs said they could be a little sweeter for him, but he liked them as well. Will adjust sweetener next time. I am going to try this with blueberries as well. This recipe made me wonder if this could be done with your fabulous Almond Flour Yogurt waffles – of which I made three batches this past weekend ! (Blueberry, cranberry almond, and choc chip) All resting nicely in the freezer along with my cranberry muffins !! Another hit recipe, Carolyn !!
I also made a batch with blueberries, adding a couple drops of EZ Sweetz this time. Delish !! Thanks for pointing out the weight issue in the other posts on the almond flour. Mine was thick as well, I scoop lightly and level, but will weigh next time. I have an old Oster Kitchen center that I love, but I don’t think the blender is capable of handling the job, as toward the end of adding in the almond flour, I could tell it was straining to process it, so I finished the last portion in a bowl. I’m in the market for a high powered blender that can handle my low carb tasks. Great recipe again, Carolyn !!
I really want to try these as I have frozen cranberries in hand but don’t have sour cream. Can i replacement it with cream cheese? Thanks so much and I love all your recipes.
Cream cheese will be much too thick, but you might try half cream cheese and half whipping cream.
Thanks Carolyn!!
I will try as you suggested.