Moist Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins
Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins. Say what?! That’s a fun and festive flavor combo that you just have to try. Cranberry and ginger are both very popular Fall flavors, but they just don’t really end up together as the key players. This bran muffin recipe is moist, flavorful, and full of healthy fiber from the oat bran and oatmeal.
This post was originally published on November 29, 2018. It has been updated and republished on October 29, 2020
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All About Ginger
Ginger has got to be one of the most versatile food flavorings of all time. And this is based on nothing but my own personal opinion, so you know I’m right! (Haha! My husband is rolling his eyes so hard right now, they might just get stuck.)
But for real, let’s chat about it. Ginger can be commonly used ground or fresh in baked goods, sweet sides, and savory entrees. Sure, it’s not the only spice used in sweet and savory dishes, but I think the versatility comes in its different forms.
Let’s be real. Cinnamon tastes like cinnamon in any dish, sweet or savory, but ginger can play many characters. In a baked good ground ginger may be sweet and mildly warm. Change it up with fresh ginger in a stir fry and it becomes a spicy kick in the mouth! So delicious in both forms, yet so different.
I Found a New Thing
Okay, maybe it’s not a new thing for you, but I’m having a moment. Before this week, I never would have declared myself a nut job for ginger, but apparently I am. These Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins taught me something new about ginger. Two words. Crystallized ginger.
You may have seen it in the stores, or maybe you’ve noshed on candied ginger, but have you ever baked with it? I had never tasted it before, but I was really excited to see it in the recipe. A new form of ginger? Huzzah! I was so curious which flavor profile would be showing up in this bran muffin.
Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins for Breakfast
I wanted these cranberry ginger bran muffins with breakfast, so I made them the night before. All things considered, these muffins are quick, easy and straightforward. If you’re able to wait 30 minutes or so, you could absolutely make them fresh in the morning. Waiting for food isn’t really my thing though…
The most amazing thing about these Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins is that my 4 year old son (now 6 year old) loves them! I was absolutely shocked. Of course, he thought they were cupcakes and wanted to know where the frosting was. I explained to him that muffins don’t have that tasty topping, and he still decided to try one.
This boy is a crazy picky eater who loves fruit and not much else. Guess what? In less than 24 hours, he had three of them! I thought for sure the spicy nuggets of crystallized ginger would be a deal breaker. Nope. Ben said he’d eat them all up! Note to self, make more Birthday Cake Pancakes, Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, and Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins…
But Let’s Talk Details
The recipe calls for ¼ cup of crystallized ginger, but you could totally add more depending on your taste. Crystallized ginger is not super easy to find, but I bought mine at Target and you can always buy it on Amazon.
Whisk the sugar mixture thoroughly for about 3 minutes. The mixture should become thick, shiny, and smooth with a pale yellow color. When you add this to the oats, the batter will be very thick. The oats and oat bran soak up the buttermilk and become a firm mass, so you want to fold the sugar mixture in until it is a uniform consistency.
Once the oats and sugar mixtures have been well combined, add in your flour mixture. You’ll fold this into the batter just until there are no more dry pockets left. The batter will be thick, but manageable to work with. Add your crystallized ginger and cranberries and fold until evenly distributed.
Related Reading: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Tips For Tasty Bran Muffins
The first time I made these flavorful bran muffins, I got some ideas to make them even better! My first tip is to have extra crystallized ginger and dried cranberries on hand. Once you’ve scooped out the batter, dot the tops of the muffins with these goodies. It adds more flavor and shows you what’s inside.
For an extra oomph of flavor, I threw in a dash of Chinese five spice. I kinda fell in love with this spice blend when I made these five spice molasses cookies. If you don’t have that, try using an equal amount of cinnamon, ground ginger, or nutmeg instead.
Enjoy!
As Fall begins to turn into Winter, take some time on your next snow day to whip up a batch of these moist Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins. The pairing of cranberry and ginger is unique and unlike any muffin you’ve had before.
Adding crystallized ginger loads the batter up with little nuggets of warmth and spice. A perfect breakfast for any Fall, or Winter day. Follow Bakes and Blunders on Pinterest for more recipe ideas!
Cranberry Ginger Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat bran 5.5 oz
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 2 oz
- 1 cup buttermilk 8 fl oz
- 1 cup all- purpose flour 4.5 oz
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
- 1/3 cup canola oil 3 oz
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup sugar 5 oz
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries plus extra
- 1/4 cup crystallized ginger plus extra
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and spray your muffin tin with Baker's Joy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the oat bran, oats, and buttermilk. Make sure there are no dry pockets and let it stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar and flour mixtures.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and five spice. In another medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk for 3 minutes. The sugar mixture should be thick, smooth, and pale yellow.
- When your oats are done soaking, add your sugar mixture to the large bowl of oats. Mix well to make sure there are no "dry" bits left.
- Once the sugar and oats are fully incorporated, stir in the flour mixture. Again, make sure there are no dry pockets of flour. The batter will be thick. Fold in the dried cranberries and crystallized ginger until evenly distributed.
- Distribute among the prepared muffin tin. Top with extra dried cranberries and crystallized ginger. Bake for 18- 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let them in cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a rack.
Notes
- For slightly smaller muffins, divide batter among 15 muffin cavities.
- No Chinese five spice? Use cinnamon, ground ginger, or nutmeg instead, or skip it.
My Favorite Products For This Recipe
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Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
2 Comments
Jolene
These have my name written all over them! I have to hide the crystallized ginger here, because my kid loves to snack on it and it’s gone when I go to use it in a recipe 🙂
Colleen
Yay! I had never had crystallized ginger before and I am ALL about it now 🙂