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Cranberry Chocolate Banana Muffins

Byabigail Updated:

Wherever I bring these Cranberry Chocolate Banana Muffins, I always get compliments. They look pretty with the dots of cranberries, and they are so moist and delicious. Use fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries. They are great for a fall or winter breakfast or as a snack treat!

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As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we were reminded of our trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts, back in July 2005. Abigail was six months pregnant with William, and we took advantage of the chance to travel to New England before the baby
arrived.

We chose to go to Plymouth to visit the site where the Pilgrims first settled and learn about their history. We were so impressed by the Pilgrims’ courage in the face of many hardships that we were inspired to name our son, William, after William Bradford, the second governor of the Plymouth Colony.

During their arduous 60-day sea crossing, Bradford wrote in his journal, “All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.“

Their Christian faith enabled them to persevere amid great adversity and establish a community where they were free to worship God according to His Word.

While in Plymouth, we stayed at the Governor Bradford Inn. It overlooks historic Plymouth Harbor, where Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II are located.

The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the original Mayflower vessel. It has been recreated to give a sense of what the original 17th-century ship was like. Seeing the inside of this tiny vessel meant to carry only about 50-60 passengers (about 104 onboard), we were amazed at how the Pilgrims managed to survive the journey.

We also saw the cramped passengers’ quarters, the “hold” where they stored food, clothing, and other items needed to start the colony, and the crude tools used in 17th-century navigation. The photo below shows the Mayflower II journeying from Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1957.

On board the Mayflower II, you will meet actors dressed in period costumes speaking in 17th century English who will share with you what life was like during the voyage. We met Captain Myles Standish, the military advisor for the Plymouth Colony. He shared with us his experiences while on board, and the death of his wife, Rose, upon arrival at Plymouth.

A monument to the Pilgrims who died during the first year in the Plymouth Colony.

Overall, it was a very successful trip, and we’re glad we went. It is highly recommended.

Now, on a lighter note, here’s a lovely recipe for cranberry banana muffins, which are great for the holidays.

FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS

  • Sugar – I use white sugar, but feel free to use light or dark brown sugar, too.
  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Eggs  – Bring eggs to room temperature first before using them.
  • Plain yogurt – may be substituted with sour cream, too
  • Banana – ripe and mashed 
  • Light olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cranberries – coarsely chopped. Use fresh or frozen cranberries. If you wish to use dried cranberries or raisins, fully dehydrate them first before using them.
  • Chocolate chips 

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In an electric or hand mixer bowl, crack the eggs and beat lightly just until combined. This can also be done by hand or manually. Add sugar, yogurt, banana, oil, and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium speed until smooth and there are no big banana lumps, roughly 1-2 minutes.

Adjust the speed to low and then slowly pour in the flour mixture. I try to do this in three parts to prevent flour splattering everywhere. Scrape the sides with a spatula after adding each flour. When everything is just combined, stop the mixer. Fold in the cranberries and the chocolate chips.

Divide evenly into a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Bake at 400 for about 18-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Oven heating/temperatures vary, so adjust the time accordingly. I use a Demarle Flexipan. The muffin cooks faster here, so you may have to change the time slightly if you use a regular muffin pan. Let this serve as a guide. A friend who made this recipe said it took about 22 minutes for her muffin to thoroughly cook.

Leave it to cool in the pan for about 7-10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The muffins may feel soft when you lift them up, but don’t worry they will harden as they cool down.

I love that this recipe balances sweet and tart flavors and comes out really moist even after being left standing for a few hours. Moist and delicious cranberry muffins!

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Cranberry Banana Muffins

Manila Spoon
Wherever I bring these muffins I always get compliments. They look pretty with the dots of cranberry, so moist and very delicious. Use fresh, frozen or dried cranberries.
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Save
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine American
Servings 18

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 1 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons extra
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup banana, mashed (about 1 1/2 bananas – you can use 2 bananas if you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a bowl of an electric or hand mixer, crack the eggs and beat lightly just until combined. Add sugar, yogurt, banana, oil and vanilla extract and continue to beat in medium speed until it’s smooth and there are no big banana lumps roughly 1-2 minutes. This may also be done by hand or manually.
  • Adjust the speed to low and then slowly pour in the flour mixture. I try to do this in three parts to prevent the flour from splattering all over the place. Scrape the sides with a spatula after adding each flour. When everything is just combined, stop the the mixer. Fold in the cranberries and the chocolate chips.
  • Divide evenly into a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Bake at 400 for about 18-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
  • Leave it to cool a bit in the pan for about 7-10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The muffins may feel soft when you lift them up but don’t worry they will harden as they cool down.
  • I love that this is just a balance of sweet-tart flavors and comes out really moist even after you have left it standing for a few hours. Moist and delicious cranberry muffins!

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
I use white sugar but you may choose to use brown, too.
You can replace yogurt with sour cream.
If you would like to use dried cranberries or craisins, make sure to rehydrate them first before using.
Double the amount of chocolate if you want more chocolate flavor!
Oven heating/temperatures vary so adjust the time accordingly. I use a Demarle Flexipan – the muffin cooks faster here so you may have to adjust the time a bit if using a regular muffin pan or a smaller muffin pan. Let the time here serve as a guide. A friend of mine who made this recipe said it took about 22 minutes for her muffin to fully cook.
Keyword breakfast cranberry muffins, christmas muffins, cranberry chocolate banana muffins, cranberry muffins with chocolate, cranberry sour cream muffins, cranberry yogurt muffins, holiday-inspired muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on September 5th, 2024 at 11:26 am

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33 Comments

      1. 5 stars
        Abby,

        Thank you for being a smart little cookie when it comes to baking muffins! These are by far one of my favorite muffins; I have them booked marked in my computer so that I can make them at least once a month! What a great way to use up fully ripened banana. Before baking, I preheat the oven an additional 25°, when I place the muffins into the oven, I drop it down to the recommended temperature. This allows the muffins to grow substantially in size. Happy baking y’all, you will not be disappointed!

        Reply

        1. So glad you enjoy these yummy muffins and adjusted it to your liking! Thank you for letting us know!

          Reply

    1. Thanks, Diane! We had the trip before we had kids so we need to return there for them to see all this wonderful history. After all, they are born Americans. Glad you came by!

      Reply

    1. Hi Shibi! Thanks! I try to use fresh cranberries whenever possible 'cause I love the tart taste that it imparts – sort of balances the flavor. Glad you stopped by! 🙂

      Reply

  8. Abby- I just wanted to let you know that I found your recipe and made it today…I have already had 2 muffins!!!! Actually, the recipe made 22 muffins for me because I like them smaller and not pouring over the top. I love this recipe!!! I thought the cranberries might be a little tart but they are great! The only change I made was I added a tablespoon of flaxseed meal. Took 18 minutes for my oven!!! Thanks!! misshu@comcast.net

    Reply

  9. I'm making these just as soon as I close the computer. I have a pile of turkey hunters coming in for brunch and since we grow cranberries, they'll be expecting some kind of cranberry treat. These look perfect. Thanks.

    Reply

  10. I just made them! We loved them, so soft and tasty 🙂 I used butterscotch chips and cranberries, they made quite a nice combo 😀 Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  11. I make these muffins all the time, they are my family’s favorite. I have a house full of children no way to get to the store and I am out of yogurt. What do you think I could use in place of the yogurt

    Reply

    1. You can use sour cream instead. I use either when I run out of the other. They both work well. Thanks and glad you like the muffins!!

      Reply

  15. Just made these muffins today, they are amazing! I didn’t have yogurt, so I used sour cream instead. Keeper:) Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    1. I am so glad you enjoyed them! We often make these muffins and sometimes with sour cream, too. Thanks for letting us know!!

      Reply

  16. 5 stars
    I made this today. It’s absolutely delicious! I used Greek Yoghurt and White Chocolate Chips! OMG! definitely a keeper! It’s now at the top of my favourite Muffins list! Thank you! ❤️ in my recipe collection, I named it Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Muffin, like the Cookie of a similar name

    Reply
4.86 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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