Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins Recipe

The holidays are magical, but let’s be real—sometimes you’re left staring at that last container of cranberry sauce feeling totally uninspired. Well, today I’m bringing you a truly luscious solution to turn those leftovers into a breakfast, brunch, or snack-time hero! These Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins combine the tender, buttery crumb of a classic coffee cake with pockets of bright, sweet-tart cranberry flavor and a perfect spiced crumb topping. Trust me, you are going to want to make cranberry sauce just so you can bake these beauties. They are cozy, comforting, and seriously addictive, and they bake up perfectly every single time!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Next-Level Leftovers: This recipe is a game-changer for using up that leftover cranberry sauce! It transforms a simple side dish into a decadent, delightful baked good.
• The Best of Both Worlds: You get the tender, buttery crumb of a coffee cake paired with the convenient, grab-and-go size of a muffin. It’s perfect for cozy mornings.
• Big on Holiday Flavor: The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg in the batter and the crumb topping complements the tartness of the cranberries perfectly, making every bite feel like a warm hug.
• Easy to Make: The batter comes together quickly, and the layering technique is simple, giving you beautiful pockets of fruit without any fuss.

Ingredients

All you need to whip up this ultimate leftover treat are a few pantry staples and your star ingredient—that cranberry sauce! But first, let’s gather these cozy components:

• All-Purpose Flour: This provides the basic structure for the light and tender muffin and is the base for our crumb topping.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Our leavening agents! This duo helps the muffins rise and gives them that perfect dome shape.
• Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and making all the other flavors shine—never skip the salt!
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: The classic warming spices that give these muffins their cozy, holiday-worthy coffee cake flavor.
• Unsalted Butter: The key to rich flavor and a tender crumb in the muffin, and when cold and cubed, it creates the sandy texture needed for the crumb topping.
• Brown Sugar: Used in both the muffin batter and the topping, it adds a deep, molasses-rich sweetness and contributes to the muffins’ moisture.
• Large Eggs: Our binders! They hold everything together and help create that light, fluffy texture.
• Vanilla Extract: The secret weapon in almost every baked good—it boosts all the other flavors and adds warmth.
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: This is what makes the muffins super-moist and tender. Its acidity reacts with the leavening agents for an extra lift.
• Leftover Cranberry Sauce (Whole Berry or Jellied): The star of the show! It brings a gorgeous, sweet-tart fruit filling to the center of each muffin.
• Granulated Sugar (for topping): Used alongside the brown sugar in the topping for texture and a little extra sparkle!

Note: The full ingredients list with specific measurements will be located right under this article in the printable recipe card.

How to Make Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake Muffins

This recipe is incredibly straightforward! It follows the standard rhythm of baking—wet ingredients, dry ingredients, combine—with a simple, delicious layering step.

Step 1: Prep and Whisk Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Setting this aside now means you’ll be ready to mix the batter quickly later!

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar

In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together your softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air and achieving a tender texture.

Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients

Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and sour cream (or Greek yogurt). Mix until everything is smooth and fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 4: Combine Batter

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix only until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Remember, do not overmix, or your muffins will be tough!

Step 5: Layer the Muffins

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Drop 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce right on top of the batter, then cover it with another spoonful of batter. This layering technique guarantees a beautiful pocket of fruit in the center.

Step 6: Prepare and Add the Crumb Topping

In a small bowl, combine the topping’s flour, both sugars, and cinnamon. Take your cold, cubed butter and cut it into the dry ingredients using a fork or your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle this buttery topping generously and evenly over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Step 7: Bake

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding the cranberry sauce pocket) comes out clean.

Step 8: Cool and Serve

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They are truly spectacular when enjoyed warm—especially with a great cup of coffee or a cozy cup of tea!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Don’t Overmix the Batter: This is the most common mistake! Once the flour disappears, stop mixing. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, resulting in dense, tough muffins instead of light, tender ones.
• Use Cold Butter for the Crumb: Make sure the butter for the topping is cold and cut into small cubes. This is essential for creating that crumbly, sandy texture—if it’s soft, you’ll end up with a paste.
• Use Room Temperature Wet Ingredients: The butter, eggs, and sour cream should be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify and combine much better, which results in a smoother batter and a better final texture.
• Try the Full or Jellied Sauce: Whether you use a whole-berry cranberry sauce or the smooth, jellied kind, this recipe works great! Just ensure the sauce is well-chilled and not too runny.

How to Serve

These cranberry coffee cake muffins are divine on their own, but here are a few ways to take them over the top:

• The Classic Pairing: Enjoy them warm, straight from the oven, with your favorite hot coffee or tea. It’s the perfect cozy morning treat!
• A Dollop of Cream: Serve them alongside a small dish of extra Greek yogurt, sour cream, or even homemade whipped cream for a truly decadent dessert experience.
• Sweet Breakfast Spread: If you’re making a brunch, pair them with savory options like a simple quiche or a sausage and egg casserole to balance the sweetness.
• A Drizzle of Glaze (Optional): If you’re feeling fancy, whisk together a quick powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar + a splash of milk or orange juice) and drizzle it over the cooled muffins.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once completely cooled, place the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They stay beautifully moist thanks to the sour cream!

Freezing

These muffins freeze exceptionally well! Once fully cooled, place them on a tray in the freezer for about an hour until they are firm. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter.

Reheating

The best way to enjoy a reheated muffin is to pop it into the microwave for 15-20 seconds to warm it slightly, or wrap it loosely in foil and reheat it in a 300°F oven for about 5-8 minutes. This brings back that “just baked” warmth and tenderness!

FAQs

Can I use a fresh cranberry mixture instead of cranberry sauce?

Unfortunately, no, you shouldn’t substitute fresh cranberries or a raw cranberry mixture for the cooked sauce in this recipe. The sauce is already thickened and sweetened, which is what allows it to form a delicious pocket in the center of the muffin without adding too much moisture to the batter. If you use fresh berries, you would need to adjust the sugar content and expect a much tarter, runnier filling inside the muffin, which might compromise the final texture. Stick to your leftover, prepared cranberry sauce for the best results!

What is the best way to get a high-domed, bakery-style muffin top?

The secret to a beautiful, high-domed muffin is a combination of the right ingredients and the initial oven temperature. First, ensure your leavening agents (baking powder and soda) are fresh and that your wet ingredients are at room temperature. Second, ensure you are not overmixing the batter, as this develops gluten and prevents a proper rise. Finally, you can try starting the bake at a higher temperature, such as 425°F, for the first 5 minutes, and then immediately drop the temperature down to 350°F for the remainder of the cook time. The initial blast of heat causes the muffins to rise quickly before the crust sets, giving you those coveted big tops!

Can I make this recipe as a loaf or full coffee cake instead of muffins?

You absolutely can turn this into a delicious loaf cake or a traditional 8×8 or 9×9 coffee cake! The main thing to adjust is the baking time. For a loaf (9×5-inch pan), increase the baking time to about 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. For a square coffee cake, the bake time will likely be around 35–45 minutes. You’ll layer the batter and cranberry sauce similarly (half batter, cranberry sauce, remaining batter, topping), but be sure to watch the center of the cake closely, as oven temperatures can vary.

My cranberry sauce is very thick/very runny. Will it work?

Yes, both whole-berry and jellied sauces will work, but you can adjust a slightly runny sauce for a better outcome. If your sauce is quite runny, gently warming it and stirring in a tiny bit of cornstarch (about half a teaspoon) and letting it cool again can help thicken it up a bit. If your sauce is overly thick or firm (especially jellied), you may want to give it a quick mash with a fork to make it easier to spoon into the batter. The key is to avoid adding excess liquid to the muffin batter, so just use a firm, spoonable consistency!