Vegan Cranberry Corn Muffins
Get your bread baskets ready! These jam filled corn muffins are the perfect sweet & savory side to enjoy independently or with a full plate of Thanksgiving favorites.
Since traveling for most of October, I have become an intense homebody these last few weeks, spending most of my free time in my happy place- my kitchen. Cooking, baking, hosting, they all seem so comforting and fulfilling this time of year. The early evening darkness is the perfect excuse to forego more sociable plans, and instead, bake muffins, make soup, and generally enjoy the quiet alone time.
Somehow, the turn of seasons makes me crave baked goods, especially ones that I’ve made myself. While I love cooking, I’ve always been- and still am- intimidated by the precision of ingredients that baking requires. Mainly measuring. Baking has never been as intuitive to me as cooking. That said, once the days get shorter and the evenings cooler, I find myself back in the kitchen whipping up muffins, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and cookies. Stay tuned, friends, I’ve got a whole slew of healthy baked goods coming your way over the next few weeks!
Then, it’s probably no coincidence this time of year also has me craving my favorite hearty fall flavors: pumpkin, pecan, and cranberry. Cranberry sauce is my favorite part about Thanksgiving (okay, along with the endless vegetable side dishes). I have already stocked up on 3 jars of cranberry jam and predict it will be just enough to get me through the holiday season.
There are very few things I won’t slather that jam on, corn muffins included. Cranberry, O’ Cranberry, you are my favorite winter gem. Did you know cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and phytonutrients linked to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties? Yep!
If you are a savory & sweet fiend like myself, you are going to love these muffins. Slightly smoky, hearty corn muffins are filled with a touch of tart cranberry jam. Sweet meet salty meet perfection. Of course, I end up slathering on extra cranberry jam so the end result is a 1:2 muffin to jam ratio. Sometimes, I try to convince myself that I don’t just bake items that are vehicles for cranberry jam.
While I’ve been enjoying them for breakfast and mid-afternoon snacks, I also think they would be the perfect muffin for your Thanksgiving feast. Slice one of these babies in half, add a little butter and extra jam, and just try to convince yourself that you don’t need another. Looking for DIY holiday gift ideas? How about a basket of these along with a favorite book?
Wishing you a wonderful weekend! We have plans to get outta dodge on Saturday and find a place where the leaves are changing. BL and I have both been craving an adventurous fall day filled with apple picking, hiking, and golden and red leaves that light up the afternoon sky.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Vegan Cranberry Corn Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds, flaxmeal
- 6 tbsp. water
- 1 1/2 cups fine cornmeal
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup cranberry reserves or jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk with apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle, this will give the muffins a buttermilk taste.
- In another small cup, mix together the water and flaxmeal and let rest until gelled together.
- In a large bowl or kitchen stand mixer, add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and sugar. Stir until combined.
- Combine the flaxmeal mixture to the apple cider vinegar mixture and add the oil and maple syrup. Whisk together and then add to the cornmeal mixture. Stir until fully combined.
- Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling about 2/3 fill. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- After the muffins cool, spoon the cranberry preserves into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Push the tip of the bag through the top of the muffin and squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons of preserves into the middle. Repeat for each muffin.