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Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Muffins

Muffins are a major lifesaver these days at breakfast because I make them on the weekend and we can enjoy a fibre-packed, nutrient-dense muffin all week long!
Nov 4, 2018 | Joy McCarthy

Muffins are a major lifesaver these days! I love to have them for breakfast with a Rise and Shine Latte (or a smoothie ). These muffins are so dense and fullfilling; they really hit the spot.

As for the "lifesaver" part, mornings have gotten a little more busy as of late because I've gotten back to doing more things for me! I've been working out (beyond yoga) – what a concept!

Since I have less time in the morning now, muffins are super helpful at saving me time. But even more lifesaving is when Vienna comes home from preschool, I have something to tame the crazy hungry bear within! If she hasn't eaten much at lunch, she's ravenous and that means I need something healthy and quick. I do my best to avoid having a HANGRY "threenager".

Whether it's morning or afternoon, these muffins are a lifesaver.

You might be thinking, but a muffin for breakfast? Heck yeah! We are not talking store-bought muffins full of rancid vegtables oils like soybean or sunflower and a bombshell of sugar. No way!

We are talking about a fibre-packed, nutrient-dense, absolutely delicious muffin you can feel good about eating yourself or giving to your kids.

Since it's gotten colder, you've probably noticed I've been baking much more. Last week we were eating Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and cookies. The week before that it was Pumpkin Spice Cake. So I thought I would give the pumpkin a rest this weekend and make these glorious oh-so-yummy muffins to enjoy all next week. 

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Now because they are breakfast muffins, I didn't sweeten them very much as you'll notice when you try them. Instead, I created an optional but highly recommended topping of walnuts and coconut sugar. 

I recommend you slather them with almond or sunflower butter and a drizzle of raw honey. Feel free to add more sweetness if you so desire.

I know you're going to ask me if these can be made without eggs, because that's the most common question I get these days with my baked goods. My answer is most likely yes. You can download my egg substition chart right here and make these with a flax egg. If you do this, please let everyone know in the comments section how it worked for you with a flax egg. 

I always like to include eggs because they are an excellent source of protein and my daughter hates the texture of eggs so it's a good way to get them in.

The cranberries are essential for this recipe because you need something tart and sweet to balance out the other flavours. However, if you want to use something else, blueberries, dried tart cherries or raisins also work.

These muffins are PACKED with fibre thanks to the almond flour, oats, oat bran and ground flaxseeds.

If you've never used oat bran before, it's very easy to find in the natural foods section of the grocery store or at your local health food store. Oat bran is much higher in fibre than oats – 50% higher in fibre than oats, actually! The main difference is that oats are the "whole grain" while oat bran is just the bran – both still have their health benefits though.

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Now if you don't have oat bran in your cupboard and you want to make these today, scroll down to my recipe because I explain how to make them without oat bran. 

Once you've made these wonderful muffins, I highly recommend you enjoy them with my Rise and Shine Latte – it's the most perfect, cozy breakfast on a chilly morning. Seriously, it's as good as sipping a Spicy Hot Chocolate in front of a fireplace. 

Let's get to the recipe!

Breakfast & Brunch
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup oat flakes or old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond flour (ground almonds or almond meal)
  • 1 cup oat bran*
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking soda
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup nut or rice milk
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees (180C). Line a muffin tray with paper cups or grease really well with coconut oil.
  2. Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl: oats, almond flour, oat bran, ground flax, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda.
  3. In a small bowl, combine eggs, maple syrup and nut milk.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
  5. Fold in dried cranberries.
  6. In a small bowl combine chopped walnuts and coconut sugar.
  7. Pour muffin batter into 12 muffin tins. Evenly divide walnut coconut sugar topping between 12 muffins.
  8. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a fork inserted comes out clean and golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from muffin tin and let cool another 10 minutes.

Notes

Makes 12 muffins.

*Don't have any oat bran? Place 1 cup of oats in a food processor and blend until a coarse texture. This is the similar texture to oat bran and works as a perfect sub.

And if you're feeling fancy, these are wonderful served at brunch drizzled with melted coconut butter! You'll impress the pants off of everyone. Just make sure you melt the coconut butter on the lowest temperature possible with a touch of coconut oil on your stove top because it burns very easily. 

If you make these "mini" size you'll likely get double the amount of muffins (approximately two dozen). That's how Vienna and her lambs enjoy them best :) 

Enjoy friends!

Any questions/comments, post below!

Joy xo

97 Comments
Tanya   •   November 4, 2018

They look delightful Joy, gonna try them soon. Just don't have oat bran in the cupboard!

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   November 4, 2018

Hannah   •   November 4, 2018

Can't wait to try it. Do you have a brand of dried cranberries you can recommend? I have only found sugar-loaded. Also, is oat bran GF?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 4, 2018
Brenda A.   •   January 11, 2019

Katrina   •   November 4, 2018

I made these with a flax egg and they worked and tasted like a dream. I also added some fresh cranberries, coconut, and vanilla to the batter. So yummy and sweet enough despite only having a bit of maple syrup to sweeten :).

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 5, 2018
Karen   •   January 21, 2019

Kristin   •   November 4, 2018

I can't wait to make these - but I don't have medium eggs, how much will larger eggs affect the recipe?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 5, 2018

Sarah   •   November 4, 2018

Since the cranberries are unsweetened, I think Iโ€™ll jusr use fresh ones :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 5, 2018

Janice   •   November 5, 2018

Recipe looks delicious! I'm going to pick up the oat bran

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 5, 2018

Ainsley   •   November 5, 2018

What would you use aaa substitutetp almond flour?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 5, 2018

Isabelle   •   November 6, 2018

is oat bran the same as oat flour?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 6, 2018

Amanda   •   November 6, 2018

Can these be made with steel cut oats?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 6, 2018

Audrey Miller   •   November 6, 2018

Joy! Thank you for sharing this recipe today. It was a MAJOR life saver for me this morning. I am always looking for snacks and breakfasts that are higher in fiber and lower in sugar for blood sugar levels to be maintained. This was AMAZING for that!! I didn't have any oat bran so I used the blended oat version that you suggested. I also didn't have any dried berries of any kind so I substituted some crumbled dried apples and it worked out great with the cinnamon and nutmeg. My son is so picky and frowns upon less sweet snack but he gave a thumbs up Joy to this one!! Keep posting your goodness and bringing JOY to others!

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 6, 2018

Michelle   •   November 6, 2018

Do you make the night before or freeze them?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 7, 2018

Petra   •   November 7, 2018

Hi can you use AP flour or whole wheat and will it be the same.

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 7, 2018
Janet   •   December 5, 2018

Margaret C.   •   November 7, 2018

Hi Joy, What do you recommend in place of coconut sugar?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 7, 2018

Lin   •   November 16, 2018

Sooooo wholesome and full of goodness!! Followed the recipe to a t ;) Slathered some almond butter and then nearly ate the whole tray. Thanks Joy for this recipe, luuuvvv it. Kids love them too!!

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 16, 2018

Barb H.   •   November 21, 2018

Made these today for my little guy and they came out so great. Thank you :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 21, 2018

Teri   •   January 5, 2019

These look really yummy and I would like to try them. Do you have a suggestion to replace the almond flour? I am allergic to almonds and using almond flour would be a bit of a problem:) Any suggestions to replace this ingredient in recipes? Thank you

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 6, 2019

Teri A.   •   January 6, 2019

Oh, great idea, I will try that. Thank you Teri

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Rachel S.   •   January 7, 2019

how long would these last? Im trying these for breakfast for my boys, but working out how many Id need for a week :)

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 7, 2019

Laura   •   January 11, 2019

These look amazing. I will be making them today!! Thank you Joy.

Reply
Joy McCarthy   •   January 11, 2019
Laura   •   January 11, 2019

Brenda A.   •   January 11, 2019

Hi Joy, these look delicious! If I used fresh cranberries, would I make any adjustment to the dry ingredients?

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 11, 2019

Dal   •   January 11, 2019

Did you mean aluminum-free baking powder or baking soda? I thought that baking soda doesnโ€™t contain aluminim. I have the Arm

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 11, 2019

Caroline   •   January 11, 2019

Firstly....Vienna is sooo sweet, priceless wee girl with her little lambsโค๏ธ Love walnuts in muffins and breads so going to enjoy healthy,guilt free eating! Thanks Joy!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 11, 2019

Shayla   •   January 12, 2019

Iโ€™m hoping to make the muffins. Two questions. Can I substitute brown rice flour for the almond flour? 2. I find most muffins with it which I donโ€™t like. How are these?

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 13, 2019

Angela   •   January 13, 2019

Could you sub in coconut milk in place of the nut milk or rice milk? Can't wait to try these!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 13, 2019

Julie Capling   •   January 13, 2019

Hi Joy, I just realized I donโ€™t have any ground flaxseed. What could I substitute with? Or can I just leave out? I do have ground chia or hemp seeds.

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 14, 2019

Gordana steganec   •   January 14, 2019

So delicious ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜Š

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Sue de Zwart   •   January 15, 2019

Joy, thank you for this lovely recipe. They are so delicious. I placed them in the freezer last night .. was kidding myself....we will eat them this week!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 15, 2019

Sue   •   January 17, 2019

Hi Joy, I sent a comment about almond flour and received an email notification that you replied however the link to your reply didn't work.

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 17, 2019

Sue   •   January 17, 2019

Done : )

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Sam   •   January 22, 2019

I've made these twice and the 2nd time as mini-muffins and I like them even better! A delicious and filling breakfast I can take to work with me, thank you!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 24, 2019

Laurie   •   January 22, 2019

Hi Joy, you have mentioned you were a sugar addict. Me too. I have found I can't eat anything where refined sugar AND/OR flour (and I mean any type of flour) are the main ingredients. Cravings immediately kick in and I want more and the mind become preoccupied with thoughts of having more. Even muffins with healthier ingredients. That reward centre of my brain gets a huge hit of dopamine and the beast is unleashed. I guess that is not your experience?

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 23, 2019
Laurie   •   January 23, 2019

Dan Schultz   •   January 22, 2019

Made these tonight. Flavor was great. I understand why you talked about slathering them in butter/honey. They are pretty dry. Would it mess up the recipe if you added the butter/honey in the recipe to make them more moist? I usually eat my breakfast on my morning hike, so having to take butter/honey along isn't the best for me. Thoughts?

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 23, 2019

Barbara   •   January 29, 2019

These were perfect for a snowy dayโ€™s baking. Substituted cloves for the nutmeg. Delicious! Love the walnut and coconut sugar topping. Thanks for a great recipe!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 29, 2019

Tara D.   •   January 29, 2019

Just made these, they are delicious! A perfect muffin texture and wonderful flavor. We put a little vanilla ghee on each half. A lovely hearty snack!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 30, 2019

Sabrina Fortino   •   February 7, 2019

Hello, I am going to make these today! I was wondering if you thought a couple mashed up bananas would be ok, I was thinking to add a little sweetness. Also do you have the calorie content etc?

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Joy McCarthy   •   February 7, 2019

Sabrina Fortino   •   February 7, 2019

Thank you! Where and how long can I store them?

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Joy McCarthy   •   February 8, 2019

Jen   •   March 20, 2019

Can I use spelt flour instead or something else gluten free? Can't take nuts to school. They look delicious!

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Joy McCarthy   •   March 21, 2019

Dora Cotterell   •   April 21, 2019

Hi Joy

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Colleen   •   July 14, 2019

These sound great. Unfortunately I have an allergy to both almond and flax. What do you recommend as substitutions for the almond flour and for the flaxseed? Colleen

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Joy McCarthy   •   July 14, 2019

France   •   August 27, 2019

This looks delicious ๐Ÿ˜ŠI will definitely try them and all your pics are so beautiful that it makes your recipes looks even more appealing and of course if itโ€™s Vienna and her lambs approved lol then it sure is worth trying ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Šthanks for sharing

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Joy McCarthy   •   August 27, 2019

Sandi   •   January 12, 2020

Hi Joy, I just made your Dark Chocolate Superfood Bars and as I was stirring everything together making sure it didn't burn, the chocolate and the oil separated and it was clumpy. I continued on with the rest of the recipe and I have now put it into the freezer. What did I do wrong that it separated? Thanks for any help! Sandi

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 13, 2020

Gianna   •   January 25, 2020

Hi Joy, excited to try these out! Do you know the nutritional value per muffin? Thanks so much!

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Joy McCarthy   •   January 26, 2020

Emma   •   October 15, 2020

Could I add bananas, or would that change the recipe...

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Joy McCarthy   •   October 16, 2020

Inna B.   •   November 28, 2020

Hi Joy! The muffins came out really delicious, thank you very much for the recipe! Can I double it?

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 29, 2020

Justyna   •   November 14, 2022

Can you substitute the nut milk with water? I'm trying to stay away from nut milk.

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Joy McCarthy   •   November 14, 2022

Clare   •   April 16, 2023

Which dried cranberries do you use? I can't find anyone without sunflower oil, which I'm trying to stay away from because it's inflammatory.

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Joy McCarthy   •   April 18, 2023

Christine   •   September 15, 2023

What's the best way to store them?

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Joy McCarthy   •   September 19, 2023

Tonnie Kroon   •   October 3, 2023

Hi! Can you tell me the difference between rolled oats and old fashioned rolled oat. I am assuming they are the same?

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Joy McCarthy   •   October 4, 2023

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