Healthy Recipes Bread Quick Bread Muffin Lemon-Cranberry Muffins 4.3 (12) 11 Reviews These lemony cranberry-studded muffins crunch lightly with cornmeal and are topped with a kiss of sugared lemon zest. They're great warm from the oven, but also keep well for a few days and freeze beautifully. By Melissa Pasanen Melissa Pasanen See More Melissa Pasanen is a Vermont journalist focusing on food and agriculture. Her cookbook Cooking with Shelburne Farms, developed and written in collaboration with chef Rick Gencarelli, was selected as a New York Times Notable Cookbook and included in the Food & Wine list of the best cookbooks of the year. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 21, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Sylvia Geiger, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Sylvia Geiger, M.S., RD As EatingWell’s former dietitian and nutrition advisor, Sylvia Geiger worked closely with the culinary and editorial team to ensure that our recipes are not only delicious, but also meet the nutrition parameters we have set for ourselves. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Cook Time: 25 mins Additional Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 12 Yield: 1 dozen muffins Nutrition Profile: High-Fiber Vegetarian Low-Calorie Jump to Nutrition Facts These muffins pair lemons and cranberries for a deliciously tangy and vibrant flavor. Whole-wheat flour adds fiber, supporting healthy digestion and overall wellness. The muffins freeze beautifully for convenient future snacking. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed and tested at its original yield and has not been tested at other yields. Note that only the ingredient list is scaled, so you may need to make adjustments to ingredient amounts, cooking times and equipment sizes in the recipe steps. Scaling could also impact the nutrition analysis. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided ¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt ⅓ cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado 1 large egg 3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest, divided 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour (see Note) ½ cup cornmeal, preferably medium or fine stone-ground 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed), coarsely chopped (see Tip) Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, yogurt, oil, egg, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in cranberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins until golden brown and they spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Tips Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat frozen muffins, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds. Equipment: Muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) cups Note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer. Tip: To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped. DIY Muffin Cups: Make your next batch of muffins or cupcakes the ultimate grab-and-go treat by lining your tin with muffin liners. No liners? No problem. Use 5-inch squares of parchment paper, coat each muffin cup with cooking spray, and push each square into the cups using a small can or bottle, pressing the paper up the sides. (It's OK if some of the paper is sticking out over the rim.) Fill each cup as directed. Storage smarts: For long-term freezer storage, wrap your food in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. The plastic will help prevent freezer burn while the foil will help keep off-odors from seeping into the food. Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2011 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 186 Calories 7g Fat 29g Carbs 4g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Serving Size 1 muffin Calories 186 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 29g 10% Dietary Fiber 3g 9% Total Sugars 12g Added Sugars 10g 20% Protein 4g 8% Total Fat 7g 9% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Cholesterol 16mg 5% Vitamin A 43IU 1% Vitamin C 5mg 5% Folate 6mcg 1% Sodium 255mg 11% Calcium 82mg 6% Iron 2mg 13% Magnesium 11mg 3% Potassium 96mg 2% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.