Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins

Plant-based | Oil-free | Moist | Fall flavors

These wholesome muffins are packed with pumpkin, orange zest, and cranberries. The bananas provide natural sweetness while oats give them a satisfying, hearty texture. Perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Bananas, very ripe	2 large
Orange juice	½ cup	Plus zest of 1 orange
Pumpkin puree	1 can (15 oz)	Not pumpkin pie filling
Date paste	½ cup	Or maple syrup
Ground flax seeds	2 tbsp
Pumpkin pie spice	1 tbsp
Vanilla extract	1 tbsp	Alcohol-free
Dried cranberries	1 cup	Unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened
Gluten-free oats	3 cups
Walnuts, chopped	¼ cup	For topping
Cinnamon	½ tsp	For topping

Method

Preheat: Oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with silicone cups or parchment liners.
Blend wet: In food processor with “S” blade, process bananas and orange juice until smooth. Add pumpkin, date paste, vanilla, zest, flax seeds, and spice. Process until smooth and creamy.
Mix: Transfer batter to large bowl and stir in oats and dried cranberries.
Fill: Fill each muffin liner with about ½ cup batter (they don’t rise much). Use retractable ice cream scoop for easy portioning.
Top: Mix nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over muffins.
Bake: 30-35 minutes until set and lightly browned.

Tips

Don’t overfill: These don’t rise like traditional muffins—fill liners to top

Texture: Dense and moist, more like baked oatmeal than cake

Date paste: To make, blend soaked dates with a little water until smooth

Variations

Different fruit: Use raisins, cherries, or chopped dates instead of cranberries

Extra spices: Add ginger or cardamom

Nut-free: Omit walnuts or use pumpkin seeds

Storage

Room temperature: 2 days
Refrigerate: 5 days
Freeze: Up to 1 month

Nutrition (per muffin, 12 muffins)

Calories: ~174
Protein: 4g
Carbs: 34g
Fiber: 4g
Fat: 3.5g

Adapted from: Chef AJ / Forks Over Knives

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 35 min | Makes: 12 muffins