Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe
Make your holiday morning more delicious with our Cranberry Orange Muffins! These muffins are fluffy, moist, and filled with the tangy, sweet, and tart flavors of cranberries and oranges in every bite. They are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and made with wholesome staple ingredients.
Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe… but Better!
We love muffins, and every year we like to come up with a new recipe and develop ones that are healthier than the store-bought brands. And, this recipe for cranberry orange muffins happens to be one of them, along with some of my favorites like paleo banana muffins, and cinnamon sweet potato muffins, just to name a few.
The result? Delicious and loaded with bits of pieces of fresh cranberries throughout each muffin to assure you will get that tart-sweet flavor along with orange in every bite.
It’s the ideal muffin recipe to enjoy all season long. And, it is really delicious, festive, and perfect to serve for morning breakfast or an afternoon snack. Plus, it makes a wonderful addition to add to your Christmas Brunch Recipes menu as well.
For more healthy muffin recipes you can make ahead and freeze, don’t miss our collection of 10 Best Muffin Recipes. These are all veggie-dense muffins and loaded with nutrients!
Reasons this Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe is Healthier!
Most bakery-style muffins are loaded with white sugar, palm and vegetable oils, and other unwanted ingredients. But not these muffins!
Instead, these muffins are made with wholesome ingredients like Italian olive oil, maple syrup, fresh orange juice and zest, fresh cranberries, and Greek yogurt, making them healthier than store-bought and bakery-style ones.
Ingredients You Will Need:
For this cranberry orange muffin recipe, you will need the following pantry staples as the ingredients. Be sure to read our notes about various swaps below.
- Dry Ingredients: You will need all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder, plus ground cinnamon and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: You will only need 1 large navel orange for orange juice and orange zest. Plus, you will need 2 eggs, pure maple syrup, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and olive oil.
- Fresh Cranberries: I had a fresh bag of cranberries in my fridge. They are more tart than dried cranberries. And, you can also use frozen cranberries if you cannot find fresh ones. And, no need to thaw if you use the frozen ones.
Helpful Swaps for Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour: You can easily swap out the flour for your favorite flour. Be sure to use the same measurements. Keep in mind, it may make these muffins a bit denser and/ or change the texture entirely.
- Maple Syrup: If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand, you can easily swap it for honey.
- Greek Yogurt: Yogurt adds moisture to these muffins; if you don’t have any, you can use sour cream. If possible, try to avoid yogurts that are loaded with sugar or artificial flavors.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite dairy-free yogurt or sour cream.
- Prefer Egg-Free: Go to our Substitutions Solutions to find many more ideas to swap out ingredients.
- Olive Oil: Swap out olive oil for avocado oil or applesauce.
How to Make These Cranberry Orange Muffins?
You’ll find our full ingredient list with measurements, along with full instructions in our recipe card at the bottom. With our simple ingredients and straightforward steps, you can make these muffins in about 25 minutes and bake them in 22 minutes.
Plus, there are 5 easy-to-follow steps in our recipe card below. Then bake! Next, make the glaze, and this is optional.
First Step: Prepare Your Oven & Muffin Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Then prepare your 12-cup muffin pan.
Second Step: Measure Wet Ingredients: Stir or whisk all the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Third Step: Measure Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until well combined. Do not overmix.
Step 4: Add the Chopped Cranberries: Use your mini food chopper to speed up the prep work and pulse to chop the fresh cranberries. Then fold them into the batter.
Step 5: Fill Muffin Pan: Use an ice cream scoop to help you divide the batter equally into 12 muffin cups.
Final Step: Then Bake: Bake, on the center or top rack, at 350°F (190 °C) for about 20 – 22 minutes.
Before you go, our Important Tips:
- Measure Flour Correctly: Always measure the flour correctly, and it’s best to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, using a knife.
- Rinse the Orange Before Zesting: Always rinse your orange before zesting and dry it with a paper towel. And, always zest before juicing.
- Rinse the Cranberries: We always give a rinse to our fresh cranberries. And allow them to drain in a colander.
- Mince the Cranberries: We prefer to use a mini electric food chopper, and pulse a few times to mince the cranberries into tiny pieces. This way, you will get them in every bite.
- Do Not Over-Mix: Do not over-mix the batter. This will help achieve a more fluffy muffin. Stir to combine everything.
- Use Cup-Cake Liners: For easy clean up, always use cup-cake liners or silicone muffin cups. Makes our life easier.
- Testing for Fully Baked: After 20-22 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin; if it comes out clean, it means they are fully baked and ready.
- The Glaze is Optional: The glaze is totally optional. If you decide to make it, be sure to allow the muffins to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Delicious Healthier Muffins!
This cranberry orange muffin recipe is a keeper! Enjoy them as a quick on-the-go breakfast. Fluffy and delicious tasting! Great to add them to your Christmas brunch, too! Everyone will enjoy them. Try them, and let us know what you think.
ENJOY!
Your comments help us! If you make this recipe for Cranberry Orange Muffins, let us know and leave a comment with a star⭐ rating in our recipe card below! Snap a photo and hashtag it on Instagram @2sistersrecipes, or share it on Pinterest. We love sharing what you make!
Try These Next!
- Death by Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins with Icing
- Lemon Zucchini Poppy Seed Muffins
- Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins
- Blueberry Lemon Oat Muffins
Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe
These cranberry orange muffins are fluffy, moist, and bursting with tangy, sweet, and tart cranberries and orange flavor in every bite! Easy muffins for the holidays and Sunday brunch.
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. orange zest (zest of 1 orange)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 1 + 3/4 cups (233g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
THE CRANBERRIES:
- 1 + 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (pulsed into tiny pieces)
GLAZE (OPTIONAL)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 - 2 tsp. milk or half and half (or dairy-free milk)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (190C). Prepare the muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease it with cooking spray. Set it nearby.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together eggs, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
- Measure the dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients in the bowl: the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine all. Do not overmix.
- Measure 1 + 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries, and do this in two batches. Add the cranberries to your mini chopper and pulse until the cranberries are minced. Then gently fold them into the batter.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan. Then allow them to cool completely before adding the glaze on top.
- MAKE THE GLAZE: Stir the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over muffins with the glaze before serving. If you like, you can take a few cranberries, chop them, and sprinkle a few on top of each muffin as a garnish.
Notes
Quick Notes and Tips!
- Measure Flour Correctly: Always measure the flour correctly, and it's best to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, using a knife.
- Rinse the Orange Before Zesting: Always rinse your orange before zesting and dry it with a paper towel. And, always zest before juicing.
- Rinse the Cranberries: We always give a rinse to our fresh cranberries. And allow them to drain in a colander.
- Mince the Cranberries: We prefer to use a mini electric food chopper and pulse a few times to mince the cranberries into tiny pieces. This way, you will get them in every bite.
- Do Not Over-Mix: Do not over-mix the batter. This will help achieve a more fluffy muffin. Stir to combine everything.
- Use Cup-Cake Liners: For easy clean up, always use cupcake liners or silicone muffin cups.
- Testing for Fully Baked: After 20-22 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin; if it comes out clean, it means they are fully baked and ready.
- The Glaze is Optional: The glaze is totally optional. f you decide to make it, be sure to allow the muffins to cool completely before drizzling it on them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 servings Serving Size: 1 serving (1 muffin)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 3.9gCarbohydrates: 28.1gFiber: 5gSugar: 4.6gProtein: 4.5g
Recipe is adapted from eatingbirdfood.com
Happy Baking! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by…
xo anna and liz
Related Posts:
Welcome! From Anna and Liz
We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!