Cranberry Orange Muffins make a wonderful breakfast or a tasty treat with a cup of tea or coffee. The combination of oranges and cranberries makes for the most delicious desserts! There’s just something so perfect about the tart flavor of fresh cranberries when they’re paired with the juicy citrusy sweet flavor of oranges. You’ll find the same yummy flavors in my Cranberry Orange Scones, and in savory dishes like roast Christmas Chicken. Just like all of my easy muffin recipes, this recipe for cranberry orange muffins comes together quickly, with common baking staples. You’ll also want to try my Orange Muffins, Cherry Muffins, and Banana Muffins recipes. You can make a different muffin recipe every week for your family to enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cranberry Orange Muffins Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make these delicious fluffy muffins:
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both leaveners in this muffin recipe gives us the perfect amount of lift. Butter: Allow your butter to sit at room temperature to fully soften before using it. Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds a slight tangy flavor to these muffins, and keeps them moist and tender. Sour Cream can also be used to create a similar effect. Cranberries: This recipe uses fresh cranberries for the brightest flavor. We’ll chop them into small pieces using a food processor. Orange Juice and Zest: Use the juice to make a sweet powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the muffins. The zest is stirred into the batter. Use freshly squeezed orange juice for the best flavor.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Cranberry and Orange Muffins
Recipe Tips
Use Paper Liners: I like the simplicity of paper muffin liners, but you can also generously grease the muffin tins if you prefer. Don’t Overmix: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, be sure to only mix until things are combined. Overmixing will cause the muffins to become tough, dense, and dry. To Zest the Orange: The best tool for zesting citrus is a very fine grater, also called a Microplane. This too allows you to remove just the dark orange outer layer of the orange and leaves the bitter white pith behind. It’s easier to zest your oranges before you juice them. Two Baking Temps: Note that you’ll bake these muffins first for 5 minutes at a high temperature and then reduce the oven temperature for the rest of the time. This is the trick to getting beautifully domed muffins!
Storing Tips
You can store these cranberry orange muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container. You can also freeze muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I like to wrap each muffin individually with plastic wrap so that I can take one or two out at a time. Let them thaw overnight before enjoying for breakfast.
Can I leave the cranberries whole?
You can add whole cranberries to muffins, but you’ll get a different experience if you leave them whole rather than chopping them. I like chopped cranberries in this recipe because I get cranberry in every bite, rather than large pockets with one or two berries inside of each muffin.
Can I make muffins with frozen cranberries?
This recipe will work with frozen cranberries. To avoid them turning everything red, it’s best to add them to the batter while they are still frozen. You can either add whole, frozen cranberries, or allow them to thaw a bit, chop them up, and then refreeze before stirring them into the batter.
What Else Can I Add to Cranberry & Orange Muffins?
Muffin recipes are fun because you can almost always add extras! Try adding no more than ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts to the cranberry orange muffin batter. You can also add coarse sugar to the top of each muffin before baking to create a crunchy bakery-style muffin top. These are the best cranberry orange muffins! I love having these in the freezer for busy mornings, and I know that your family will love them too. © Little Sunny Kitchen
