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Bursting with pops of tart and sweet, these bright and flavorful cranberry orange muffins are sure to be a favorite!
If you love Orange Cranberry Bread, you’ll love our cranberry orange muffins too!
A Flavor Combo We Love
If you haven’t tried oranges and cranberries together in bread form, you’re missing out!
The combination is amazing and holiday-filled, making these cranberry orange muffins one of our favorite muffin recipes.
Here’s why we love them:
- Easy storage. Make them the night before to serve for breakfast, use them as a snack throughout the week, or freeze them as a grab-and-go snack!
- Flavor. The bright flavors of sweet citrus and tart cranberries is such a refreshing fruit combo.
- All year long. Cranberries are in season in the fall and early winter, but you can easily use frozen cranberries any time of the year.
Ingredients
- sugar
- zest of one orange – You need one orange to make the fresh orange zest and juice to use in the recipe. Zest the peel before you juice it.
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- fresh or frozen cranberries – or dried cranberries: soak them in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, drain, and then pat dry. If you add them without soaking then the dry cranberries soak up moisture that is needed in the muffins.
- buttermilk – Make your own Buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- melted butter
- canola oil – or vegetable oil
- eggs
- fresh orange juice – get fresh orange juice from the orange you used to get zest or use bottled orange juice.
Just Mix and Bake!
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Toss the fresh cranberries with the flour mixture until coated.
- WET INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs, and orange juice.
- COMBINE. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over-mix).
- BAKE. Scoop into the prepared muffin pan, filling ⅔ full. Bake 15-28 minutes, until golden on top.
Streusel Topping!
Easily change these muffins up a bit by adding a delicious topping.
- In a bowl stir ⅓ cup white sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoons cinnamon and mix.
- Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in ¼ cup cold butter.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops of the muffins and bake.
Recipe Tips
- Doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean or with a few cooked crumbs, then they are done baking
- Variations.
- Add up to ½ cup of white chocolate chips to the batter.
- Add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) to the batter.
- The orange can be replaced with an equal amount of lemon.
- Drizzle an orange glaze over each muffin. Make it by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of orange juice. Add in some orange zest for an extra boost of orange flavor.
Storing Info
- STORE. Keep cooled cranberry orange muffins in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- FREEZE. Place in a freezer safe bag and store for up to 3 months.
For More Fruity Muffins:
Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe
Bursting with pops of tart and sweet, these bright and flavorful cranberry orange muffins are sure to be a favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- zest of one orange
- 2 cups flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries cut in half
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Toss the cranberries with the flour mixture until coated.
- In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs, and orange juice.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop into the prepared muffin tin, filling ⅔ full. Bake 15-28 minutes, until golden on top.
Notes
- STORE. Keep cooled cranberry orange muffins in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- FREEZE. Place in a freezer safe bag and store for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 164kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 171mg, Potassium: 107mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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