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Cranberry Orange Muffins

This cranberry orange muffins recipe is the perfect balance between sweet and sour. The cranberries burst in your mouth, making these muffins so flavorful. They are easy to make, hearty and delicious to eat.

Overhead view of the muffins on the wire rack, one of the muffins has a bite taken out of it

As you all know, I love muffins. Even muffins without chocolate in them. If you’ve been reading my blog, you will know that I usually sneak chocolate in muffins, much to Christopher’s chagrin. I will say that I did not do that with these.

I wanted to.

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But it would totally change this delicious muffin into something it’s not meant to be. And I couldn’t have that.

I wanted to keep these as delicious as I remember them to be when I ate them as a child.

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Helpful tips

  • If you don’t have the frozen cranberries this recipe calls for, you can use dried cranberries; just know they will make the muffins a tad sweeter.
  • If using frozen, it’s okay to use the cranberries right out of the freezer, there is no need to defrost.
  • During the holiday months, I stock up on cranberries because you can keep them frozen and use them year round. If you like infused vodka, try my cranberry version.
  • When I mix dry ingredients together, I like to use a pastry blender because it breaks up clumps really well.
  • Whenever you’re going to zest citrus, you need to wash your citrus well. Here’s how: squirt some unscented natural hand soap in your hand and take the orange and rub the soap on the skin. Next, take a vegetable brush and scrub the skin. Run the orange under cold water making sure all of the soap has washed off.
  • You can use store bought orange juice or squeeze the juice out of the orange you zested. It’s only one ounce but fresh orange juice is so tasty.
  • Since I love big muffins, I fill the muffin cups all the way to the top. This can cause the muffin to spread out a little. So, if you like muffins that have a dome top, fill the cups 3/4 the way full.
A wire rack with muffins on it with cranberries in them
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make cranberry orange muffins

Pre-step

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Get a mixing bowl, muffin tin, baking cups and rubber spatula.

Line the muffin tin with as many baking cups as you want to use. I like bigger muffins so I used ten.

Step one

Gather the dry ingredients – flour, brown sugar, cane sugar, baking soda and salt. (A)

Step two

Add the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix together until combined.

Step three

Gather the wet ingredients – oil, egg, milk, yogurt and vanilla. (B)

Left - flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and a bowl and spatula. Right - oil, egg, milk, yogurt and vanilla

Step four

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. (C) Mix together with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Step five

Use a microplane ® to zest a whole orange. When I use that gadget, I use this glove to protect the hand holding the fruit as I don’t trust myself with that tool.

Also gather the cranberries, orange juice and nuts. (D)

Left - A glass bowl with the wet ingredients in with the dry. Right - cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and nuts

Step six

Add the cranberries, orange juice, zest and nuts to the glass bowl. (E) Fold in the ingredients but be careful not to over mix.

Step seven

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. I fill each cup all the way up. (F)

Left - the ingredients all in the bowl with a muffin tin in the back. Right - muffin batter in the muffin tins with a cranberry on each one

Step eight

This is optional – I place a cranberry on each muffin.

Bake for 22 minutes.

Cranberry muffins straight out of the oven still in the pan

Let the muffins cool for at least 5 minutes in the pan before removing them to place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Cranberry muffins cooling on a wire rack

Time to plate one.

A white plate with a muffin on it with the wire rack in the background

And bite one.

A small white plate with a muffin with a bite taken out of it

I hope you enjoyed this cranberry orange muffin recipe.

Other delicious muffins

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Cranberry muffins cooling on a wire rack - square

Cranberry Orange Muffins

These muffins are so flavorful, especially when the cranberries burst in your mouth!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Breads
Keyword: cranberry muffins, cranberry orange muffins
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 10 Muffins
Calories: 367kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1.75 cups spelt flour (or flour of choice)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt (plain)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 ounce orange juice (fresh from the orange you zested, or store bought – your choice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Addons

  • 1 zest orange
  • 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
  • 1 cup frozen cranberries (or dried if you can't find frozen)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F and line a muffin pan with muffin cups. I used 10
  • Place all the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, use a dough cutter to mix all together
  • Add wet ingredients, including the orange juice and mix until just combined
  • Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and nuts. Do not over mix
  • Spoon the batter into the baking cups (I fill them almost to the top since I like big muffins). Bake for 22 minutes
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring muffins to a wire rack.
  • Eat
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Helpful tips
  • If you don’t have the frozen cranberries this recipe calls for, you can use dried cranberries; just know they will make the muffins a tad sweeter.
  • If using frozen, it’s okay to use the cranberries right out of the freezer, there is no need to defrost.
  • During the holiday months, I stock up on cranberries because you can keep them frozen and use them year round. If you like infused vodka, try my cranberry version.
  • When I mix dry ingredients together, I like to use a pastry blender because it breaks up clumps really well.
  • Whenever you’re going to zest citrus, you need to wash your citrus well. Here’s how: squirt some unscented natural hand soap in your hand and take the orange and rub the soap on the skin. Next, take a vegetable brush and scrub the skin. Run the orange under cold water making sure all of the soap has washed off.
  • You can use store bought orange juice or squeeze the juice out of the orange you zested. It’s only one ounce but fresh orange juice is so tasty.
  • Since I love big muffins, I fill the muffin cups all the way to the top. This can cause the muffin to spread out a little. So, if you like muffins that have a dome top, fill the cups 3/4 the way full.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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24 Comments

  1. Cranberry and Oranges – sounds incredibly fruity-licious! I can’t wait to bake these and eat half the batch myself!

  2. That’s such a sweet story! My first boss was very much like yours, and I love the comparison to baked goods. 😉 These muffins look amazing. Cranberry and orange is one of my favorite combos, especially this time of year!

  3. Beautiful photos! I love all of the winter flavors with the orange, pecans, and cranberries. Such a great way to start the day!

  4. I have a bunch of leftover cranberries from the holidays. This would be fantastic for a New Year day breakfast with the family!

  5. Love the use of spelt flour in these muffins for a slightly hearty texture and the pop of fresh tartness from the cranberries is so good!

  6. Yummy! These look amazing and so delicious! I can’t wait to give this a try! My daughter and hubby are going to love these!

  7. I found a bag of cranberries I had frozen in November and this is just the recipe I needed to use them this weekend. Thanks!

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