These cranberry orange muffins are the fluffiest and moistest muffins you’ll ever eat! They taste like biting into a delicious cloud. The sweet orange muffin is the perfect compliment to the tart cranberries. These muffins make the best cozy breakfast, snack, or dessert! Best of all, the muffins couldn’t be easier to make. Their made with simple ingredients and basic tools, so you’ll be enjoying freshly-baked muffins in no time!
Why I Love These Cranberry Orange Muffins
Flavor: Tart and bright cranberries pair perfectly with the floral, sweet orange flavor. Cranberry orange might be the most underrated flavor combination ever! I especially crave it around the holiday season when cranberries and oranges are in season.
Texture: These muffins are extra fluffy and moist thanks to the yogurt and applesauce. The acidic yogurt reacts with the baking soda to give these muffins a great rise. These muffins truly remind me of biting into a delicious cloud or pillow.
Fresh vs Frozen Cranberries
You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. The muffins will taste equally good no matter which option you chose. There are just a couple of things to be mindful of when using frozen ones.
First: Use the cranberries straight from the freezer. You don’t want to let them thaw because their juices will start to seep out and they will become mushy. We want to keep all that flavor IN the berries so keep the cranberries in the freezer until you need to stir them in!
Second: Be mindful of the baking time. Adding frozen cranberries straight to the batter can lower the temperature of the batter, so the muffins will take a little longer to bake.
Key Ingredients in Cranberry Orange Muffins
- All purpose flour: feel free to replace up to half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour for heartier, more filling muffins. The whole wheat flour also adds a delicious nutty flavor!
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter (make sure it’s at room temperature for best results)
- Brown sugar (or substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tsp molasses): For sweeter muffins, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.
- Orange zest
- Eggs (use room temperature eggs for best results)
- Greek or plain yogurt (room temperature): You can also substitute buttermilk or sour cream.
- Applesauce: The applesauce helps make these muffins extra moist. You can also substitute sour cream or 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen): If you are using frozen cranberries, do not allow them to thaw. Simply add them to the batter straight from the freezer. The muffins may need an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time.
Tips and Techniques for Making Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature ingredients result in the fluffiest muffins and also makes mixing the batter a lot easier!
- Cream until light and fluffy: Make sure to cream until the mixture is completely smooth and light, around 2-3 minutes. This will help make sure that the muffins are extra tender and fluffy.
- Mixing the wet ingredients: When you add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, applesauce/oil, and milk to the creamed butter, the wet ingredients may start to separate and look curdled. That is completely fine! The mixture doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth at this point. Just mix until everything is evenly distributed and continue with the recipe.
- Don’t over-mix: For the softest muffins, make sure not to over mix the muffin batter after combining the wet and dry ingredients. Over mixing can develop too much gluten, leading to tough or dense muffins. I recommend stirring the batter until there are no pockets of flour, but a few lumps are completely fine!
- If using frozen cranberries: Do not let the cranberries thaw. Simply add them to the batter straight from the freezer. You may need to increase the baking time by 2-3 minutes.
- Baking: This recipe uses two baking temperatures. First, the muffins are baked at 425F for 5 minutes. This initial blast of hot air really activates. thebaking powder, leading to tall and fluffy muffins. Then, the oven temperature is turned down to 350F, and the muffins bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. This lower temperature allows the muffins to cook completely without the tops burning. You do not need to open the oven or remove the muffins in between the two temperatures. Simply leave the muffins in the oven and turn the temperature down.
- Storage and serving: These muffins are best enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee or tea! If you have any leftover muffins, they store super well in the refrigerator for up to one week. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container. To reheat, cover the muffin with a moist paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until heated through. This is one of my favorite quick and easy breakfasts!
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations of Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Flour: For a heartier muffin that still tastes amazing, try replacing 3/4 cup of all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour adds an amazing nutty flavor.
- Greek Yogurt: Any plain yogurt (whole milk, low fat, or nonfat) will work in this recipe. However, the higher fat yogurt will result in a more rich and tender muffin. I recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt for best results. You can also substitute buttermilk or sour cream.
- Applesauce: The applesauce helps make these muffins extra moist. You can also substitute sour cream, neutral oil, or 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.
- Milk: Any milk (or milk alternative) will work in this recipe. You can also substitute water in a pinch.
- Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. See notes above for tips if using frozen cranberries.
- Mix-ins: To really elevate these muffins, try adding 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans. They add amazing flavor and crunch! Or, try adding 1/2 cup white chocolate chips for more decadent muffins. I love the white chocolate chips with the tart cranberries.
If you liked these Cranberry Orange Muffins, you might also like…
- Creamy Homemade Orange Ice Cream
- Orange Upside Down Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Healthier Orange Bread
- Blackberry Cornbread Muffins
- Healthy Breakfast Muffins
Cranberry Orange Muffins
These are the best muffins you'll ever taste! They're so tender and moist, and the cranberries add the perfect pop of tartness.
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour see notes for flour alternatives
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt room temperature (see notes for substitutes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup applesauce or neutral oil room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk or water
- 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries do not thaw if using frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, applesauce/oil, and milk. Beat until everything is well incorporated (it's okay if the mixture is not completely smooth). Add the flour and stir until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the cranberries.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffins cups. Optionally sprinkle the tops with granulated or coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes at 425º F. Then, without opening the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. Once done, an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Allow muffins to rest in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Feel free to replace 3/4 cup all purpose flour with whole wheat flour for muffins with extra nutty flavor and fiber!
I recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt for best results, but low fat or nonfat will also work. You can also substitute sour cream or buttermilk.
Any leftover muffins can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, cover the muffin with a moist paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until heated through.
