Description
Delightfully moist and bursting with bright citrus and tart cranberry flavors, these Cranberry Orange Muffins are a perfect treat for breakfast or holiday celebrations. Featuring fresh orange zest and juice combined with juicy cranberries, they offer a sweet-tart balance that’s both refreshing and comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- Zest of 2 oranges
- ½ cup milk (120mL)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120mL)
- ¼ cup orange juice (60mL)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (180g)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until the mixture is fluffy and well combined, ensuring even leavening.
- Combine Sugar and Orange Zest: In a larger mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar and orange zest. Whisk them together for about a minute until fragrant, allowing the citrus oils to infuse the sugar for extra flavor.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the sugar and zest mixture, add milk, vegetable oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well incorporated, forming a smooth mixture.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir lightly until just combined; small lumps of flour are okay and help prevent overmixing which can toughen muffins.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the cranberries into the batter, distributing them evenly without breaking them up completely to maintain bursts of flavor.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Muffins: Allow muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or serving. This helps them set and makes removal easier.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries according to availability; no need to thaw frozen ones before mixing.
- For extra crunch, sprinkle coarse sugar on top of muffins before baking.
- Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- To make dairy-free, substitute milk with almond or oat milk.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins tender and fluffy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
