Cranberry Orange Muffins
Make your day brighter with cranberry orange muffins. These delightful treats are perfect for any occasion—from breakfast to desserts.
Whether for breakfast, snack, or dessert, muffins are always a treat! These easy cranberry muffins are the perfect balance of tart and sweet. And, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries, so you can enjoy them any time of the year. These are excellent muffins to make for extended family visiting for the holidays, or take them to a Christmas party or bake sale. Everyone loves these muffins!
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Festive flavor combo. The tart cranberries and fresh orange zest are a classic and cheerful match.
Anytime muffins. Enjoy them for breakfast, snacks, dessert—or all of the above.
Holiday-ready. Great for potlucks, Christmas brunches, or gifting in a festive tin.
Use what you have. Works with either fresh or frozen cranberries, and walnuts or pecans.
Ingredient Notes
- Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen chopped cranberries—no need to thaw if frozen.
- Sugar: The sugar is divided; a portion is used to sweeten the cranberries before folding in.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for a sturdy yet tender muffin.
- Butter: Cut into the dry mixture for a crumbly, biscuit-style base.
- Orange zest: Adds fresh, bright citrus flavor—don’t skip it!
- Nuts: Walnuts or pecans add texture and nutty richness; optional if avoiding nuts.
Steps to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Prepare your muffin pan and preheat the oven.
- Toss the cranberries with a bit of sugar to balance the tartness.
- Mix the dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter until crumbly.
- Whisk the eggs and milk in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients.
- Gently stir in the cranberries, orange zest, and nuts.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Tips
Chop cranberries evenly. This helps them distribute throughout the batter and prevents large sour pockets.
Don’t overmix. Mix just until moistened for tender muffins—overmixing leads to toughness.
Paper liners help release. These muffins may stick slightly without liners, especially when using fruit.
Freeze extras. These freeze well for up to 2 months—wrap tightly and reheat as needed.
Recipe Variations
- Make it mini. Bake in a mini muffin tin and reduce the baking time to 12–15 minutes.
- Add an orange glaze. Mix powdered sugar with orange juice and drizzle over cooled muffins.
- Try dried cranberries. Rehydrate in warm water for 10 minutes before using.
- Use a streusel topping. Sprinkle a simple brown sugar-butter-flour crumble on top before baking.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with butter, orange marmalade, or a drizzle of honey.
- Pair with coffee, tea, or mulled cider for a cozy breakfast or snack.
- Add to a holiday brunch table alongside savory dishes and fruit salad.
- Include in a muffin or quick bread gift basket during the holidays.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Freeze. Freeze individually wrapped muffins in a zip-close bag for up to 2 months.
To Reheat. Warm a muffin in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or reheat in a 300°F oven until heated through.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cranberries, chopped fresh or frozen
- 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (383 grams)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup pecans, chopped, or walnuts
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease and flour a muffin tin or line the muffin cups with parchment paper liners.
- Toss the cranberries with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl; whisk to blend. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with the milk; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened.
- Gently fold the chopped nuts, orange zest, and sugared cranberries into the batter.
- Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full.
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
