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Fluffy, bakery-style Cranberry Orange Muffins are wonderfully tart and sweet with the perfect balance of flavors. Made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and brown sugar. They are bright and festive and make a great quick breakfast, snack, or treat any day of the week! Plus, they are gluten-free!
These fluffy and flavorful cranberry orange muffins make a nice bright and delicious addition to your breakfast. They are such a fun treat that you can grab and go and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!
Perfectly soft and loaded with that tart and sweet flavor that we all love this time of year. This muffin recipe is easy to make with basic pantry staples and they bake up quickly in 25 minutes. Plus they store wonderfully, making them a good recipe for meal prepping.
This version is gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it! You may also love these chocolate chip muffins that are also great for a quick snack or breakfast.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is an easy muffin recipe that you can make quickly.
- Perfectly light and fluffy muffins every time!
- An amazing balance of tart and sweet flavors.
- Gluten-free muffins that are moist, and so flavorful.
- They store great and are wonderful to take on the go!
- Perfect festive muffin recipe for a holiday brunch!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour – I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour.
- Fresh cranberries – frozen will also work but I think the flavor is the best with the use of fresh cranberries.
- Orange juice + zest – you can use fresh squeezed or store-bought orange juice. If you are using store-bought orange juice then make sure to buy pulp-free.
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar
- Maple syrup – real maple syrup
- Butter – unsalted butter
- Eggs – 2 large eggs
- Milk – I used non-dairy, unsweetened milk but regular milk will also work.
- Vanilla extract – real vanilla extract
- Baking powder + baking soda – I used gluten-free but any will work.
- Cinnamon
- Salt – to enhance all of the sweet and tart flavors
How to make cranberry orange muffins
You can make these muffins in only a few easy steps and they bake in under 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the cranberries into the dry mixture to get them all coated.
- In a separate mixing bowl mix the sugar and orange zest together, pinching the orange zest with your fingers to bring out the extra orange flavor. Then mix in the maple syrup, eggs, butter, orange juice, and milk.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well to combine into a smooth, semi-thick muffin batter.
- Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cavities. This recipe makes exactly 12 regular-size muffins. Sprinkle with raw sugar, if desired.
- Bake the muffins at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out mostly clean. Per the recipe card below.
- Remove, let cool and enjoy!
These cranberry muffins are so perfectly fluffy and moist and packed with so much orange and cranberry flavor. I just love them for the holidays!
Expert tips for making this recipe
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. This will result in fluffier, more flavorful muffins.
- Do not use an electric mixer or stand mixer to mix the muffin batter. This will overwork the batter. Just use a whisk or rubber spatula.
- Use your hands to pinch the orange zest, and work it into the sugar to release the oils for the best orange flavor.
- Use the spoon and level method to measure your flour correctly. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup then level it using a knife.
- You can use a regular size ice cream scoop (about ⅓ cup) of batter to evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter.
- Let the muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before you release them from the pan.
Recommended tools
- Mixing bowl
- Muffin pan
- Rubber spatula
FAQs
Yes, you can. If you are using frozen cranberries then make sure you do not thaw them before adding them to the muffin batter. This will make them bleed into the batter and make it runnier.
These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To freeze these muffins, wrap them individually with plastic wrap and place them into a freezer-friendly container. Store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight when you are ready to enjoy them.
More Easy and Delicious Muffin Recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Apple Muffins
Did you make this cranberry orange muffin recipe? If you did, then please leave a comment and rating below. I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood or pin this for later on Pinterest.
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Cranberry Orange Muffins – Gluten Free
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Perfectly fluffy and moist cranberry orange muffins. Made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and brown sugar. These muffins make a quick and easy, festive breakfast for busy weekdays!
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour – I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk like coconut milk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turbinado sugar for topping – optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the cranberries to get them all coated in the dry ingredients. This helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom when they bake.
- In a separate bowl combine the sugar and the orange zest, mixing the zest into the sugar using your hands. This helps to release the oils in the orange zest and make it even more flavorful. Then add in the milk, eggs, butter, orange juice, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to fully combine into a thick muffin batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cavities. About ⅓ cup of batter per muffin cavity should work. I like to use an ice cream scoop to do this more easily.
- Top the muffins with more cranberries and raw sugar, if desired. Then bake them for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
- Once they are done baking, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before you release them from the pan.
- Serve warm with butter or nut butter.
Notes
- Cranberries – you can use fresh or frozen cranberries. If you use frozen cranberries, be sure not to thaw them first or they will bleed into the muffin batter.
- Orange zest – to release the oils from the zest, mix it into the sugar using your hands and not a spoon. This will give the muffins more orange flavor.
- Flour – make sure to use the cup for cup or measure for measure gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s. Use a spoon and a level method to measure the flour more accurately. To do this spoon the flour into the measuring cup and use a butter knife to level it before you add it to the bowl.
- Baking – bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out mostly clean with little to no wet crumbs on it.
- Storing – you can store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them by wrapping each muffin in plastic wrap, in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight when you are ready to enjoy them.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Making these right now and noticed that cranberries are not listed in the recipe ingredients! I’ll guess the amount, cuz can you really have too many?
Thank you Pam! I have updated the recipe card.
Can these be frozen and used in about 3 weeks?
Hi Deb, yes you can freeze them in a freezer-friendly container for up to one month. You can defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
These are delicious! I made a half batch and now I need to make more! My eight year old liked them too. I’m making these for Xmas morning. Thanks!
Hi Veronica. I am so glad you and your son liked them!
It’s so hard finding gluten free recipes that my whole family can enjoy, but I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved them! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds, which never happens when I bake gluten free! I’m going to make them again today or tomorrow, and was wondering if I made a double batch if I could freeze some of the batter? These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
Hi Sonya! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed them! I don’t recommend freezing the batter but you can try freezing the muffins after you bake them in a freezer-friendly container.
I might have missed it, but where is the part of the recipe for the glaze?
Hi Anni, I did not include a glaze but you can make one by mixing 3/4 cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk plus 1 tablespoon orange juice.
Fantastic! I just made these muffins! They turned out perfect! I will definitely make them again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Sheryl, that’s great! I am so glad you liked them!
Can I make them with dried cranberries?
Hi Verna, I have not tested them with dried cranberries but I bet it would work fine. They are much better with fresh cranberries though.
My muffins clung to my cupcake wrapper? Was I just put the batter in the muffin tin? How can I remove my muffins from the muffin wrapper?
Hi Verna, you can spray the muffin liners with cooking spray to prevent the batter from sticking to the paper. You can also spray your muffin cavities of the muffin pan before you put the muffin batter in.