Cranberry Orange Muffins
Cranberry orange muffins are a delicious blend of tangy cranberries and zesty orange baked into a moist, fluffy muffin. The citrusy flavor of the orange complements the tartness of the cranberries, topped with a sweet orange glaze, creating a refreshing and vibrant taste. Perfect for breakfast or a midday snack.
Every year when cranberries make their appearance at the grocery store, I always buy several bags to store in the freezer for later. I love having them on hand for recipes like healthy cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. This recipe for cranberry orange muffins is another delicious way to enjoy them!
Indulge in these delicious cranberry orange muffins made with fresh or frozen cranberries. They’re perfect for breakfast or as a sweet treat any time of day.
Why I Love These Cranberry Orange Muffins
Anything with cranberries is perfect for fall. These muffins are loaded with cranberries, and they look festive for the fall season. They would be perfect as a Thanksgiving or Christmas morning breakfast. They would also be great at a brunch or a tea party.
They’re as beautiful as they are delicious. Of course, you don’t have to save this recipe for fall. If you store some cranberries in the freezer (or use dried cranberries), you can enjoy them any time of year!
Affiliate links included below, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here.
Supplies Needed for This Recipe
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Glass measuring cup
- Cupcake pan/muffin tin
- Cupcake/muffin liners
- Cooling rack
- Cupcake carrier (optional)
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and instructions for how to make this recipe are in the recipe card below.
Flour: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe. I usually buy unbleached flour.
Baking Powder: This helps the muffins to rise.
Salt: Any salt can be used, but I like to use this sea salt in all of my cooking.
Butter: The recipe calls for salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. If you choose unsalted butter, increase the salt in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.
Sugar: White granulated sugar is the sweetener for the muffins.
Orange Zest: The zest of one large orange gives these cranberry orange muffins their orange flavor.
Eggs: Two large eggs are used, and they work best if they’re at room temperature before you start.
Vanilla Extract: You can use store-bought pure vanilla extract, or make your own with this recipe.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds an extra touch to these muffins. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute the same amount of plain yogurt, or you can make a buttermilk substitute. You can add a tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add milk up to the 1 cup line and stir. This will be your buttermilk substitute.
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries will work in this recipe. If using frozen berries, don’t thaw them before adding them to the recipe.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered/confectioners’ sugar is used in the orange glaze.
Fresh Orange Juice: Fresh orange juice and a bit of orange zest give the orange glaze a vibrant taste!
How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter, sugar, and orange zest for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again until well-combined. Then add the flour mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the buttermilk and mix till just combined.
In a small bowl combine the cranberries and tablespoon of flour and toss together. Add the cranberries to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Spoon batter into the paper liners. Fill each cupcake liner nearly full of batter (at least 3/4 full). You should get 12 muffins from the batter. Don’t underfill.
Bake for 19-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before moving to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. If your glaze is too thick, add another squeeze of juice. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cupcakes.
How to Store
Unglazed muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Glazed muffins can be stored for the first day at room temperature, and then moved to the refrigerator in an airtight container for about a week.
Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe Tips
- If you use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- If you use fresh cranberries, your baking time will decrease by about 2-3 minutes.
- Let the glaze set up before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
- If you don’t nearly fill your muffins to the top of the liner they will not have a domed top.
- Use room temperature ingredients for a greater rise in your muffins.
- Reserve a few cranberries to press on top of the batter once the liners are filled to make the muffins even prettier after they’re baked.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, see the buttermilk substitute ideas in the ingredients section above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh or frozen cranberries?
Yes, you can. If you use fresh cranberries, decrease the baking time by a couple of minutes (2-3). If using frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them before adding them to the recipe.
Can these cranberry orange muffins be frozen?
These muffins can be frozen for up to two months. I would flash freeze them on a baking sheet first, then store them in a plastic zipper bag tightly sealed in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Can I use dried cranberries?
Yes, if you use dried cranberries, reduce the amount to about a cup. Dried cranberries can be soaked in a small bowl of water for about 5 minutes to soften them before draining off the soaking water and adding the softened berries to the recipe.
More Fall Recipes
- Pumpkin Oat Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
- Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Orange Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Make the Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter, sugar, and orange zest for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again until well-combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix with a spoon or whisk until almost combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- In a small bowl combine the cranberries and half tablespoon of flour and toss together.
- Add the cranberries to the batter and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fill each cupcake liner nearly full of batter (at least 3/4 full). You should get 12 muffins from the batter. Don’t underfill.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before moving to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make the Glaze
- Make the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. If your glaze is too thick, add another squeeze of juice. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cupcakes.
