Delicious homemade Cranberry Orange Muffins are bursting with fresh cranberries!
Make these for your holiday breakfast or brunch!
Delicious homemade muffins
Whenever cranberries start arriving in the stores, I always buy a few packages and start baking. Homemade cranberry orange muffins are one of the first things I bake every year.
They are quick and easy to make and the flavor is so amazing. Cranberries and fresh orange make a perfect pairing. These muffins are loaded with fresh whole cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice.
For a final touch, I also make an orange sugar to sprinkle over the top of the muffins. Orange sugar is simply granulated sugar and fresh orange zest. It adds so much flavor to these muffins.
These cranberry muffins are perfect for breakfast or for a snack. Make up a batch to pack into lunch boxes for a special treat.
During Thanksgiving and Christmas, I like to make up these muffins for a delicious treat at breakfast. If you love these cranberry muffins, you'll also want to try my Cranberry Banana Muffins!
Key ingredients
- Cranberries - I love to make these muffins with fresh cranberries, but you can also use frozen cranberries. Select bright red and firm berries.
- Orange - You need fresh oranges for these muffins and I usually use two oranges. The zest is added to the batter and to the topping. Since you already have the oranges, I use them for the juice too.
- Flour - Just regular all-purpose flour
- Sugar - Granulated sugar for both the batter and the topping
Making cranberry orange muffins
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
- In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, oil, juice and zest
- Add liquid mixture into flour mixture and mix just until most of the ingredients are combined
- Fold in cranberries
- Mix gently until combined
- Scoop batter into greased muffin tins
- Combine granulated sugar and orange zest together and then sprinkle over the top of the muffins
- Bake in a preheated 400°F oven
- Remove baked muffins from muffin tin about 2-3 minutes after removing from oven. Cool on a baking rack.
Recipe tips
- Don't overmix batter. Stir just until everything comes together
- Use paper liners or lightly spray your muffin tin
- To determine if muffins are baked through, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out dry, the muffins are done.
- Allow muffins to fully cool on a baking rack before storing in an airtight container
Frequently asked questions
Yes, frozen cranberries can be used instead of fresh berries. Add the cranberries frozen and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
Yes, these baked cranberry muffins can be frozen. Once baked, allow muffins to fully cool. Place muffins in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. For best results, use within one month.
Freezing cranberries
I always buy cranberries this time of the year. I usually buy several bags. I bake all my favorite recipes and then I throw a couple of bags into the freezer.
The berries freeze well right in the bag. When I need them, I just pull out what I need and use them frozen. They last several months in the freezer. My biggest challenge is remembering how many bags I have squirreled away in the freezer! I tend to lose track.
Frozen cranberries may be used in these cranberry orange muffins. Add the berries frozen and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
More baking recipes with cranberries
I bake up a ton of recipes whenever cranberries are in season!
- Cranberry bread
- Cranberry apple bread
- Twisted cranberry bread
- Eggnog cranberry coffee cake
- Cranberry scones
- Cranberry bundt cake
- Cranberry sweet rolls
More delicious muffins
- banana muffins
- oatmeal banana muffins
- blueberry muffins
- raspberry lemon muffins
- poppy seed lemon muffins
- peanut butter muffins
- chocolate zucchini muffins.
You might also want to check out this collection of The Best Muffins!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my muffin recipes here!
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Zester
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 whole egg (lightly beaten)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup oil (canola or vegetable)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
- 2 cup cranberries
Orange Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray muffin tin with a nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt2 cups flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl mix oil, orange peel, orange juice, egg, and milk.⅓ cup oil, 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1 whole egg, ½ cup milk
- Add liquid mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until flour is almost mixed in.
- Fold in cranberries2 cup cranberries
- Put into muffin tins sprayed with oil or lined with paper.
- Mix orange sugar. Sprinkle over muffins.2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
- Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes
Notes
- Don't overmix batter. Stir just until everything comes together
- Use paper liners or lightly spray your muffin tin
- To use frozen berries, add berries frozen to the batter. Increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
- To determine if muffins are baked through, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out dry, the muffins are done.
- Allow muffins to fully cool on a baking rack before storing in an airtight container
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Suzi says
Great flavor and easy to prepare! I subbed 1 cup whole wheat flour...not as fluffy as the original recipe, but still very good!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! 🙂
Lesley says
Can I use half all purpose flour and half white whole wheat flour without any other changes to the recipe?
Kathy says
Hi Lesley,
You should be fine. If the batter feels too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk. Everything else remains the same.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Louise says
Easy and delicious! I will definitely make these again. Probably didn't make too much of a difference, but copying a Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe I often make, I substituted Sugar-in-the-raw (turbinado sugar) in the topping. It had a nice crunch.
Kathy says
Thanks, Louise! The sugar topping sounds delicious! 🙂
Fred. Gaudet says
Interesting combination of ingredients.
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
These muffins look super yummy, Kathy. Cranberries and orange sounds like an awesome combo.
Kathy says
They are so perfect for breakfast or snacking...and yes, they are super yummy!
Manali @ CookWithManali says
these 2 flavors are so together! In fact I used exactly the same flavors in a recipe today 🙂 These muffins look perfect!
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
These look amazing! Also, great mind must think alike because I have a cranberry orange muffin recipe going up Wednesday! I love the tartness of the cranberries too, and I love how you made the orange sugar for the tops!
Kathy says
The orange sugar is so yummy on these muffins!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
I adore fresh cranberries and I always grab a bunch of bags as soon as they're in store too! These cranberry orange muffins look so amazing and I love that you added orange sugar on top.
Kathy says
You've got to stock up on cranberries while they are in season!
Linda@ Today She Loves says
These look yum! I'd love to sink my teeth into one of these muffins with some white chocolate drizzled on top.
Kathy says
Ooohhhh! That would make a perfect topping!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I love fresh cranberries in muffins! I have a bag of fresh cranberries ready to be used in my fridge and definitely need to try these muffins with orange.
Kathy says
I think you'd better get baking!
David @ Spiced says
We were both channeling the orange cranberry vibe, Kathy! These muffins look perfect for breakfast...and then we can have a biscotti for dessert, yes? 🙂
Kathy says
Yes!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Oh I love orange sugar Kathy, the absolute best. Cranberry season is here in full swing and I can't wait to try these gorgeous muffins. Scrumptious with a cup of tea on a chilly afternoon.
Kathy says
You are right! Around here all we have is chilly weather right now!
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
Oooh I love muffins! And cranberry and orange is such a beautiful flavour combination - perfect for the holidays!
Kathy says
These are perfect for the holidays!
Amanda says
I love cranberry orange muffins. Such a great flavor combination. This look so tender! Great recipe!
Kathy says
Thanks, Amanda! There is something so great about that combo....