Vibrant Cranberry Orange Muffins have the perfect balance of sweet + tart. They are perfect to serve any time of day!
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake, Mini Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes, and Cranberry Apple Bread are perfect for cranberry lovers!!! These bright Cranberry Orange Muffins will hit the spot for either breakfast or dessert.
a classic flavor combination
Cranberries aren’t really my thing. In fact I can’t even remember the last time I ate something with cranberries in it. But since I am up for trying new things, I decided to do a little research and try out a muffin recipe.
I feel like you can’t go wrong with muffins, they’re just one of those things you can’t mess up. So I adapted a recipe, whipped it up and popped a pan into the oven. I was a bit nervous about the wet looking texture of them, but once they cooled and I glazed them, they turned out just fine!
Cranberry Orange Muffins have a subtle orange flavor to them with flecks of zest and peel from the marmalade. The cranberries add a pop of tartness and zing. They’re perfect for the season and will definitely brighten up your day!
How to make Cranberry Orange Muffins
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
WET INGREDIENTS. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Add the vanilla bean paste, orange extract, and orange zest. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
COMBINE. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the orange marmalade and cranberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling ¾ of the way full.
BAKE. Bake 25 minutes, until the tops and edges began to brown. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool in the pans for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Orange Glaze
WHISK. Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest.
DIP. Dip the muffins into the glaze, swirling them to remove any excess glaze.
SERVE. Let sit five minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
Use a vegetable peeler or cheese grater instead of a zester. If using a grater, find the side with the smallest holes and use a light touch with your orange to get just the top layer of the peel. If using a peeler, work from the bottom to the top being sure that no pith (or white layer) is showing. When the pith starts to show, you have peeled too deep and the zest will be bitter.
To make mini muffins, bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 min until a cake tester comes out clean.
Variations
- Equal amounts of vanilla bean extract can be substituted for vanilla bean paste.
- Frozen cranberries can be substituted for fresh, just give them a rinse (no need to thaw) and toss them with a TBSP of flour before using to prevent them from sinking in your muffins.
- Dried cranberries can also be used instead of the fresh. Substitute with a little less than the amount called for in the recipe. Soak them in some hot water first for around 10 min then be sure to pat them dry with a tea towel before adding to your batter.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans for some extra crunch.
Storing Info
STORE unglazed muffins at room temperature for up to 5 days. If glazed, they can be stored for up to a day.
STORE covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Warm them up in the microwave for 30 seconds or so when you are ready to enjoy them again.
FREEZE muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or out on the counter at room temperature for an hour or so. Reheat thawed muffins in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 10 min.
More fantastic cranberry recipes:
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Mini Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes
- Cranberry Apple Bread
- The Best Cranberry Apple Crisp
- White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter - melted
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream - at room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
- Zest of one orange
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Add the vanilla bean paste, orange extract, and orange zest. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the orange marmalade and cranberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling ¾ of the way full.
- Bake 25 minutes, until the tops and edges began to brown. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool in the pans for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Dip the muffins into the glaze, swirling them to remove any excess glaze. Let sit five minutes before serving.
Nutrition
I’ll be honest with you all, when I found out that the new GYCO challenge from White Lights on Wednesday and Four Marrs and One Venus was all about cranberries, I was a little nervous.
These cranberry orange muffins are GREAT for around the holidays! Love the moist muffins and the icing on top!
These muffins are incredible! The perfect way to start the day!
These are perfect! I love the whole cranberries in here! Using dried cranberries just isn’t the same. The whole ones, whether frozen or fresh are SO much better! The glaze on these is wonderful. LOVE these muffins! YUM!!