Tangy-sweet and moist, these cranberry orange muffins are heavy on the flavour and bejeweled with lovely cranberries in every chunk. Get pleasure from them plain, or spruce them up with a crumb topping and drizzle of orange icing. You should utilize recent or frozen cranberries. They’re easy to make, further buttery, and freeze simply!

I initially revealed this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photographs and extra useful success ideas.

Cranberry is an underrated taste within the fall and winter months. Usually overshadowed by pumpkin, apple, and gingerbread, this tart magnificence deserves its personal highlight. It’s, afterall, completely scorching pink when baked. 😉

I like cranberry and orange collectively, and the 2 lend a POP of vibrant taste to in the present day’s muffins. I take advantage of the identical base muffin recipe that I depend on for a lot of different fan-favorite muffin flavors together with blueberry muffins, lemon poppy seed muffins, and apple cinnamon muffins.

Right here’s Why You’ll Love In the present day’s Cranberry Orange Muffins

• Bursting with tart and juicy cranberries in every chunk
• Can use recent or frozen cranberries—so handy
• A great deal of orange taste with a contact of cinnamon spice
• Mushy, tender, and cakey
• High with brown sugar crumb topping or a sprinkling of coarse glowing sugar
• End with candy orange icing

Use My Base Muffin Recipe

Have you ever ever tried my go-to muffin recipe? It’s a typical muffin base I take advantage of for quite a lot of flavors, together with my common blueberry muffins. And with a pair easy tweaks, you may go from sunshine-sweet peach streusel muffins to chilly-morning cranberry orange muffins.

The fastidiously chosen substances and ratio of wet-to-dry substances guarantees a moist and cake-like muffin that’s nonetheless denser than, say, vanilla cupcakes. The batter is thick, so the muffins rise good and tall.

I developed the recipe again in 2014 and nonetheless use it on a regular basis. I closely rely on it as a result of not solely does it produce scrumptious muffins, it makes use of primary baking substances and holds up effectively to almost any add-in. When you have got a stable and forgiving baking recipe, the probabilities are limitless.

You want a handful of acquainted baking substances together with butter, white granulated and brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, bitter cream so as to add some moisture, milk to skinny out the batter, plus flour, leaveners, and salt. A little bit cinnamon spice provides a seasonal spiced taste.

You then’ll load it up with orange zest, a splash of orange juice, and cranberries.

Overview: Tips on how to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins

You’ll want a pair mixing bowls and an electrical mixer (both a stand mixer or handheld), as a result of we’re creaming the butter and sugar collectively. From there, it’s as straightforward as combining dry substances in a single bowl, and moist in one other, after which mixing them collectively and folding within the cranberries.

Anticipate a thick batter:

Divide the batter amongst 12 muffin cups, utilizing a typical 12-count muffin pan. You’ll fill them to the very high and, as a result of the batter is so thick, the muffins will rise straight UP as an alternative of straight OUT like mushroom tops.

You possibly can add a sprinkle of coarse sugar or bake them plain. However, to essentially benefit from these magenta-studded beauties, let’s add a crumb topping.

Crumb Topping

The crumb topping makes use of a few of the SAME substances you want within the muffin batter—very handy! Some crumb toppings require chilly butter and a pastry cutter to combine, however we’re utilizing melted butter right here, so simply use a fork. It’s the identical crumb topping I take advantage of when making peach streusel muffins and apple cinnamon muffins (the apple has extra cinnamon).

My crumb topping recommendation: don’t overmix the crumb substances or else you’ll find yourself with paste. Preserve it crumbly and press the crumbs barely down into the muffin batter so it should stick.

Orange Icing Is Elective

Orange icing is a stunning of entirety and provides much more taste. You want simply 2 substances: confectioners’ sugar and orange juice. Whisk collectively and drizzle over your heat muffins. Be happy to skip the icing, and, once more, you may skip the crumb topping as effectively.

Under I’ve muffins from 2 separate batches: one plain served with selfmade cinnamon butter (extremely suggest!) and the opposite with crumb topping + icing.

If you happen to can’t get sufficient of cranberries for breakfast, strive my cranberry Christmas cake subsequent. However don’t restrict it simply to Christmas… or simply to breakfast!

Extra Muffin Recipes

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 25 minutes
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  Prepare dinner Time: 23 minutes
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  Complete Time: 1 hour
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  Yield: 12 muffins
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  Class: Muffins
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  Technique: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

Buttery, tender, and moist, these cranberry orange muffins are topped with a brown sugar crumb and candy orange glaze. Each toppings are utterly non-obligatory for those who want plain cranberry orange muffins. Strive them with selfmade cinnamon butter!

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Crumb Topping

Muffins

Orange Icing

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Put aside.
2. Make the crumb topping: Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter collectively in a small bowl till mixed. Add the flour and use a fork to softly combine till crumbs kind. Don’t over-mix right into a paste. Simply combine till it’s crumbly. Place within the fridge whilst you make the muffin batter. Chilly crumbs maintain form higher when baking.
3. Make the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Put aside.
4. In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar collectively on excessive velocity till clean and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted. Add the orange zest and beat on medium velocity for 1 minute. Add the eggs, yogurt/bitter cream, and vanilla, and beat for 1 minute, then flip as much as excessive velocity till the combination is mixed and principally creamy. (It’s okay if it seems considerably curdled.) Scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted.
5. With the mixer on low velocity, add the dry substances, orange juice, and milk, and beat till no flour pockets stay. Gently fold within the cranberries. Keep away from over-mixing. Batter is thick.
6. Spoon the batter into ready muffin cups, filling all of them the best way to the highest. Spoon crumb topping on every, gently urgent it down so it sticks. If not utilizing crumb topping, sprinkle muffins evenly with coarse sugar.
7. Bake for five minutes at 425°F; then, with out opening the oven, scale back the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for a further 16–19 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. The whole time these muffins take within the oven is about 21–24 minutes. (Often nearer to 21 minutes for those who’re skipping the crumb topping.)
8. Permit the muffins to chill for five minutes within the muffin pan, then switch to a wire rack to proceed cooling. Allow them to cool for not less than quarter-hour earlier than icing.
9. Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice collectively and drizzle over heat or cooled muffins.
10. Iced or plain muffins keep recent coated at room temperature for a number of days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.

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Notes

1. Freezing Directions: Freeze baked & cooled muffins for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge or at room temperature earlier than having fun with. Heat up within the microwave if desired.
2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) 
3. Yogurt: You should utilize nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt, Greek or common. You can too use bitter cream.
4. Milk: You should utilize any milk, dairy or nondairy. For finest style and texture, I don’t suggest nonfat milk.
5. Cranberries: If utilizing frozen cranberries, don’t thaw.
6. For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for five minutes, then scale back to 350°F for 22–25 minutes, for a complete of 27–half-hour. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (complete time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.