These Cranberry Orange Muffins are sweet, and tangy muffins loaded with orange flavor and bursting with fresh cranberries in every bite.
Orange and cranberry are such a delicious flavor combo – if you don’t believe me try our orange cranberry sauce on top of your turkey this Thanksgiving, or my new favorite cranberry orange oatmeal cookie recipe!
Cranberries are an underrated flavor of the holiday season – but I think they’re a perfect addition to all the pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon recipes we love this time of year. After these cranberry orange muffins, I’m ready to try a cranberry apple crisp, or cranberry orange cake. I love the tanginess of it.
These cranberry orange muffins are soft and moist, and bursting with such a delicious vibrant flavor. They’re a great option for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. I mean, how good would they be on Thanksgiving day for a small brunch before the big meal, or as a snack as we’re waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients needed to make Cranberry Orange Muffins:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- yogurt
- vanilla extract
- orange zest
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
- orange juice
- cranberries
- coarse sugar
How to make Cranberry Orange Muffins?
Preheat the oven to 425 F and grease a regular muffin tin (12 count) with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix together for about 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and orange zest and stir until combined, then beat at a high speed until uniform in texture.
In a large bowl, add your dry ingredients together – add your flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk them together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix them together slowly.
Then add in the orange juice, and milk, whisking them together gently. Carefully fold in the cranberries with a rubber spatula.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them evenly, about to the top. Top each muffin with a couple extra cranberries for looks, if desired. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar if desired too.
Bake the muffins for a few minutes, then without opening the door, lower the oven temperature and bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick can be inserted in the middle and comes out clean.
Cool the muffins for about 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, and drizzle it over the top of the muffins if desired.
Tips for making Cranberry Muffins:
- You can add in additional mix-ins if desired. About 1/2 cup total. Some yummy options are chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, toasted pecans, etc.
- Zest the orange first, then juice them for a much cleaner and easier operation.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon for additional flavor in the muffins if desired.
How to store leftover muffins?
The muffins are definitely the best the first they are made, but they can be stored at room temperature for a few days.
Place a couple paper towels in the bottom of an airtight container with a lid and place the muffins in a single layer in the container. Top with the lid and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Microwave the muffins for a few seconds to enjoy them warm. They’re extra delicious with some butter slathered on them.
How to freeze Cranberry Orange Muffins?
The muffins can also be frozen if you want to save them for longer. They are better stored without the icing on top. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap them place the wrapped muffins in a zip top bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge or counter overnight, then microwave them for about 20 seconds to enjoy them warm.
These cranberry orange muffins are such a flavorful soft muffin to enjoy on a cool fall day. You’ll love the fresh and tangy cranberry flavor paired with the sweet orange!
More muffin recipes:
- Strawberry Muffins
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Chocolate Muffins
- Strawberry and Yogurt Muffins
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Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Orange Muffins:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBS orange zest
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- coarse sugar (optional)
For the Orange Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 TBS orange juice
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Cranberry Orange Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a regular muffin pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream them together for about 2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and orange zest and stir them until combined.
- In another bowl add the dry ingredients together; flour, baking powder, and salt. And whisk them together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir to combine.
- Then add in the milk and orange juice and stir it into the batter.
- Gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into 12 to 14 muffin spots. Top each with 2-3 more cranberries, and sprinkle coarse sugar over the top if desired.
- Put the muffin pan into the oven to bake for 5 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool more.
For the Orange Glaze:
- Add the powdered sugar and orange juice to a small bowl and whisk them together to combine.
- Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the muffins.
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