Cranberry Orange Muffins

This soft and moist Cranberry Orange Muffins recipe is topped with a delicious orange glaze, and bursting with flavor!

Want to try more muffin recipes? Try these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, Healthy Banana Muffins, Snickerdoodle Muffins, or Lemon Raspberry Muffins!

Why I love them:

• Easy – Only 10 minutes of prep and just a few steps, this homemade cranberry orange muffins recipe is great for a child to help with.
• Freezer Friendly – Make a double batch and freeze the rest for an even quicker grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
• Flavorful – We love the tart cranberries and sweet orange combination. It makes for beautiful and festive cranberry muffins, and the glaze takes it over the top.

Ingredients Needed:

How to make Cranberry Orange Muffins:

Dry Ingredients: Stir together sugar and orange zest. Add flour, salt, and baking powder.

Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until mixed. Fold in halved cranberries.

Bake: Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-26 minutes.

Optional Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Drizzle over baked muffins.

Freezing Instructions:

To Freeze: Allow muffins to cool completely, then place in an airtight container of freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or rewarm in the microwave for a few seconds.

Variations:

• Cranberry Substitute: You could use dried cranberries, if you don’t have fresh, or try substituting fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries, for a fun flavor twist.
• Mini Muffins: Bake at 350°F for 10-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just crumbs.
• Jumbo Cranberry Orange Muffins: If you’d like your muffins to be a little larger, like bakery style, scoop the batter into 10 muffin cups, instead of 12.
• Cranberry Orange Loaf: follow this Cranberry Orange Bread recipe.

Recipe

5 from 30 votes

Cranberry Orange Muffins

This delicious, moist Cranberry Orange Muffins recipe is topped with a orange glaze, and bursting with flavor!

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 160

Cost 4

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

Save Recipe

Equipment

• Muffin Tin

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ Zest of 1 orange
• ▢ ¾ cups buttermilk
• ▢ 1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature*
• ▢ 1 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup fresh cranberries , halved (cut before measuring)

Orange Glaze:

• ▢ 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ ½ – 1 teaspoons fresh orange juice
• ▢ pinch orange zest , optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a standard muffin tin with liners, or spray with cooking spray.
• Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl add sugar and orange zest and stir well to combine. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and stir. Set aside.
• Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla.
• Combine: Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the halved cranberries.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20-26 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
• Glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Whisk until smooth. Add more juice if needed to thin, or powdered sugar to thicken. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.

Notes

Cranberry Substitute: You could use dried cranberries, if you don’t have fresh, or try substituting fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries, for a fun flavor twist.

Mini Muffins: For mini muffins, bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 11-13 minutes or until baked through. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.

Jumbo Cranberry Orange Muffins: for larger, bakery style muffins, divide batter between 10 muffin cups, instead of 12.

Freezing Instructions: Allow muffins to cool completely, then place in an airtight container of freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or rewarm in the microwave for a few seconds.

Nutrition

Serving: 12gCalories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

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This post was originally published November 2021. Updated November 2023.

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