I make these cranberry orange muffins whenever my fridge has extra cranberries and no plan for them. Rubbing the orange zest into the sugar first puts orange flavor in every bite, and fresh or frozen cranberries both work. They bake in 25 minutes, and I always keep a batch in the freezer.
Muffins for the extra bag of cranberries
I usually have extra cranberries around the holidays and I’m never sure what to do with them. One Thanksgiving I baked them into muffins, and now I make a batch and freeze them all the time.
The orange flavor comes from the zest. Rub it into the sugar until it looks like wet sand, then add a little fresh orange juice to the batter. Oil and milk keep the crumb soft.
Still have cranberries left after baking? My cranberry sauce to use up the rest of the bag takes 20 minutes.
What goes into these muffins
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries both work. If they’re frozen, break up any clumps so they spread evenly through the batter.
- Fresh oranges give you both the zest and the juice. Zest only the orange part, since the white pith is bitter.
- Whole or reduced-fat milk keeps the muffins soft. Almond, soy or oat milk work in the same amount.
- All-purpose flour is what I use. Whole wheat flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour work too.
Shruthi’s Top Tips
Tips for soft, fluffy muffins
Gentle mixing matters most.
- Let the eggs come to room temperature first. The muffins rise fluffier.
- Stir the batter just until no flour streaks remain, then fold in the cranberries. Overmixing makes them dense.
- Pull them when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Frozen cranberries can need a couple of extra minutes.
- Make the batter the night before and keep it in the fridge, then bake in the morning.
How to make cranberry orange muffins
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or silicone liners.
- Zest the orange into a small bowl and squeeze ¼ cup of juice. Take the eggs out of the fridge.
- In a second bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in the cinnamon, oil, milk, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the flour just until no streaks remain.
- Gently fold in the cranberries, divide the batter among the cups and sprinkle the tops with a little sugar if you like.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for a few minutes before lifting them out.
How to serve cranberry orange muffins
Serve them warm with butter or cream cheese and a cup of coffee or tea. For a holiday brunch, set them out with a little cranberry sauce on the side. If a can is all you have, here’s how to upgrade canned cranberry sauce. Find more in my Christmas recipes and Thanksgiving recipes.
Variations
Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips. For a crunchy top, add the streusel from my pumpkin muffins with crumb topping. Using dried cranberries? Swap in ¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries for every cup of fresh.
Storage and reheating
I keep these in the freezer. Let them cool completely, freeze them in a bag, and warm one in the microwave or toaster oven for 20 to 30 seconds. They also keep at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 5.
Bakery-Style Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, about 1 full orange zest
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 medium eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and prepare a 10 to 12 muffin tray lined with paper liner or silicone muffin cups.
- Bring the eggs out of the fridge to allow them to come to room temperature. Zest the oranges into a small bowl and squeeze ¼ cup of the orange juice.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix sugar and orange zest until evenly combined, resembling wet sand. Whisk in cinnamon, vegetable oil, milk, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed.
- Combine the sugar mixture with the flour mixture, stirring just until no flour streaks remain.
- Gently fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and, if desired, sprinkle with additional sugar.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs. Baking time for frozen cranberries might be slightly longer.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing and serving.
Notes
- Fresh or frozen cranberries both work. If they’re frozen, break up any clumps so they spread evenly.
- Zest only the orange part; the white pith is bitter.
- Let the eggs come to room temperature for a fluffier muffin.
- Fold in the cranberries at the end and don’t overmix, or the muffins turn dense.
- To freeze, cool completely and store in a freezer bag. Warm in the microwave or toaster oven for 20 to 30 seconds. They keep 3 days at room temperature or 5 in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I LIKE WHAT I SEE OF YOUR RECIPE. I’M NOT A CHEF JUST A PLAIN OLD MAN WHO LIKES TO COOK, I’M 89. I FOLLOW RECIPES I NEVER MADE CUP CAKE BEFORE.
Thank you!
Hello Shruti,
Love your recipes! The cheesy rice and bean burrito was a big hit with my kids🙂
My son is allergic to eggs. Can you suggest some good alternatives especially for the baked items like bread, muffins and cookies. Thanks!
Hi Hema, great to hear that! I suggest using flax eggs if possible for most baked goods!