Fluffy Cranberry Orange Muffins are packed with sweet-tart flavor from juicy oranges and tangy fresh cranberries! This easy muffin recipe is festive, delicious, and so simple to make at home.
Cranberry Orange Muffins make a wonderful breakfast or a tasty treat with a cup of tea or coffee.
The combination of oranges and cranberries makes for the most delicious desserts! There’s just something so perfect about the tart flavor of fresh cranberries when they’re paired with the juicy citrusy sweet flavor of oranges.
You’ll find the same yummy flavors in my Cranberry Orange Scones, and in savory dishes like roast Christmas Chicken.
Just like all of my easy muffin recipes, this recipe for cranberry orange muffins comes together quickly, with common baking staples.
You’ll also want to try my Orange Muffins, Cherry Muffins, and Banana Muffins recipes. You can make a different muffin recipe every week for your family to enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big Flavors – Every bite of these cranberry and orange muffins is bursting with bright flavors. This is due, in part, to the fact that the cranberries are chopped up before adding them to the batter.
- Easy to Make Ahead – Muffins freeze really well, so this is a great recipe to make and store. It’s so nice to have muffins in the freezer, ready to thaw and eat whenever the mood strikes.
- The Perfect Glaze – A simple glaze made with fresh orange juice and powdered sugar takes these muffins from delicious to spectacular!
Cranberry Orange Muffins Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make these delicious fluffy muffins:
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both leaveners in this muffin recipe gives us the perfect amount of lift.
- Butter: Allow your butter to sit at room temperature to fully soften before using it.
- Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds a slight tangy flavor to these muffins, and keeps them moist and tender. Sour Cream can also be used to create a similar effect.
- Cranberries: This recipe uses fresh cranberries for the brightest flavor. We’ll chop them into small pieces using a food processor.
- Orange Juice and Zest: Use the juice to make a sweet powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the muffins. The zest is stirred into the batter. Use freshly squeezed orange juice for the best flavor.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Cranberry and Orange Muffins
- Chop the Cranberries: Add the washed and dried cranberries to your food processor and pulse a few times until they are in smaller pieces. If needed, you can also chop the cranberries by hand, but the food processor is much easier.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar, butter, and orange zest. Beat on medium high for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again.
- Combine the Liquid Ingredients: In a third bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Tip!
You need three bowls to make this muffin recipe – One for the dry ingredients, one to mix the liquid ingredients, and one to cream the butter and sugar in. Trust the process! This method is key to the fluffy texture of the muffins.
- Combine: Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix with the mixer until combined. Then, add the yogurt mixture and mix again. Finally, add the remaining flour and mix until just combined – don’t overmix!
- Add Cranberries: Gently fold in the cranberries with a spatula.
- Bake: Divide the muffin batter between the 12 lined muffin cups. They should be filled mostly to the top. Bake in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350°F/175°C and continue baking for 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice to create a thick glaze. Drizzle it over the top of the cooled muffins, and allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.
Recipe Tips
- Use Paper Liners: I like the simplicity of paper muffin liners, but you can also generously grease the muffin tins if you prefer.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, be sure to only mix until things are combined. Overmixing will cause the muffins to become tough, dense, and dry.
- To Zest the Orange: The best tool for zesting citrus is a very fine grater, also called a Microplane. This too allows you to remove just the dark orange outer layer of the orange and leaves the bitter white pith behind. It’s easier to zest your oranges before you juice them.
- Two Baking Temps: Note that you’ll bake these muffins first for 5 minutes at a high temperature and then reduce the oven temperature for the rest of the time. This is the trick to getting beautifully domed muffins!
Storing Tips
You can store these cranberry orange muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container.
You can also freeze muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I like to wrap each muffin individually with plastic wrap so that I can take one or two out at a time. Let them thaw overnight before enjoying for breakfast.
Recipe FAQs
Can I leave the cranberries whole?
You can add whole cranberries to muffins, but you’ll get a different experience if you leave them whole rather than chopping them. I like chopped cranberries in this recipe because I get cranberry in every bite, rather than large pockets with one or two berries inside of each muffin.
Can I make muffins with frozen cranberries?
This recipe will work with frozen cranberries. To avoid them turning everything red, it’s best to add them to the batter while they are still frozen. You can either add whole, frozen cranberries, or allow them to thaw a bit, chop them up, and then refreeze before stirring them into the batter.
What Else Can I Add to Cranberry & Orange Muffins?
Muffin recipes are fun because you can almost always add extras! Try adding no more than ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts to the cranberry orange muffin batter.
You can also add coarse sugar to the top of each muffin before baking to create a crunchy bakery-style muffin top.
More Easy Breakfast Bakes
All Muffins →
These are the best cranberry orange muffins! I love having these in the freezer for busy mornings, and I know that your family will love them too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 cups (225 g) fresh cranberries rinsed and dried
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), or 200°C if using a fan oven. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- Add the cranberries to the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse to chop the cranberries until they are in smaller pieces, about 4-5 times. Set aside until needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar, butter, and orange zest. Beat with a mixer on medium-high for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add the yogurt mixture and mix again. Finally, add remaining flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the cranberries and divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. They will be full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F/180°C (160°C for fan oven) and bake an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice, then drizzle on top of the cooled muffins.
Notes:
- You need three bowls to make this muffin recipe – One for the dry ingredients, one to mix the liquid ingredients, and one to cream the butter and sugar in. Trust the process! This method is key to the fluffy texture of the muffins.
- Use Paper Liners: I like the simplicity of paper muffin liners, but you can also generously grease the muffin tins if you prefer.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, be sure to only mix until things are combined. Overmixing will cause the muffins to become tough, dense, and dry.
- Two Baking Temps: Note that you’ll bake these muffins first for 5 minutes at a high temperature and then reduce the oven temperature for the rest of the time. This is the trick to getting beautifully domed muffins!
- Storage: You can store these cranberry orange muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container. You can also freeze muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Gail Siqueiros says
Can you make these muffins and sub lemon zest and juice for the orange zest and orange juice?
Diana says
Yes, that would also be delicious!
Bob Fowler says
Fresh oranges in Florida this time of year contain only water. No flavor at all. Suggestion?
Diana says
Hi Bob, you can use bottled orange juice instead and you’ll have to skip the orange zest or do a little bit of orange extract.