Cranberry Orange Muffins (video)
Brighten up your day with these amazing cranberry orange muffins. They are packed with delicious tangy cranberries and fresh orange flavor. These soft and fluffy muffins only take about 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
We’re in the midst of winter here in Ontario. The mornings are dark, so it’s challenging getting up out of bed sometimes. It’s especially hard when you look outside and it feels like it’s still night time. However, when you have a tasty breakfast to look forward to, it can really help motivate you to start your day.
Why this recipe is so great:
- All made by hand with everyday ingredients – All you need is two bowls, a whisk, and a spatula to make these delicious cranberry orange muffins. There are no fancy ingredients: you just need an orange and some cranberries and you can whip up these muffins in a matter of minutes.
- Moist and bursting with flavor – These muffins are incredibly moist and bursting with the bright flavors of citrus and tangy cranberries.
- Even better than Starbucks and McDonalds – These muffins are not as tooth-achingly sweet as the Starbucks or McDonald’s ones. They contain much more cranberries and are made with real orange flavor. And the best part is they are made fresh by you, with no preservatives.
- Here are some reviews:
“I’ve been searching for a muffin recipe like this! This recipe is now in my favorites! These muffins came out perfect and they were moist and soft for days. I used frozen cranberries and they were delicious! With other recipes, the muffins have turned out dry and a bit heavy. Not this time! Thank you so much for sharing this!” – Tara
“Just made these and oh my! They are delicious! Better than a well-known coffee shop chain muffin that I wanted to replicate. Just the right amount of cranberries and a lovely zesty flavour. Perfect for Christmas!” – Kayleigh
How to make cranberry orange muffins:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- You start by tossing some flour, baking powder and salt together.
- Then in another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in the fresh cranberries.
- Spoon the batter into a muffin pan. Top with more cranberries if desired. Bake at 425F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 375F and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
How to substitute with frozen or dried cranberries:
- Frozen – Do not thaw. Add the frozen cranberries into the batter as if you were using fresh cranberries and bake for a few minutes longer until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Dried – Soak the dried cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes to soften. Pat them dry with a paper towel and add to the batter as instructed. Please note that the taste and texture of dried cranberries are not the same as fresh. They are a bit sweeter and a bit chewy.
Make-ahead option:
These muffins can be made the night before, which makes them a great time saver in the morning. It allows you to have a few more minutes in your warm comfy bed knowing that breakfast is already done. Also, if you are really pressed for time, you can just grab one of these scrumptious muffins to go.
How to store cranberry orange muffins:
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you store them in the fridge, you can warm up the muffins in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes.
How to freeze cranberry orange muffins:
Place the muffins in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label and date. When ready to consume, thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for an hour. Then reheat in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes to freshen up the muffins. The texture of these cranberry orange muffins is moist, soft and fluffy. The taste is bold and vibrant with bursts of tart cranberries and speckles of orange zest throughout the muffin. These muffins also make a great afternoon snack, especially when you need a little pick-me-up. There is just something about the flavor of oranges and cranberries that really perk you up.
You might also like:
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Cranberry Orange Baklava
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Blueberry Streusel Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintBEST Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: breakfast, snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Brighten up your day with these amazing cranberry orange muffins. They are packed with delicious tangy cranberries and fresh orange flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp (15g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5g) salt
- 1/2 cup (125ml)) vegetable oil
- 1 & 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- zest of one orange (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (62ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 &1/2 cups (150g) fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined, then fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 375°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you store them in the fridge, you can warm up the muffins in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes.
To freeze: Place the muffins in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label and date. When ready to consume, thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for an hour. Then reheat in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes to freshen up the muffins.
How to substitute with frozen or dried cranberries:
- Frozen – Do not thaw. Add the frozen cranberries into the batter as if you were using fresh cranberries and bake for a few minutes longer until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Dried – Soak the dried cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes to soften. Pat them dry with a paper towel and add to the batter as instructed. Please note that the taste and texture of dried cranberries are not the same as fresh. They are a bit sweeter and a bit chewy.
This post was originally published on Jan 13th, 2017 and has been recently updated with more information.
Does the orange juice need to be squeezed from oranges or bottle.
Freshly squeezed is better, but you can use bottled in a pinch. I hope you enjoy the muffin and have a great day!
I have been searching for a recipe  similar to McDonald’s ,tried many but this is the best  turned out just as in picture ,delicious!
So good! We were all out of vegetable oil, so I substituted coconut oil and it turned out fantastic! I also added a little bit more orange juice and zest and some more cranberries! The flavors were delicious!! 😋 Thank you!
I’ve never made cranberry orange muffins before I tried your recipe, and I’ve got to say that out of the many recipes online, I’m glad I picked yours! They are fantastic!
Thank you for your kind words, Deborah! I’m so glad you think they are fantastic:) Stay safe and happy baking!
Hi Lily, if I would to use Dried Cranberries, may I know how much sugar should I use?
Use 1 cup. I hope you enjoy the muffins and have a great week!
This recipe is EXACTLY what I was looking for! 100% will be making this again!
Thank you for your kind words, Chrissy! Stay safe and happy baking:)
I’d like to try this recipe, but using mini muffin trays. What adjustments to this recipe would I need to make?
For mini muffins, bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy and have a great Easter long weekend!
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY YOUR MUFFIN RECIPE BUT CAN’T GET TO THE STORE FOR CRANBERRIES AND YOU USE WHOLE CANNED CRANBERRIES INSTEAD?
Not for this recipe, but here is a recipe using canned cranberries https://www.aheadofthyme.com/2016/11/leftover-cranberry-sauce-muffins/
I hope that helps and stay well!
So happy to find this recipe–I always order the McDonald’s orange cranberry muffin and this is better than their version. I subbed in half sour cream for the milk ( I needed to use it up) and added a few exttra cranberries –the flavour balance is terrific. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Heath! Thank you for yot kind words. Enjoy the muffins and stay safe!
These muffins were delicious. Best muffins I’ve made on a long time. It’s a keeper😋
these are amazingly delicious I would add more orang juice. but , besides that I give this 5 stares <3
I’m not much of a baker truth be told, but I had whole frozen cranberries from Thanksgiving and found your recipe. I halved the recipe and it worked out great. I did have to add about 5 min. to the total bake time.
I now wish I would have made the whole batch. Very good and bake shop quality!
These are the BEST Cranberry Orange Muffins I’ve ever made! I changed the recipe a little by souring my milk. Sour it with Apple Cider Vinegar, as this vinegar works the same way it does in making a Red Velvet Cake for producing a very tender, light but moist crumb. I also added a little Orange Extract flavoring for a little more ‘orange’ flavor. I sprinkled the tops with a mixture of Sugar/cinnamon before baking, for extra crunch and flavor. I also roughly chopped my cranberries because they were very big cranberries.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re very welcome, Leah! I’m glad you liked it:)
Made these muffins and love the soft, moist texture and the crispy edge! Reduced sugar to 175g but they were still aplenty sweet. My muffins also overflowed out of their liners:( i think it is better to fill it only about 3/4 full.
I can’t wait to try these! I have been looking for a good recipe for this very thing for a while. Everything I have made from your posts are all delicious and I am thankful for you!!
Aww, thank you! You’re too kind. Enjoy the muffins and have a great week. xoxo
Where did you get the basic recipe for this? No credit to anyone or anywhere.
There is no credit to anyone because this is my own recipe.
And thank you for creating it! I’m not sure why someone would assume a recipe needs to be found somewhere else!
It turned out fantastic for us, we used cranberries we picked ourselves here at home. We’ve tried a lot of these recipes and this one is our new favourite since McDonald’s in our area stopped carrying their version.Â
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad you like it and thrilled that you think it rivals the McDonald’s version!
Sooooo good! I replaced 1 C sugar with 1 C brown sugar just because I prefer the caramel flavour. So moist and delicious.
Can you use frozen cranberries
You can. I would thaw and pat them dry first.
I used frozen straight from freezer. They get mushy if you thaw them first. Worked perfectly.
Ah, good point and thank you for your lovely comment!
Can you freeze these muffins
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months when properly stored.
I have made these muffins and they are delicious. My question is, can I use buttermilk the next time I make them?
Thank you
Thank you for your kind words, and yes you can use buttermilk.