Cranberry Orange Muffins
Bright, zesty, and bursting with juicy cranberries, these cranberry orange muffins are a festive treat perfect for breakfast, snacking, or holiday gifting. They’re soft, fluffy, and finished with a simple citrus glaze that makes every bite irresistible.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Easy to make and simple ingredients – All you need is two bowls, a whisk, and a spatula to make these delicious cranberry orange muffins. There are no fancy ingredients 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 – Not overly sweet, packed with real orange flavor, plenty of cranberries, and freshly made with no preservatives.
If you love the combination of cranberries and orange, try my Cranberry Orange Scones and Cranberry Orange Bread. And if you like cranberries and white chocolate try these White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies and Cranberry Bliss Bars.
Or if you are in the mood for muffins, try these fan-favorites Chocolate Chip Muffins and Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Ingredients you’ll need and why:
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the muffins by forming a network of gluten when combined with liquid ingredients.
- Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the muffins rise and achieve a light, fluffy texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the muffins and balances the sweetness.
- Vegetable oil: Adds moisture and tenderness to the muffins.
- Sugar: Sweetens the muffins while contributing to their moist texture and slightly golden crust.
- Eggs: Provide structure, moisture, and richness, while helping to bind the ingredients together.
- Milk: Adds moisture, helps activate the baking powder, and creates a soft crumb.
- Orange zest: Adds a concentrated citrus aroma and flavor to complement the cranberries.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall taste profile with a subtle sweetness and depth.
- Fresh cranberries: Provide bursts of tartness, color, and fresh flavor to the muffins.
How to make cranberry orange muffins:
(The full written and printable recipe is further below.)
Step #1) In a large mixing bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step #2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
Step #3) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Fold in the cranberries.
Step #4) Divide the batter evenly into a greased muffin pan. Bake at 425F for 5 minutes then 350F for 12-15 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 sweeter and chewy like raisins.
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.
If you’ve tried this Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of one orange, about 1 tbsp
- 1 & 1/2 cups (150g) fresh cranberries
Optional glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice , plus more if needed
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.2 & 1/2 cups (310g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and orange zest.1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, zest of one orange
- Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined, then fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups.1 & 1/2 cups (150g) fresh cranberries
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 350°F and bake for another 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and remove the muffins from the pan to cool on a wire rack.
- Mix together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Add a little more juice only if needed. Drizzle over cooled muffins.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Notes
This post was originally published on Jan 13th, 2017 and has been recently updated with more information.
Holy wow. These are fantastic. I started them at 400 and then went to 375 after reading the comments and then left them in for a tiny bit longer. They turned out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome and merry Christmas!
This was a great recipe. But my muffins came out a little dry. What did I do wrong?
Dry baked goods are usually due to overbaking, so try baking them for a few minutes less next time. Glad they still tasted good and happy holidays!
Great recipe!
Orange juice and zest really lift up the taste to a higher level.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re very welcome and thank you for your lovely feedback!
I just made these. I followed the recipe exactly. They look very nice, but are slightly burned and taste dry. I think a lower temp would have worked better for me. Even worse, all the cranberries rose to the top so there are no cranberries in the middle of the muffins. How can I prevent that in the future? I’m not rating because possibly I made a mistake somewhere?
Yes, maybe your oven runs hot, so baking it at just 375F is a good idea. As for all the cranberries rising to top: I’m wondering if the batter was a bit thin? Try adding another 1-2 tablespoon of flour to thicken up the batter to prevent the berries from rising.
These really are SO good!!!! I went a little easy on the cranberries and orange because my toddler is a bit picky, but she gobbled them up so next time I’ll use a heavy hand. So yummy!!!
Aww, I’m so happy to hear you and your little one enjoyed the muffins. Thank you for your kind words and merry Christmas!
These were so good! I used DF milk and added sanding sugar on top. Turned out great!
I made these muffins! Didn’t have milk so I added 1/2 cup more orange juice and they were delicious! Will try again with the milk.
I added a little fresh grated ginger along with orange zest . I used bottled orange juice. They came out delicious
Yummerama! Thanks for posting Imperial measures, too, Lily. I hate metric. I added a cream cheese frosting, coz Hubby loves it.
You’re very welcome, Jettie! I find it much more accurate and thank you for your feedback:)
These muffins are so delicious! We top them with a little sanding sugar after lowering the oven temperature. I must make smaller muffins however, because I get 16 regular sized ones.
Great recipe! Very delicious!!
I had to improvise with ingredients I had on hand
Buttermilk for milk
Fresh milled organic soft white wheat
Sucanat & honey crystals for sugar
Dried cranberries instead of fresh
These muffins are truly yummy!!! I swapped out the oil for melted butter and added a little brown sugar as my orange was more sour than sweet. Thanks so much for sharing!! Will 100000% be a recipe keeper 😊
You’re very welcome and thank you for your lovely feedback, Sophie!
Oh, forgot to add, could the Santa hat muffins be because I didn’t have baking powder so I replaced it with half the amount of baking soda? I dont see anyone else having this issue , next time I shall follow the recipe strictly.
Thanks again, it just came out the oven minutes ago
Yes, thanks for remembering that. Baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder so you only needed 1 teaspoon, 2 was too much and caused the muffins to rise too high. I hope they still taste good and happy Friday!
The taste was great, but my muffins all came out like they had Santa hats on them , I think due to the initial 425F cooking up the top layer. I tried another batch using only 375F (but preheated the oven at 425F) and those came out perfect.
Delicious recipe. I ran out of orange juice so replaced with couple spoonfuls of lemon juice, and used lemon rinds.
Amazing! Best recipe for cranberry orange muffins that I’ve used after decades of baking and so easy. So fluffy and delicious, WOW! Note that I did add 1/3 cup plain yogurt.
Hereafter my go-to recipe!
Thank you so much for your rave review, Elvie! Enjoy the muffins and have a great day!
Hi, Question, how long would I need to bake the muffins in the jumbo muffin tins. It makes six muffins.
Bake them for an extra 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
This is the best cranberry orange muffin. I have tried other recipes but this one was perfect taste and texture.
From one Ontarioan to another..that’s recipe is soooo good. Light,sweet,tart and will be my go to muffin recipe. Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Mary! I’m always delighted to meet another Ontarian:)
I made these muffins, and they were absolutely delicious. This is a rainy morning, so I am about to make a double batch. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Ruby! Enjoy the muffins and have a great weekend!
These are amazing! I had fresh wild cranberries I needed to use and this was the perfect recipe. I followed the exact recipe and directions except I had to cook the muffins for 20 minutes instead of the 13-15 recommended. Yummy!