Easy cranberry orange muffins recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in 30 minutes. Soft and fluffy! Full of fresh or frozen cranberries, orange zest and a topping of sparkling sugar.
My family loves a good muffin as breakfast or even an after school snack. It's one of those warm, feel-good treats that fills a hungry tummy. I especially love how festive these ones turned out- They are absolutely perfect for Christmas morning! These Lemon Blueberry Muffins and Pancake Muffins are always a hit too.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz
How to make cranberry orange muffins recipe from scratch?
- Whisk together ingredients- This includes flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add remaining ingredients-This includes eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract, orange extract, orange zest.
- Mix- Until combined.
- Fold in cranberries- With a spatula.
- Pour batter- In prepared muffin pan.
- Sprinkle sparkling sugar- On top of each muffin.
- Bake- Until cooked through.
Can you use dried cranberries instead of fresh in muffins?
No! Using dried cranberries will make the texture and flavor less delectable. They won't have that soft, gooey burst of flavor either. Fresh is best, especially in this recipe.
Can you substitute cranberries for blueberries in muffins?
Yes! Blueberries are a great alternative.
How can I make my muffins more moist?
- Be sure not to overcook your muffins, because they become more dried out.
- I suggest using oil, because the oil is what keeps in that moisture.
- Don't over-mix the batter because it knocks out the air from batter.
- Measure ingredients correctly so that you don't over-add any of the dry ingredients.
What is sparkling sugar? Is it the same as granulated sugar?
No, they are not the same. Sparkling sugar are large grained crystals and they don't melt and dissolve during baking. It's different than granulated sugar and cannot be used interchangeably.
Variations for cranberry muffins
- Lemon cranberry muffins- Replace the orange extract with lemon extract and use lemon zest instead of orange zest for a new flavor profile.
- Try other extracts- There are many different extracts you can use to change up the flavor. For example, you may want to try almond, vanilla, maple, mint, raspberry, strawberry, or whatever is your favorite!
- Blueberry muffins- Follow the recipe except substitute the cranberries with blueberries- fresh or frozen.
- Make jumbo size- Get out the jumbo muffin tin and make a batch of jumbo muffins! Just be aware that baking time will vary and take longer than regular muffins.
- Make mini size- You can also make mini muffins with a mini muffin tray. Keep an eye on these, because baking time will likely be shorter than normal.
- Try other fruits- You can also try using raspberries, blackberries, or other small fruits. Just be aware of differing cook time and moisture content.
- Serve with a topping- Such as Whipped Cream, honey butter, frosting, jam, preserves, Crockpot Apple Butter.
Tips and techniques for orange muffins
- Don’t omit sparkling sugar- Because it adds sweetness and crunch and gives that special bakery style appearance.
- Fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries- Do not use dried cranberries, because the texture of the muffin as well as the flavor will not be as delicious. The muffins will be chewy. Also, if you put in the same amount of dried cranberries listed in the recipe there will be too many and it will be overpowering. Fresh cranberries are preferred, because it helps keeps the muffins moist, gives a burst of warm gooey flavor, and it makes it look more appealing. Frozen cranberries can also be used.
- Butter vs Oil- It is best to use oil, because melted butter leads to slightly denser texture and oil keeps the muffins lighter.
- Don’t remove warm muffins from pan- I know it's hard to resist, but don't do it because they will break and make a mess. Let them cool first for 5-10 minutes.
- Don't replace sparkling sugar with granulated sugar- They are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably.
- Use whole milk- Or at least 2%, because your muffins will be richer and more moist.
- Grease and flour pan- Because otherwise the muffins will stick to pan and they will be difficult to remove.
- Test doneness- By inserting a toothpick into the center of the cooked muffin. If it comes out clean and tops are light golden brown, then your muffins are ready to be removed from the oven.
- Use room temperature ingredients- Because they blend together better.
Storage
- Room Temperature- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
- Fridge- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer- Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month, then thaw and enjoy.
More easy bakery style muffin recipes
- Banana Muffins (Soft and Moist)
- Pumpkin Muffins (With Cake Mix)
- Cinnamon Muffins
- Chocolate Muffins
- No Bake Breakfast Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 2 Eggs Large
- ½ cup Oil Or melted unsalted butter
- ¾ cup Milk Whole or 2%
- 1.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Orange extract Optional
- 1 tablespoon Orange zest
- 2 cups Cranberries Preferably fresh but frozen can be used
- ¼ cup Sparkling sugar For topping, Not the same as granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract, orange extract, orange zest and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the cranberries gently with a spatula.
- Pour batter in a greased and floured muffin pan or you can use liners instead.
- Sprinkle sparkling sugar on top of each muffin. You may have some sugar leftover that can be used in other baked goods.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
- Remove pan from oven and let muffins cool for 5-10 minutes and then enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Deborah Cornwell
I made these for co workers and they couldn't stop raving about them. I even had people ask if they could order them for Christmas morning.
Robin
Hi! I’m a professional baker and was looking for a small recipe to make at home. I couldn’t help but notice the absence of salt! I’m hoping it was a typo? I added a half tsp to the recipe. They’re in the oven right now but everything smells delicious!
Abeer Rizvi
I usually skip the salt unless it's a very sweet recipe that would need some saltiness to balance it. I am sure adding half a tsp of salt would not affect this recipe at all though. Hope you enjoyed these muffins!
Irene
Can these be frozen for later
Abeer Rizvi
Yes. Sometimes, I have noticed that the sanding sugar topping becomes a little sticky upon thawing but otherwise, taste the same.
Irene Eddins
Excellent recipe. Muffins turned out great and looked really nice with burst of cranberries on the top.
Michele Lumbert
Delicious
Erin
This was such a great recipe. They came out so nicely (fluffy and rose well) and were a big hit. They had just the right amount of 'zing'. I had been looking at other recipes and some of them really called for too much sugar. This amount of sugar was ideal. I did use half of the juice from the orange in the recipe to just add a little something. Thank you for sharing.
Pat Oglesby
I make muffins often to share with neighbors and friends but these Cranberry Orange muffins are my very most favorite. Buy an extra bag of fresh cranberries at the holidays and store in the freezer. They bake up deliciously and tenderly tart and give just the right zip to this muffin. I use plenty of fresh grated orange zest and about one tablespoon or less of juice. I bake them in a paper lined stoneware muffin pan. Start them off at 375° for five minutes and them reduce to 350° for about 15 minutes until set and just beginning to look golden. Starting at the higher temp causes them to puff up with a nice high crown to begin with but set a timer for the five minutes. Then finish at 350° just until slightly golden. Do not bake until brown.
Mary Skinner
I've made these muffins several times and they are the best
David Walker
These were the best muffins I ever made, and possibly as good as the best I've ever eaten (and I've been eating muffins for several decades). The casting sugar on top is a key ingredient IMO. Also, due to availability I used frozen cranberries and they worked great. I might try this recipe with blueberry's also although I know they won't surpass the cranberry version.
Leslie Widdifield-Konkin
These were absolutely divine! Everyone loves them and they look delicious!
I used frozen cranberries and they were very juicy. I quadrupled the recipe which made 3 dozen muffins.
I will be making these often.
Leslie
These turned out great!
Tonya Woodford
Can these be done in an air fryer?
Abeer Rizvi
I don't know because I haven't tried that.
shelley rota
Can I use orange juice instead of extract?
Abeer Rizvi
No, it must be an extract.
Ashley
Hello. Can the milk be substituted with oak milk?
Abeer Rizvi
I haven't tried oat milk but it worked very well with soy milk.
Maria Elena McIlvena
Can I bake it in a log pan. Like a cranberry orange bread?
Abeer Rizvi
I actually have a cranberry orange bread that you can try: https://cakewhiz.com/orange-cranberry-bread-recipe/
Melissa
If you mix the orange zest in with the sugar before adding it to the recipe, it brings out the oils and gives the flavor an extra bang.