Description

These Cranberry Orange Muffins are soft, bright, and bursting with juicy cranberries and fresh orange flavor, making them perfect for a quick breakfast, easy snack, holiday brunch, breakfast ideas, food ideas, and a simple homemade baking recipe. The tender muffin crumb, citrusy aroma, and sweet-tart fruit make this easy recipe feel bakery-worthy without any complicated steps.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange zest.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream or Greek yogurt, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed through the thick batter.

6. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.

7. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

8. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Use fresh orange zest for the strongest citrus flavor. Bottled orange juice will work in a pinch, but fresh juice gives the best taste.

Do not thaw frozen cranberries before adding them to the batter, or they may bleed too much color into the muffins.

Avoid overmixing once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. A slightly lumpy batter makes softer muffins.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 235
Sugar: 17g
Sodium: 205mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 34mg

Keywords: cranberry orange muffins, quick breakfast, easy snack, breakfast ideas, holiday brunch, easy recipe, homemade muffins