Made with tart cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice, these Cranberry Orange Muffins are bursting with flavor. Fluffy, moist, and easy to make, this cranberry muffins recipe will become a go-to all fall and winter long.
Oranges and cranberries were meant to be married! Don’t miss our popular cranberry orange pound cake and cranberry orange drop biscuits.
Easy Orange Cranberry Muffins
Don’t let cranberries take a backseat to pumpkin and apple this season – the duo of cranberry and orange is a match made in heaven. The tart, tangy berry has so much to offer flavor-wise. And presentation-wise, cranberry is an easy way to add a pop of color to almost anything.
These Cranberry Orange Muffins are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the cranberry orange flavor combination. These muffins are fluffy, moist, just the right amount of sweet, and loaded with cranberries in every bite.
I added a simple streusel topping for a little crunch and extra sweetness. Warm from the oven, these muffins are absolute perfection.
Ingredients Needed
These moist, tender cranberry muffins and the streusel topping are made with common pantry items.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Flour – Use the spoon and level technique for accurate measuring. You’ll also need additional flour for the streusel topping.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is used in both the muffins and the streusel topping.
- Baking powder – Helps the muffins rise.
- Cinnamon – The warm cinnamon flavor pairs perfectly with cranberry and orange.
- Orange zest – Adds a lovely citrus flavor to these cranberry muffins.
- Eggs – Provides structure to the batter.
- Whole milk – Adds necessary moisture and richness.
- Orange juice – Freshly squeezed from the orange you zested is ideal.
- Butter – For the muffins, you’ll want the butter melted and cooled but for the streusel topping, it needs to be very cold.
- Vanilla – For added flavor.
- Cranberries – Either fresh or frozen cranberries can be used in these muffins. If you use frozen cranberries, you do not need to thaw them first.
Can I Use Dried Cranberries in Muffins?
Yes, dried cranberries will also work in this muffin recipe. I recommend soaking them in warm water for about 10 minutes, then patting them dry, before adding them to the batter. Note that dried cranberries will be chewier than frozen or fresh berries.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
The batter for these muffins takes just a few minutes to prepare. Then pop them in the oven and enjoy!
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients and orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, orange juice, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the cranberries.
- Fill the muffin cups. Using paper liners, evenly fill each muffin cup until almost full.
- Make the streusel topping. Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles tiny crumbs. Sprinkle over the muffin batter.
- Bake. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, until the streusel is golden. Cool for 20 minutes, then enjoy!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making the best cranberry orange muffins.
- Do not overmix the batter. Once you add the eggs to the dry ingredients, stir until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins.
- How much batter goes into each muffin cup? For this recipe, you’ll want to fill the muffin liners to almost full. For me, this is about 2 & 1/2 cookie scoops of batter per muffin.
- Do not open the oven door. Resist the temptation to peek at the baking muffins until you think they’re ready. Opening the oven door too soon can cause muffins to deflate.
- Should I thaw frozen cranberries? If you use frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them first. In fact, it’s better if you don’t as they’ll likely dye the batter red if they thaw first. (This is another good reason to avoid over-mixing.)
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. These cranberry orange muffins can be stored in an airtight container. At room temperature, they’ll last for about 3 days. If you put them in the fridge, they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days. If you do refrigerate them, I recommend popping them in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying.
- Can I Freeze Homemade Muffins? Yes, these cranberry orange muffins freeze beautifully. Allow them to cool completely, then place in freezer-safe container or ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter or in the fridge, warm them if desired, and enjoy.
More Muffin Recipes:
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Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
FOR THE BATTER
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , spoon and leveled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- zest from 1 large orange
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 & 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (see note below)
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon very cold unsalted butter , cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and orange zest until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, orange juice, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Add egg mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until combined (don’t over-mix) Then gently fold in the cranberries.
- Evenly distribute the batter between all 12 muffin cups, filling each almost full (it usually works out to 2 & 1/2 sized cookie scoops of batter per muffin) – consider having a couple cranberries showing from each muffin for a better visual once they're baked.
- Make the Streusel topping: stir together flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender (or your hands), cut in butter until mixture resembles tiny crumbs. Sprinkle topping over muffin batter.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the streusel is golden.
- Allow muffins to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Can I replace the melted butter in the batter with olive oil?
HI Lori – typically in baked goods swapping butter with a neutral oil (like vegetable oil) is ok, but without some further testing on my end, I can’t vouch for results, sorry! Regardless, I wouldn’t use olive oil. The flavor will not work in these muffins.
Made these and were great .
These are bursting with flavor. Love the orange & cranberry mix!
Made these over the weekend and they are superb! Going to make them again for Christmas morning.
Delicious! I didn’t have milk so I used Buttermilk, also added 1/4 tsp. Salt and walnuts.