Cranberry Orange Muffins
Tangy, sweet, and wonderfully fluffy, these Cranberry Orange Muffins are packed with bright orange flavor, dotted with tangy cranberries, and topped with a golden brown cinnamon sugar topping. They’re an easy, unique dessert perfect for sharing with friends and family.
The combination of zesty oranges and tart cranberries gives these muffins the best flavor! The muffins are soft and buttery, which pairs perfectly with the freshness of the cranberries and orange flavor. Then, they’re topped with a golden brown cinnamon sugar crumble and an optional orange glaze for a sweet finishing touch
Great Reasons You Will Want to Make This Recipe
I’ve made these muffins for busy mornings, lazy brunches, the holiday season, or any time I’m craving a tangy, citrusy treat. They’re always a hit! Perfect with a cup of coffee or as a treat to share, these fluffy muffins are just the right mix of sweet and tangy. And that crumble? Downright addictive!
To make this recipe, you’ll need a basic electric mixer and some basic ingredients. You can make these muffins in under an hour, so they’re perfect for whipping up last-minute for parties, breakfast, or as an afternoon snack!
Here’s Your Grocery List
We will start with the basic muffin mix ingredients, and then you will need to gather the cranberry orange items and, my favorite part, the crumb topping.
What You Need To Make The Basic Muffin Mix
- Pantry Staples: You’ll need light brown sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pure vanilla extract.
- Ground Cinnamon: This adds a hint of warmth.
- Unsalted butter: I love using butter for muffins because it adds a richer flavor and develops a crisper top.
- Plain yogurt or sour cream: This keeps the muffins super moist!
- Milk: Thins out the batter and produces the best texture.
What You Need To Make The Orange Cranberry and The Crumb Topping
How To Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
Step 1: Make the Crumb Topping
I start by mixing the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then, I stir in the melted butter and add the flour.
Step 2: Mix
Using a fork, I gently mix until it’s nice and crumbly, no overmixing here! Once it’s ready, I keep the topping in the fridge to chill while I work on the batter. Trust me, cold crumbs hold their shape like a dream when they bake!
Step 3: Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together
In a medium bowl, I whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Pro tip: spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife for perfect accuracy—no dense batter here!
Step 4: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, I beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed for about 2 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula for even mixing.
Pro tip: Make sure your butter is at room temperature; it makes all the difference!
Step 5: Add the Wet Ingredients
Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. Add the orange juice and milk, mixing until well combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled—it will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added.
Step 6: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour visible.
Step 7: Add Orange
Whisk in the orange zest and orange juice.
Step 8: Add Cranberries
Gently fold in the raw cranberries, being careful not to crush them.
Step 9: Fill the Muffin Cups and Bake
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to the top.
Step 10: Add Crumb Topping
Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over each muffin, pressing it down gently to help it stick. If not using crumb topping, sprinkle coarse sugar over the muffins for a crunchy top.
Step 11: Bake!
Two Step Baking: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 16–19 minutes.
Change It Up
- Topping: Ditch the crumble topping and glaze, and use coarse sugar to sprinkle on top before baking the muffins.
- Spice: Add a dash of nutmeg or cardamom for a deeper flavor.
- Orange: If you want even more orange flavor, use a dash of orange extract. Just don’t go crazy, or it can overpower the muffins!
- Texture: Want a heartier texture? Swap out the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour. This is a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat, so it won’t make the muffins too dense. It’ll just add a bit of heartiness.
- Glaze: If you want to dial down on the orange flavor but don’t want to get rid of the glaze, make a standard glaze with powdered sugar and milk instead of orange juice and drizzle it on top of the muffins!
- Flour: The secret to fluffy muffins is not using too much flour. I suggest using the spoon and level method or using a kitchen scale if you have one.
My Favorite Tools For Making Muffins
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Frequently Asked Questions
To zest an orange, use a fine grater or a zester to gently scrape off the thin outer layer of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
For juicing, roll the orange on the counter to release the juices on the inside. Then, cut the orange in half and use a citrus juicer or squeeze by hand, using a fine mesh sieve to catch any seeds.
I don’t recommend it, as dried cranberries can be chewy and won’t give you those juicy pockets of cranberries when the muffins bake. If you can’t find fresh cranberries, frozen will work perfectly as you don’t need to thaw them.
Serving Ideas
If you have a crowd coming to breakfast then it’s a good idea to serve a variiety of muffins like my Pumpkin Muffins.
For drinks, a Dirty Chai Tea Latte or Iced Matcha Latte would be great with muffins.
Fresh Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed tight in the cup
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Muffins
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed tight in the cup
- 2 eggs large, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream you could also use plain yogurt if you prefer
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries you could also use frozen cranberries but don’t thaw them
Optional Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat to 425°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. Liners prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
Make the Crumb Topping
- Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Stir in the melted butter, then add the flour. Use a fork to mix until crumbs form, stopping as soon as it looks crumbly to avoid overmixing.1/4 cup butter
- Place the topping in the refrigerator to keep it cold while making the batter. Cold crumbs hold their shape better when baking.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife for accuracy.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream the Butter and Sugars
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed with a mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar
Add the Wet Ingredients
- Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. Add the orange juice and milk, mixing until well combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled—it will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added.2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour visible.
- Stir in the orange zest.1 tablespoon orange zest
- Gently fold in the raw cranberries, being careful not to crush them.1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
Fill the Muffin Cups and Bake
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to the top.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the muffins, pressing it down gently so it sticks. If not using the crumb topping, sprinkle coarse sugar over the muffins for a crunchy top.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes.
- Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F without opening the oven door. Continue baking for 16–19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Keeping the oven door closed while lowering the temperature ensures even baking.
Cool and Add Glaze
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If using the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice, then drizzle it over the muffins once they are cool.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Notes
- Bake: Don’t overbake the muffins. I recommend reducing the baking time by a few minutes and checking for doneness with a toothpick. It should come out clean when inserted into the center of the muffins.
- Room temperature: Use room temperature ingredients as they will mix into the batter much more easily!
- Mixing: If you don’t have an electric mixer, a hand mixer will work! You can also mix by hand, but you may need some elbow grease.
- Batch: Make a double batch if you’re serving these for a get-together, or freeze the second batch for later!