Go Back
A close-up of a plate of freshly baked cranberry muffins, topped with sparkling sugar and garnished with fresh cranberries.

Zesty Cranberry Orange Muffins

These delightful cranberry orange muffins are bursting with tart cranberries and fragrant orange zest, creating a perfect balance of flavors. A soft, moist crumb and an optional crunchy streusel topping make them an irresistible breakfast or snack.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 large Egg room temperature
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest from 1 large orange
  • 1 1/2 cups Cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup Streusel all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup Streusel granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cold unsalted butter for streusel cut into small pieces

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • 12-cup Muffin Tin
  • Muffin Liners (optional)
  • Zester

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add the 2 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter. Use your fingertips or a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the large egg, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon orange zest until thoroughly combined.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are perfectly normal. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins.
  6. Gently fold in the 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  7. Divide the muffin batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups.
  8. If using the streusel topping, sprinkle it generously over the top of each muffin.
  9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  10. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For an extra burst of flavor, you can sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top of the muffins before baking, even without the streusel. Muffins store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before adding to the batter to prevent the batter from turning purple.