Cranberry Orange Muffins
This Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe makes soft, fluffy muffins with fresh orange zest and juicy cranberries, topped with crunchy sugar before baking and finished with a sweet orange glaze.
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 365kcal
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Muffins
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 287g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sour cream 180g
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 78ml
- 2 tbsp whole milk 30ml
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice 60ml
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups fresh or frozen cranberries 175g, roughly chopped if desired
- 2 to 3 tbsp turbinado sugar for topping
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar 125g, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest to decorate
Instructions
Make the Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Add the granulated sugar and orange zest to a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar for about 30 seconds, until the sugar is fragrant and slightly moist. This helps release the natural oils from the orange zest and gives the muffins a stronger orange flavor.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
- Fold with a rubber spatula until the batter is about 80% combined. A few streaks of flour should still remain.
- Add the cranberries and gently fold until they are evenly distributed and the remaining flour has just disappeared. Avoid overmixing.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let the batter rest for 30 minutes, if desired. This step is optional but helps produce taller muffin tops.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost all the way to the top.
- Sprinkle each muffin generously with turbinado sugar.
Bake the Muffins
- Bake in the preheated 425ºF oven for 7 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350ºF and continue baking for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the muffins are golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
- Allow the muffins to cool completely before glazing.
Make the Orange Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar and the orange juice together until smooth.
- If the glaze is too thin, add additional sifted powdered sugar a little at a time. If it is too thick, add a few drops of orange juice.
- Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled muffins using a spoon or piping bag.
- Top with finely grated orange zest, if desired.
Notes
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the batter. You can leave the cranberries whole for larger tart pockets or roughly chop them for more even distribution throughout the muffins. Dried cranberries are not a direct substitute because they are sweeter and contain much less moisture.
Sour Cream: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in equal amounts. For the richest flavor and softest crumb, use full-fat yogurt rather than nonfat. Regular plain yogurt can also work, but because it is thinner than sour cream or Greek yogurt, the batter may be slightly looser.
Orange Flavor: Use freshly grated orange zest and fresh orange juice for the strongest flavor. Rub the zest into the sugar before adding the remaining ingredients to release the aromatic oils from the peel. Mandarin or tangerine zest and juice can also be used for a slightly different citrus flavor.
Resting the Batter: Resting the muffin batter for up to 30 minutes before baking is optional, but it can help hydrate the flour and produce taller muffin tops. Do not stir the batter again after resting; simply scoop it into the muffin cups and bake.
Vegetable Oil: The vegetable oil can be replaced with an equal amount of another neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado or canola oil. Mild olive oil can also be used, although it may contribute a subtle flavor. Melted butter can be substituted for the oil, but the muffins will have a slightly firmer crumb and may not stay soft quite as long.
Milk: Whole milk gives the muffins the richest texture, but 2% milk can be used instead. An unsweetened, neutral-flavored non-dairy milk can also be substituted.
Turbinado Sugar: Coarse sparkling sugar or demerara sugar can be used in place of turbinado sugar. Regular granulated sugar can also be used, although it will not provide quite as much crunch.
Glaze: Adjust the glaze consistency as needed with additional powdered sugar or orange juice. For a thicker, more opaque glaze, use less orange juice; for a thinner drizzle, add orange juice a few drops at a time.
Storage: Store the glazed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. For longer storage, refrigerate them and bring them to room temperature before serving.
Freezing: Freeze the muffins, preferably unglazed, in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator, then glaze after thawing if desired.
Reheating: For the best texture, reheat unglazed muffins briefly in a 350ºF oven or microwave in 10- to 15-second intervals. Avoid reheating glazed muffins, since the glaze will melt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 365kcal