Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe (2024)

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Everyone will love these delicious Cranberry Muffins and they are super easy to make. These Cranberry Orange Muffins are bursting with flavor and are perfect for breakfast or a afternoon snack.

Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe (1)

Cranberry Muffins are the perfect addition to your morning routine or for a fun afternoon snack. Either way, I think your family will love them. Orange zest and cranberry go so good together and these muffins really helps to bring the combination together.

If you love cranberries, then check out these cranberry recipes for all your holiday dinners. I love making Cranberry Orange Bread to enjoy on Christmas morning.

Table of Contents

  • Why We Love this Recipe:
  • Ingredients:
  • Variations:
  • Step by Step Instructions:
  • Expert Tips:
  • Can You Use Dried Cranberries instead of Fresh?
  • Can You Freeze?
  • How To Reheat:
  • How to Store:
  • Frequently Asked Questions:
  • More Easy Muffin Recipes:
  • Easy Cranberry Muffins Recipe Recipe
Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe (2)

Why We Love this Recipe:

Here are some reasons why making these muffins are better:

  • Simple Ingredients – We love this recipe because there are no fancy ingredients. Simple ingredients that you probably already have at home and simple process. No added ingredients that you can’t spell are needed to make these muffins taste great.
  • Soft Texture – These muffins are so moist and simply put, taste amazing.
  • Amazing Flavor – Making them at home allows you to monitor how much or how little you put in. I like putting a lot of cranberries in the muffins because they are just so good.
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Ingredients:

  • All Purpose Flour
  • Brown Sugar
  • Baking Powder
  • Eggs
  • Orange Juice
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Cranberries – Fresh or Frozen

For the full recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.

Variations:

This muffing recipe is delicious with a variety of additions that can be added. These are some of our suggestions.

  • Chocolate Chips
  • Fresh Orange Zest
  • Chopped Nuts – Walnuts, Pecans, or Slice Almonds

Step by Step Instructions:

  • Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375. Next, line muffin pan with paper liners.
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Step 2 – Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, brown sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.

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Step 3 – In another medium bowl beat together eggs, orange juice and oil. Occasionally, I will add in some vanilla extract.

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Step 4 – Add wet ingredients into the flour mixture ingredients just until moistened. Combine the ingredients with a stand mixer or a hand held mixer.

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Step 5 – Fold in tart cranberries. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. I like adding in a few extra cranberries for on top of the muffins before placing them in the oven.

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Step 6 – Divide muffin batter into the muffin tin.

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Step 7 – Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.Place on a wire rack to cool.

Expert Tips:

  • Muffin Pan – Now you can easily use muffin paper cups for your muffins if you want. But we started using these silicone baking muffin pans and we love them. You don’t have to use cupcake liners and the muffins just slide right out without sticking.
  • Cooking Scoop – Also, instead of just spooning enough batter into each muffin cup, I love to use a large baking scoop. This is so quick and easy and delivers the perfect amount of batter every time. Once you use a scoop for spoon in your muffin batter you will never got back to the boring spoons.
  • Glaze – I love adding a little glaze to these muffins. The drizzle of orange glaze, adds that additional orange flavor that I love. We have even added a crumb streusel topping for added flavor.
  • Gluten-Free – Feel free to make this muffins with whole wheat flour or almond flour for a gluten free options.
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Can You Use Dried Cranberries instead of Fresh?

Yes, you can use dried cranberries. I like to softened them a bit by I place them in some hot water. Then I pat them dry with a paper towel before placing them in the batter.

I typically use fresh around the holidays when they are on sale and dried during the other times of the year. Using dried cranberries you might notice that they dried cranberries are a bit chewy. Also are a little sweeter than fresh cranberries.

Can You Freeze?

Yes, this muffin recipe is a great option to prepare when meal planning. You would simply put the muffins in a freeze safe container or ziplock back and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I like to label the container and date it so I know that it is and when I placed it in the freezer. Before placing in the freeze, make sure that your muffins are at room temperature.

How To Reheat:

Once you are ready to have a muffin, pull out how many you want to eat and let them thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. If I have time, I might pop them in the oven for a few minutes to give it that fresh out of the oven taste.

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How to Store:

We love to meal plan for the week. Which often includes breakfast items for my family. You can make these muffins and store them in a airtight container for up to 3 days. Or you can put them in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Then you can microwave them or put them in the oven for about 5 minutes to heat them up.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Do You Have to Cook Cranberries Before Baking?

No, you can just toss them in the muffin mixture. Since you are putting them in these muffins, no need to cook them. You want your cranberries to be sweet and tart.
If you are using them for something other than baking, then you would need to cook them on your stove top.

Can I Use Frozen Cranberries?

Yes, you can use frozen cranberries. The best part is that you do not have to thaw them before using them in this muffin recipe.
You just toss them in the muffin batter and continue baking them.

More Easy Muffin Recipes:

  • Easy Baked French Toast Muffins Recipe
  • Lemon Blueberry Muffins Recipe
  • Mini Donut Muffins
  • Homemade Blueberry Muffin Recipe
  • Quick and Easy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
  • Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins Recipe
  • Chocolate Chip Muffins

We love hearing from you. If you make this Cranberry Muffins Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.

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Review

Pin Print

Easy Cranberry Muffins Recipe

4.92 from 12 votes

Try this easy and delicious Easy Cranberry Muffins Recipe next time you grab cranberries on sale. This is perfect for a breakfast or a snack around the holidays.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 12

Cuisine American

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Calories 202

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.

  • Line muffin pan with paper liners.

  • Mix together flour, brown sugar and baking powder. Set aside.

  • Beat together eggs. orange juice and oil.

  • Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

  • Fold in cranberries.

  • Spoon into prepared muffin pan.

  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

  • Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 202kcal, Carbohydrates 32g, Protein 3g, Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 27mg, Sodium 16mg, Potassium 173mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 15g, Vitamin A 76IU, Vitamin C 9mg, Calcium 56mg, Iron 1mg

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About the Author

Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe (22)

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

About Carrie Page
Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh? ›

Can I substitute dried cranberries in recipes that call for fresh cranberries? Yes, dried cranberries work well in baked goods; however there is a ¼ cup difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, use ¾ cup of sweetened dried cranberries.

Should you rehydrate dried cranberries for muffins? ›

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

What kind of cranberries do you use for baking? ›

Choose. Although cranberries are almost always prepackaged, look for firm, plump berries with a deep red color. Avoid shriveled or soft berries.

Do cranberries need to be cooked before baking? ›

Do you need to cook fresh cranberries before baking? While cranberries should not be eaten as is (they are unpleasantly tart), they do not need to be cooked before they are used in baked goods.

Should cranberries be chopped before baking? ›

Baking with Cranberries: Cut cranberries in half before adding them to baked goods to prevent them from swelling and popping. Cooking Cranberries on the Stove-Top: Simmer whole cranberries gently in a small amount of water, uncovered, since too much steam might cause them to swell and explode.

What kind of muffins does Mcdonald's sell? ›

With a choice of five delectable flavours including Banana Chocolate Chunk, Blueberry, Carrot, Fruit 'n Fibre and Cranberry Orange.

Why do muffins have so much sugar? ›

Sugar helps baked goods retain moisture and do it for longer. That's especially true in the case of honey or other liquid sweeteners. Breads and cakes (and English muffins) made with honey will lose water more slowly than those made with table sugar, McGee says.

Can you use Craisins instead of cranberries? ›

Yes, Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries work well in baked goods; however, there is a 1/4 cup (60 mL) difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh cranberries you should use 3/4 cup (175 mL) of Craisins®.

Are Craisins dried cranberries? ›

Dried cranberries may be marketed as craisins due to the similarity in appearance with raisins, although the word "Craisin" is a registered trademark of Ocean Spray. Craisins were introduced as part of a packaged cereal produced by Ralston Purina in 1989.

What can I do with old dried cranberries? ›

Piquant and sweet dried cranberries are a fall baking favorite. Our repetoire of recipes with dried cranberries features bread, muffins, desserts and cookies.

Is it better to bake with fresh or frozen cranberries? ›

If cooking your berries into a pie filling, you may need to add additional thickening agents because frozen berries tend to release more liquid than fresh and will lead to a runnier consistency. For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried in baking? ›

Fresh cranberries make a great addition to your baking, whether it's throwing them into bread or pancakes, flinging them into muffins or scones, or tossing a handful into any dry ingredients for baking to add a tart and tangy flavour.

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh in baking? ›

Cooking with cranberries is a fun and easy way to incorporate unique flavor, color and variety into meals. Frozen cranberries can often be used in recipes that call for fresh without even having to thaw.

What can you use in place of fresh cranberries? ›

There's not a direct substitute for fresh cranberries, but you could make a relish or chutney using a combination of fresh cherries and pomegranates, as well as a small amount of dried cranberries or dried figs. The flavor will be more sweet than tart, but it serves the same purpose.

Do you soak dried cranberries? ›

Even if you don't have overly dried fruit, it's nice to plump them a little before adding to salads or other dishes that aren't cooked. This technique gives the fruit a soft texture and more flavor. If you plan to cook or bake with dried fruit, soaking it first will keep it plump and moist.

Do dried cranberries have the same effect as cranberry juice? ›

All forms of cranberry (juice, sauce, and dried) provide similar health benefits. An 8oz serving of 27% cranberry juice co*cktail provides the same level of goodness as: 1/4 cup fresh cranberries. 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries.

Are dried cranberries sweeter than fresh? ›

Quantity Adjustment:Dried cranberries are sweeter and more concentrated in flavor than fresh ones.

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