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Cranberry Orange Muffins

December 28, 2016 / Breakfast, Muffins, Cranberry

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Cranberry orange muffins are just what you need to get you through the winter. They’re bursting with flavor!

Cranberry orange muffins make getting out of bed easier.

Even though I live in Texas and it doesn’t normally get too cold here, winter is still when I want to hunker down and just bake all day. And eat, of course.

This year I’ve managed to not give in to the temptation too much, simply because we’ve been too busy with work and life and everything else that goes with it. But we do still need to eat, and that’s enough excuse for me to load up the kitchen with muffins.

One of the reasons we love muffins so much is that it’s so easy to keep them seasonal. Blueberry muffins in the summer, whole wheat apple cinnamon muffins (my kid’s fave) in the fall, and of course, cranberry orange muffins in winter.

Cranberry orange muffins are just what you need to get you through the winter. They’re bursting with flavor!

Now, for some people Thanksgiving is when they pull out the cranberries, and that’s the end of it. But those tart little jewels are more versatile than people think, and are perfectly wonderful in all sorts of breakfast items. I always make sure to buy enough cranberries so I can freeze the extras and experiment with recipes all winter.

Cranberries do well when paired with orange, which makes sense considering many cranberry sauce recipes include orange juice and zest. That citrus finish with the tart cranberries just screams winter to me.

Cranberry orange muffins are tart and sweet, perfect with a cup of tea.

I like to make sure the tart flavor shines through, so these muffins might have less sugar than you’re used to putting in. I finish them off with a sprinkling of sparking sugar on top, just to add a little bit of extra sweetness and a bit of crunch.

These cranberry orange muffins are a quick breakfast fix, so as long as you have the ingredients on hand (and cranberries thawed, if you’re working from frozen) you can have a whole pan full of warm muffins on the table in under an hour. They’re the perfect thing to make while the kids are outside playing or your spouse is shoveling the latest layer of snow.

Cranberry Orange Muffins are a wonderful winter breakfast.

If you have cranberry sauce on hand rather than whole cranberries, try my cranberry breakfast bread instead!

Cranberry orange muffins make getting out of bed easier.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Cranberry orange muffins are just what you need to get you through the winter. They’re bursting with flavor!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, frozen or thawed
  • Sparkling sugar, Optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and put paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in milk, orange zest, and vanilla.
  4. Pour flour mixture into wet mixture and stir until combined, but do not overmix. Fold in cranberries.
  5. Fill muffin pan wells about 3/4 full. Sprinkle sparkling sugar over the tops of the muffins, if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set
    OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set
  • OXO Good Grips 3-piece Mixing Bowl Set
    OXO Good Grips 3-piece Mixing Bowl Set
  • USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan, 12 Well
    USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan, 12 Well
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 171Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g

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  1. Shirley Heise says

    December 28, 2016 at 5:37 pm

    Excellent recipes for cranberries. Very timely for the season. Thank you and wishing you and your family a very Happy, Health, Prosperous New year. Will surely enjoy using your recipes as years go on. xoxoxo

    Reply
    • Megan says

      December 29, 2016 at 10:50 am

      Thank you Shirley! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, and Happy New Year!

      Reply

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