Living in warm northern California, where our summer temperatures regularly reach 100°F, it rarely feels like fall until the beginning of November. Days stay sunny and around 70-80°F clear through Halloween, with only an occasional puffy white cloud in the sky.
So when I woke up to rain this past Saturday morning—not just a sprinkle, not just a drizzle, but full-on rain—I thought I was still dreaming and checked the calendar for the date. October 25. Hmm…
I stared out the window for a few minutes like a tiny baby seeing water falling from the sky for the first time, full of awe and wonder, before eventually wandering back to my closet to pull out running clothes, with the plan of hopping on the treadmill.
However, I logged onto my computer for a bit first to check Facebook and respond to Tweets. (A blogger’s work is never done!) When I resurfaced twenty minutes later and glanced outside, a beam of sunlight shone down between two pale gray fluffy clouds. The rain had completely stopped!
So I tentatively started jogging outside past the elementary school and through the dog park. By the time I arrived home an hour later, the sun had entirely replaced the clouds! What strange weather we have…
And once I pulled off my sneakers and walked into the kitchen, I immediately grabbed one of these Cranberry Orange Muffins. Their cute orange huge and bright citrus flavor exactly matched the sunshine outside!
Earlier this month, a reader asked if I had a recipe for cranberry orange muffins, and I stared at my computer screen in surprise. I adore that flavor combination—it was the first scone flavor I ever tried as a 14-year-old and I even turned it into granola last fall—but I hadn’t created a classic healthy muffin recipe with it yet!
So here’s the result! These easy muffins are soft, tender, and have the perfect crumb. They’re packed with bright citrus flavor with the perfect tangy complement from the dried cranberries. Although maybe a little too perfect… I ate way too many in one day!
The first step on the instructions may sound a little strange. You need to combine the dried cranberries with water and microwave for a bit. This actually rehydrates the cranberries and softens them so they aren’t quite so tough and chewy. It also ensures that the muffins stay moist. Otherwise, the dried cranberries would soak up moisture from the batter while they baked, which would dry out the muffins.
You’ll need one large orange for these muffins. Yes, you could use a carton of OJ instead, but nothing beats the pure flavor of freshly squeezed. And since you absolutely need the zest, you might as well juice the orange too.
Yes, that’s right. Do not skip the zest! That’s actually where the majority of the orange flavor comes from. If your orange doesn’t yield a tablespoon of zest, just use whatever you get—whether it’s over or under. It won’t matter too much!
Split fresh out of the oven or toasted with a little pat of butter melting in between the tender crumbs, these Cranberry Orange Muffins just can’t be beat! They’re the perfect cool-weather breakfast… And snack… And dessert… And…
Now you can probably see why mine are already gone!
These classic muffins are really soft and tender! They’re full of bright citrus flavor with the perfect tangy complement from the dried cranberries. Store any leftovers in a zip-topped bag in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat individual muffins in the microwave for 12-16 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 standard-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the dried cranberries and water to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds. Let the bowl sit while preparing the muffin batter.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the agave. Add in the yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the orange juice. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Drain the hydrated dried cranberries, and gently fold into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 17-20 minutes, or until barely golden brown and the centers feel fairly firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: 1 c (120g) millet flour, ½ c (60g) brown rice flour, ½ c (60g) tapioca flour, and 2 tsp (6g) xanthan gum.
You may also substitute regular whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, or all-purpose flour in place of the white whole wheat flour.
Fresh chopped cranberries may be substituted in place of the dried cranberries and water.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Cranberry orange is one of the best flavor combos! And Your muffins look so perfect.
I am so jealous of your mild fall weather. We are freezing our buns off over here on the eastern US. I took the dog out this morning and shivered so badly I could here my bones chatter.
Thanks Jen! You’re so brave to walk your dog in that weather. I’d refuse and just burrow under more blankets! I’m such a wimp when it comes to the cold.
The weather in Washington has been bizarre lately too. I actually have enjoyed the rain we’ve had here and there along with the wind. It’s been fun….for now. 🙂
I’m glad we aren’t the only ones with strange weather! I love the rain as long as (a) I’m not trying to run {my Renaud’s kicks in!} or (b) trying to photograph recipes for the blog. Otherwise it can rain all it wants! 😉
These muffins look divine! I love the orange/cranberry combo!! 🙂
Thank you so much Jocelyn! 🙂
I just wanted to leave a comment regarding trying your recipe. I would like to say it was really good, but I messed up. Got distracted and had to fudge with the recipe. I somehow thought I needed an entire cup of squeezed orange juice (it took 3 oranges plus a smidge of water), I added the entire cup to the wet mix and THEN decided to check the recipe measurement, ugh. SO I noticed that I needed 1/4 c of milk, I figured I could substitute 1/4 c orange juice for the milk, that left me with another half a cup over of the juice needed. SO I decided to double the recipe (again subbing oj for the milk). Then, I didn’t have another orange to zest (but I added an extra half Tablespoon to begin with, as I LOVE orange). I also didn’t have enough yogurt, so I substituted coconut oil for the second batch. After I pulled all 24 muffins out of the oven, and allowed to cool just enough, I had to check it out. The flavor was good, but I think it needs some salted butter with it vs dry. And they were moist. All despite my mistakes and substitutes. Thank you for sharing. I hope next time, I will be able to enjoy them the way you wrote the recipe.
I’m so impressed that you persevered Kimi! That takes so much dedication to continue, despite distractions. (I get distracted in the kitchen all the time — disaster normally ensues! 😉 ) I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor, and I can’t wait to hear how your next batch turns out when you bake them again as written!
Do you think this would work as a bundt cake if I doubled the recipe?
Yes, I think that should work! 🙂 I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it Steph!
What could you use instead of agave nectar?
Honey or pure maple syrup would be the best substitutes! You can also use 1/3 cup of brown sugar + 3 tablespoons of milk to replace the agave. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins Danica!
Could I use almond milk instead of regular milk?
Yes, that’s fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins Sasha!
Used whole wheat flour, full-fat plain yogurt and a combination of date syrup and honey (instead of agave). Otherwise followed the recipe to a T.
Made mini muffins and they turned out nice and reasonably moist.
Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Binu! 🙂