Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
Yields: 32 mini muffins
 
These tender mini muffins are one of my favorite winter treats! They’re full of bright citrus flavor, which pairs perfectly with the tangy cranberries. Leftovers will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp (14g) orange zest (about 2 large)
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup (60mL) freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large)
  • ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
  • 1 cup (110g) fresh cranberries, finely diced
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 32 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla crème stevia. Stir in the Greek 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, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the cranberries.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia! It's one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. If you prefer, 8-10 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia, and the milk should be reduced to 1-3 tablespoons to compensate for the added liquid.

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

To quickly dice the cranberries, add them to a food processor, and pulse until they’re no larger than ¼ of their original size.

Frozen and thawed cranberries that have been patted dry to remove any excess moisture may be substituted for the fresh. In a pinch, ½ cup of diced dried cranberries that have been hydrated may be substituted. To hydrated the dried cranberries, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, add water until it rises ½” above the cranberries, and cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit while preparing the scone dough. Just before mixing them in, drain and pat dry.

Be VERY careful if using liners! Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.

If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized muffins. The baking temperature remains the same. Begin checking on them after about 18 minutes. The muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm to the touch.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/11/27/cranberry-orange-mini-muffins/