Description
These Cranberry Orange Muffins are a delightful blend of tart fresh cranberries and bright orange zest, baked to golden perfection. Perfectly moist with a tender crumb, these muffins offer a subtle sweetness balanced by the citrus and a crunchy coarse sugar topping, making them a perfect treat for breakfast or a snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit and Zest
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cranberries
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Topping
- Coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners or lightly spray them with nonstick cooking spray to ensure easy muffin removal.
- Flavor the Sugar and Cranberries: In a small bowl, combine the orange zest with the granulated sugar, mixing with your fingertips to release the orange oils and moisten the sugar, which enhances the flavor. Stir in the chopped cranberries and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice, buttermilk, and vegetable oil until evenly combined.
- Combine Batter: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir just until combined to avoid overmixing, then gently fold in the cranberry-sugar mixture ensuring the cranberries are distributed evenly without breaking them up too much.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Add Topping: Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar to create a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Bake Muffins: Bake the muffins at 425°F for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 6-7 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from becoming soggy and helps them set perfectly.
Notes
- My favorite coarse sugar for topping muffins and quick breads is Sugar in the Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar.
- If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before chopping to prevent excess moisture in the batter.
- Substitutions: Vegetable oil can be replaced with any neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the buttermilk with a dairy-free milk mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to mimic buttermilk.
- For a vegan version, use the dairy-free buttermilk substitute and replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, allowed to thicken for 5 minutes).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
