Description
Anera’s Delightful Cranberry Orange Muffins are a perfect blend of tart cranberries and zesty orange, baked to golden perfection. These moist and flavorful muffins are sweetened with granulated sugar and topped with turbinado sugar for a delightful crunch. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or a tasty snack, they bring a bright, fresh citrus aroma and festive color to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Other
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw if frozen)
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (for a crunchy top)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare muffin pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a jumbo muffin pan with paper liners, or grease the cups well to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the light olive oil or vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, whole milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold the mixture together until just combined. The batter will remain slightly lumpy; avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Add cranberries: Carefully fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries, distributing them evenly throughout the batter without crushing them.
- Fill muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Top with turbinado sugar: Sprinkle a small amount of turbinado sugar on top of each muffin for a crunchy and sweet topping.
- Bake muffins: Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes to give a good initial rise, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool muffins: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes to set their structure, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Do not thaw frozen cranberries before adding to the batter to prevent excess moisture.
- Gently folding the batter helps keep muffins tender and fluffy.
- Use jumbo muffin liners if available; otherwise, grease the pan thoroughly.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute whole milk with almond or oat milk.
