Description
Soft and fluffy Cranberry Orange Muffins bursting with fresh cranberries and zesty orange flavor, topped with a sweet orange glaze. This easy one-bowl recipe yields 12 festive muffins perfect for breakfast, snacks, or holiday treats.
Ingredients
Orange Cranberry Muffins
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Optional Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Muffin Pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and lightly spray them with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix Sugar and Orange Zest: In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the mixture feels like wet sand, releasing the orange oils for maximum flavor.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a large spoon, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the batter and keeping the muffins tender.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the fresh or frozen cranberries into the batter to distribute them evenly without breaking them apart.
- Fill Muffin Liners: Using a large cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or spoon, fill each muffin liner to the top with batter for uniformly sized muffins.
- Bake Muffins: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean.
- Prepare Orange Glaze: While the muffins bake, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth to create a sweet, tangy glaze.
- Glaze and Cool: Once muffins are out of the oven and still warm, drizzle the orange glaze over them. Allow the muffins to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving to let the glaze set.
Notes
- For a dairy-free option, this recipe uses unsweetened soy milk; any plant-based milk works well.
- You can substitute fresh cranberries with frozen ones—no need to thaw before adding to batter.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins light and fluffy.
- The orange glaze is optional but adds a nice sweet and tangy finish.
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
