Light & Fluffy Cranberry Orange Muffins

These healthy gluten-free Cranberry Orange Muffins are made in just 30 minutes! The tartness of the fresh cranberries combined with the sweet citrus flavor of the orange makes these fluffy muffins a delicious option for breakfast or dessert.

Want another zesty gluten-free breakfast muffin? These Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are crazy moist and tender!

Healthy Cranberry Orange Breakfast Muffins

As a mother of two, I’m no stranger to chaotic mornings. Because of this, I’m also no stranger to healthy grab-and-go breakfasts that can be made in advance! That’s one of the reasons why I love muffins.

This super simple recipe makes the lightest and fluffiest muffins ever – you would never guess that they’re gluten-free! The cranberries add an extra boost of nutrition and are linked to improving immune function, lowering blood pressure and even preventing various types of cancer. Right on!

These muffins use a secret ingredient that makes them extra moist and also helps them stay fresher for longer. Spoiler alert, it’s coconut oil! Not only does it improve the texture and shelf life of the muffins, but it also makes for a better flavor than you’d get by using butter.

What You’ll Need

Even though these cranberry orange muffins are the best of the best, they still keep everything nice and simple. It starts with a short and sweet list of ingredients!

• 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour: You can sub this for regular all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten-free.
• Sugar: Just enough to keep the muffins soft and moist while adding the right amount of sweetness.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Triple-check the labels to make sure your leavening agents are completely gluten-free, if needed.
• Salt: This locks moisture into the muffins and balances out all the flavors.
• Cranberries: If you’re using frozen cranberries, thaw and dry them first.
• Egg: To bind everything together.
• Vanilla Extract: For depth of flavor.
• Orange Juice: To infuse your muffins with sweet orange flavor!
• Coconut Oil: Melted.
• Orange Zest: Freshly grated.

Can I Use Dried Cranberries Instead?

You certainly may! But you’ll have to adjust the amount you add. In order to prevent the dehydrated fruit from drying out your muffins, only use 3/4 cup of (sweetened) dried cranberries as opposed to 1 cup of fresh or frozen ones.

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How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins

There’s nothing difficult about whipping up these muffins. You just have to mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine them!

Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 400ºF and add cupcake liners to your muffin tin.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest and salt.

Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, orange juice, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract.

Combine Mixtures: Add the wet ingredient mixture to the combined dry ingredients, stirring to combine until it is just moistened.

Add Cranberries: Gently fold in the cranberries.

Bake: Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned.

Enjoy! Remove your muffins from the oven and serve them warm.

Tips for Success

Before you prep for baking and start on your muffin batter, take a minute to go over these tips and tricks. They’ll help guide you through the process!

• Use Good Cupcake Liners: Not all cupcake liners are created equal. I recommend using some that have a non-stick coating so you can peel them off of your muffins effortlessly.
• Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: When you’re combining your wet and dry ingredient mixtures, stop stirring as soon as everything is moistened and combined. Then, fold in the cranberries super gently. Over-mixed batter bakes into less fluffy muffins.
• Let the Muffins Cool a Little: Once you remove your muffins from the oven, give them at least 5 minutes to cool down in the pan before you transfer them to a wire rack or serve them. You can enjoy them warm or let them cool all the way to room temperature. They’re amazing either way!

Variation Ideas

Looking to put a spin on your cranberry orange muffins? Here are some crave-worthy ideas!

• Add Toasted Nuts: Try adding chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts to your muffin batter for extra flavor and a satisfying crunch. Just don’t overdo it with the add-ins or else your muffins won’t be as light.
• Make Glazed Muffins: I love adding a simple orange glaze to these fall-spirited muffins, especially if I’m serving them for dessert. Simply whisk together a cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of orange juice until no lumps are present. Then, pour the glaze over your semi-cooled muffins and let it harden before digging in! Keep in mind that glazed muffins should be stored in the fridge.
• Add Chocolate Chips: White chocolate chips, semi-sweet, dark-chocolate—they all taste amazing inside of these muffins! Use whichever kind of chocolate you’re in the mood for.
• Make Lemon Cranberry Muffins: Not a big fan of orange flavor? Feel free to substitute the orange juice and orange zest for lemonade and lemon zest. Equally yummy!

How to Store & Warm Your Muffins

Once completely cooled, these muffins can be stored at room temperature for 4-5 days. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container. If desired, you can store them for an extra day or two if you transfer them to the fridge. I doubt that will be necessary though – they tend to disappear very quickly!

If you’d like to warm up your leftover muffins before enjoying them, you can pop each one into the microwave right before serving. Heat it for 10-15 second increments until it reaches your desired temperature.

Can I Freeze These?

You absolutely can! Just place the completely cooled muffins into a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw out frozen muffins in the fridge before enjoying.

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More Easy Breakfast Muffin Recipes

I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many muffin recipes. Especially when they’re all as tasty as the ones below!

• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
• Morning Glory Muffins
• Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
• Skinny Banana Nut Muffins

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

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