Description
Enjoy bakery-style cranberry orange muffins with a perfectly moist and tender texture. Packed with fresh cranberries, zesty orange flavor, and warm spices like nutmeg and cardamom, these muffins are an irresistible breakfast or snack treat. Top with an optional orange glaze for an extra citrusy kick.
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Orange Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
⅓ cup orange juice
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
For the Orange Glaze (Optional):
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated
2 teaspoons whole milk (adjust for consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and orange zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix in vanilla and orange extracts.
- In a separate bowl, whisk sour cream and orange juice.
- On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in cranberries.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- To prepare the glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins before serving.
Notes
For added crunch, fold ½ cup of chopped nuts into the batter.
Substitute Greek yogurt or buttermilk for sour cream if needed.
Lightly spray muffin liners to ensure easy removal.
Frozen cranberries can be used directly without thawing—toss them in flour to prevent sinking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12 muffins
- Calories: 290 per muffin
