Cranberry Orange Muffins
Published 10/31/2020 • Updated 8/4/2022
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These Cranberry Orange Muffins are bursting with all those seasonal flavors you love! Made from healthy ingredients, including fresh cranberries and orange zest. Enjoy!
Cranberry Muffins – A Taste of the Holidays
The first thing we said when testing these muffins: IT SMELLS LIKE THE HOLIDAYS IN HERE! And the flavor of these fluffy and delicious muffins are just as good as they smell.
With fresh cranberries and orange zest, plus other healthy ingredients like white whole wheat flour and applesauce, these muffins are not only a crowd pleaser, but they’re healthy, too!
CHeck it out!
6 Healthy Muffin Recipes – 1 Base Batter
Are you a muffin queen just like us? Here’s our favorite base recipe for healthy muffins + 6 different healthy muffin recipes you can make with it! Get all 6 healthy muffin recipes HERE!
Here’s What You Need
These cranberry orange muffins require just 6 wet ingredients and 6 dry ingredients!
Dry
- White whole wheat flour
- Coconut sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Orange zest
- Fresh cranberries (frozen works, too)
Wet
- Eggs
- Maple syrup
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Orange extract
- Melted coconut oil
Ingredient Substitutions
- White whole wheat flour: While whole wheat flour definitely works the best time and time again, but if you’re hoping to swap for a different flour, we suggest the following (and only the following) at a 1:1 ratio: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Unfortunately, we do not recommend substituting 1:1 for coconut flour and/or almond flour.
- Coconut sugar: The only sugar we would recommend swapping for coconut sugar 1:1 is a light brown sugar.
- Eggs: We have not tested these recipes without eggs. If you do try these recipes with a flax egg, please let us know how it goes!
- Maple syrup: Honey would be a fantastic 1:1 swap for maple syrup, and potentially agave nectar.
- Almond milk: Good news! Any kind of milk will work with a 1:1 swap. Try soy milk, cow milk or coconut milk.
- Coconut oil: While we haven’t tested any other subs, we’re confident butter would work as well as canola oil! If you try either of these, let us know how it works!
cranberry orange muffin quick tips
Don’t Over Mix: this recipe calls for eggs and an over beaten egg isn’t good for anyone! Try not to over mix your muffins or you’ll risk over whipping the eggs.
Don’t Over Bake: use a toothpick to check the center of your muffins. If it comes out clean, your muffins are done. Over baked muffins don’t last as long and aren’t as joyful to eat. Operation: MOIST MUFFINS.
Don’t Skip Orange Zest: We’re serious! Orange zest adds such a distinct and citrusy flavor to these muffins.
How to Store Muffins: Let muffins cool completely and then store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them (learn how below!)
How to Freeze Muffins
If you’re meal prepping healthy snacks, this is a great recipe to make a double or triple batch and then freeze for later enjoyment throughout the fall months. It’s super easy:
- First, let the muffins cool completely.
- Then, place muffins on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet into the freezer.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Once the muffins are frozen, transfer into a freezer-safe, gallon-size bag. Then, remove as much air as possible and seal.
- Write “Cranberry Orange Muffins” on the front of the bag along with an “eat by date” 3 months from the time you made the muffins.
To thaw: remove a frozen muffin from the bag. Then, let thaw on the countertop for 30 minutes OR defrost in the microwave for a few minutes, and enjoy.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
Dry
- 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, frozen works too
Wet
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. We suggest also spraying your muffin liners with cooking spray just in case.
- Next, place dry ingredients into a medium bowl and mix.
- Then, in a large bowl crack 2 eggs and whisk. Add maple syrup, almond milk, applesauce, and orange extract, and mix.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and then mix. Then, add in melted coconut oil and mix again.
- Fill each muffin about ¾ to all the way full (these are going to be big muffins). Then, place in the oven at 350ºF and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
- Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin to continue cooling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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