Hello and happy Monday! If you’re not too excited about Monday, how about moist, delicious and flavor-packed muffins to brighten your day and get your week off to a great start? I really love the flavor combination of orange and cranberry, and I’ve been wanting to post a muffin recipe to the blog, so I am happy to share these orange Craisin muffins with you today. I love breads of all kinds, but when I need a freshly-baked bread in a hurry then of course quick breads are the way to go. If you’re a fan of orange and cranberry too, you will also surely love these orange cranberry scones. They’re the perfect holiday morning breakfast treat!
I have been enjoying these for breakfast daily and don’t regret making them at all. They are so moist and I love the tangy flavor of the Craisins. So good!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
I decided to leave the muffin tops “bare-faced” and didn’t include a topping. The muffins themselves are so flavorful with the addition of the Craisins that I didn’t think they needed anything else. Also, I didn’t want to add any additional calories. However, if you would like, I think they would be great with a chopped nut topping – like walnuts or pecans. If you are interested in a crumb-topped, or streusel, muffin, our Strawberry Muffins with Ginger Crumb Topping are divine.
- 2 cups white all-purpose flour.
- 1 cup white granulated sugar. If you are concerned about the amount of sugar, you can probably get away with using 3/4 of a cup rather than a full cup.
- 1½ teaspoon double acting baking powder. This helps to the muffins to rise. Double acting means that it will first act, or react, when the liquid ingredients are added to the dry, then it will act again in the oven. The baking powder that is most common on the grocery store shelves is the double-acting kind.
- ½ teaspoon salt. Enhances the natural flavor of the muffins. It will not make your muffins taste salty.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda. Works with the acid of the orange juice to help the muffins to rise.
- ¾ cup milk. I recommend using whole milk. It will add a little bit of extra fat to help your muffins be more moist.
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled. If using unsalted butter, increase salt to 1 teaspoon.
- ½ cup orange juice. Juice from one large orange is usually sufficient.
- 1 tablespoon orange zest. See our Lime Scones post for a tip for how to zest citrus. Be sure to zest the whole orange before slicing and juicing it.
- 1 large egg. Brought to room temperature and beaten.
- 1 cup Craisins.
Instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour a large 6-cup jumbo muffin pan or you can line it with large paper liners.
Step 2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 3. In a medium bowl, add milk, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and beaten egg. Whisk or beat for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4. Add wet ingredient to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in Craisins until well-distributed.
Step 5. Divide batter evenly for 6 muffins into your prepared muffin pan. Each well should be about ¾ full. If using double acting baking powder, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the baking powder to start working. If using single acting baking powder, bake your muffins right away.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. To get a more even bake, turn pans around halfway through baking.
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Tips for Success
- Measure Ingredients Accurately. Use the spoon-and-level method for flour to avoid overpacking, which can lead to dense muffins. Measure liquids with a liquid measuring cup for precision.
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Make sure the egg and melted butter are at room temperature. This helps them mix more smoothly with the other ingredients, leading to a better batter consistency.
- Do Not Overmix. When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix just until they are incorporated. Overmixing can result in tough, dense muffins rather than light and fluffy ones.
- Fresh Orange Zest. Use freshly grated orange zest for the best flavor. It adds a vibrant citrus note that enhances the muffins.
- Rest the Batter. If using double-acting baking powder, let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking. This allows the baking powder to activate, contributing to better rise and texture.
- Check for Doneness: Start checking the muffins a few minutes before the recommended baking time. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the muffins are done.
- Rotate the Pan. For even baking, rotate the muffin pan halfway through the baking time. This helps all muffins bake uniformly and achieve a consistent golden brown color.
- Cool Properly. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This prevents them from becoming soggy at the bottom and helps maintain their structure.
Related Recipes
More quick bread and muffin recipes to make and enjoy!
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Orange Craisin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups white all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder double acting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled. If using unsalted butter, increase salt to 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup orange juice Juice from one large orange is usually sufficient
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 large egg brought to room temperature and beaten
- 1 cup Craisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour a large 6-cup jumbo muffin pan or you can line it with large paper liners.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add milk, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and beaten egg. Whisk or beat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredient to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in Craisins until well-distributed.
- Divide batter evenly for 6 muffins into your prepared muffin pan. Each well should be about 3/4 full. If using double acting baking powder, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the baking powder to start working. If using single acting baking powder, bake your muffins right away.Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. To get a more even bake, turn pans around halfway through baking.
These are excellent! I had two oranges in the fridge, and a half bag of Craisins in the cupboard — both of which I wanted to use up. I came across this recipe when looking for a way to use both.
The only change I made was to cut the sugar down a bit — I used about 2/3 cup rather than 3/4. The muffins were plenty sweet.
I do not have a “jumbo” muffin pan, so I made regular size, and got 10 rather than just 6. I filled the cups to just about full, and they came out with nice high tops. I almost couldn’t wait for them to be cool enough to taste. They have plenty of orange flavor, and the cranberries make a nice tart juxtaposition to the orange. They were moist and just dense enough.
I’ll definitely keep this recipe for future reference, and would not hesitate to make these again.
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the muffins, Ann Marie! I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. 🙂
Made these for the office – rave reviews! So easy. Added an orange glaze just to be fancy. This recipe is a keeper!
I am so glad the muffins were a hit, Cynthia! 👏
I did regular sized muffins and baked for 18 minutes. They’re very good but I’ll bet that they’ll have an even better (oranger) flavor tomorrow
Hi Sue, I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins. I can vouch for the fact that they taste even better the next day. They also freeze very well. We like to keep them in the freezer for an easy breakfast or quick snack. 🙂
There muffins are outstanding!
Very tasty. I couldn’t stop eating them after we made them.
Definitely Recommend.
I’m so glad you like them!
This recipe is missing something no liquids should be revised to include missing ingredient because this is incomplete. if it is made like it is will not turn out correctly
Thank you for letting me know, JR. I inadvertently omitted the milk when I copied the recipe over from my notes. I didn’t realize from Lori’s comment above that the liquid was missing altogether. I have corrected the recipe.
These were very good. We did the 2X recipe and added 1 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water, because there is very little liquid in this recipe. It made 2 dozen regular size and1 dozen mini muffins.
Thank you, Lori. I’m glad you like the muffins!