Orange Cranberry Breakfast Muffins (Printable)
Moist, zesty muffins with tart cranberries and sweet orange—ideal for a bright morning.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tsp baking powder
04 - ½ tsp baking soda
05 - ½ tsp salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - ½ cup vegetable oil
08 - ¾ cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)
09 - Zest of 1 large orange
10 - ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
11 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Add-Ins
12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved if large
13 - 2 tbsp coarse sugar (optional, for topping)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in vegetable oil, buttermilk, orange zest, fresh orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Fold cranberries evenly into the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and optionally sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They stay moist for days, which means you can bake once and have breakfast sorted all week.
- The cranberry-orange combo gives you that bright, awake feeling without needing five cups of coffee.
- They're genuinely easy—no fancy techniques, just fold and bake.
02 -
- Stop mixing the moment the dry ingredients disappear into the wet—lumpy batter makes tender muffins, smooth batter makes hockey pucks.
- If you're using fresh cranberries, toss them with a tablespoon of flour before folding them in and they won't sink to the bottom.
03 -
- Don't skip the zesting step—the oils from the orange peel are where most of the flavor lives, and the juice alone won't give you that same brightness.
- Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly together, so pull your eggs and buttermilk out about 20 minutes before you start if you remember.