Description
Delightfully moist and flavorful cranberry orange muffins topped with a buttery crumb topping and drizzled with fresh orange icing. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, these muffins combine tart cranberries with bright citrus zest and juice for a refreshing burst of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (83g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk (any kind), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (185g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
Orange Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon with the melted butter. Add the flour and gently mix with a fork until crumbly without forming a paste. Refrigerate the mixture to keep crumbs cold and firm for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Orange Zest and Wet Ingredients: Beat in the orange zest on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract; beat for 1 minute, then increase to high speed until combined and mostly creamy. It’s normal if the mixture looks slightly curdled. Scrape bowl sides as needed.
- Combine Slowly with Dry Ingredients, Juice, and Milk: On low speed, add the dry flour mixture, fresh orange juice, and milk. Beat just until no flour pockets remain. Gently fold in fresh or frozen cranberries by hand to avoid smashing them. The batter will be thick.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Add Topping: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups to the top. Evenly spoon crumb topping onto each muffin and gently press down so it sticks. Alternatively, sprinkle coarse sparkling sugar if not using crumb topping.
- Bake Muffins: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C). Continue baking for an additional 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Total baking time is about 24 minutes.
- Cool Muffins: Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for at least 15 minutes before icing.
- Prepare Orange Icing and Drizzle: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and fresh orange juice together until smooth. Drizzle the icing over warm or cooled muffins.
- Store and Serve: Iced or plain muffins keep fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freeze baked and cooled muffins for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving. Warm in the microwave if desired.
- Use nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt, Greek or regular, or substitute sour cream.
- Any type of milk can be used, dairy or non-dairy. For best texture and flavor, avoid nonfat milk.
- If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw before folding into batter.
- For jumbo muffin pans: bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 25 minutes, total 30 minutes; yields about 6 jumbo muffins.
- For mini muffins: bake at 350°F for 14 minutes; yields about 36–40 mini muffins.
- Use coarse sparkling sugar as a crunchy topping option if skipping crumb topping.
- Ensure crumb topping is not overmixed to maintain crumbly texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
