Go Back

Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins

5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 12 standard muffins
Category Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

These Cranberry Orange Muffins are bursting with so much fresh flavor. Using just a handful of pantry staple ingredients, you can have these muffins prepped in just 15 minutes. They're perfect to make ahead for a busy week as an on-the-go breakfast or snack.

Save This Recipe!

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (200g) fresh cranberries
  • 2 cups (226g) white whole-wheat flour or regular whole-wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5g) kosher salt
  • teaspoon cloves, optional
  • 1 cup (227g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt*
  • cup (67g) extra-virgin olive oil, or melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup (156g) pure maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs (100g)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh orange zest, divided
  • 2 teaspoons (9g) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners then coat liners with nonstick spray. 
  • In a food processor, process cranberries until chopped, about 10 pulses; set aside.
  • Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves in a large bowl, set aside.
  • Whisk together yogurt, oil, maple syrup, eggs, 2 teaspoons orange zest, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture and mix until mostly incorporated but some pockets of flour remain.
  • Gently fold chopped cranberries into batter just until combined.
  • Divide batter (it will be thick) between prepared muffin cups, about a heaping ¼ cup per muffin cup. Combine turbinado sugar with remaining teaspoon orange zest and sprinkle evenly over cups of batter.
  • Bake muffins 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping muffins in oven, reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 16–18 minutes more. Total bake time is about 21–23 minutes.
  • (For mini muffins, bake 11–14 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
  • Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store cooled muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Notes

*Greek yogurt: I recommend whole-milk Greek yogurt, but you can use any fat content you prefer, just be sure to use Greek yogurt. Sour cream can also be substituted. 
Make these Egg Free: Substitute flax eggs for regular eggs. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flax (flax meal) with 3 tablespoons water. Let mixture soak for 10 minutes before using.
Make these Vegan: Replace eggs with flax eggs (see note above). Replace Greek yogurt with 1 cup thick vegan yogurt, or replace with 2/3 cup vegan buttermilk (⅔ cup non-dairy milk + 2 teaspoons white vinegar). Let buttermilk rest 5 minutes before using.
Make these Gluten-Free: Swap the whole-wheat flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
Storage: 
You can store these healthy cranberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. We love to warm ours in the toaster oven or regular oven for a few minutes before serving. It's a trick to make them feel like they just came out of the oven.
Freezing the muffins isn't a problem either! Just wrap in plastic or in an airtight container again and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 5gFat: 7.5gSaturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 114mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4.5g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!