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Home » Baking » Cranberry Muffins with Orange Glaze

Published: October 15, 2019 Last Modified: October 15, 2019 By Sara 36 Comments

Cranberry Muffins with Orange Glaze

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Cranberry Muffins Recipe | Cranberry Orange Muffins #cranberry #muffins #orange #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo

These light and tender cranberry muffins are filled with fresh berries and orange zest, then topped with streusel and a simple orange glaze. A delicious treat that’s perfect for breakfast or after school snacks, and also makes a festive holiday dessert.

Muffins are always a hit in my house – some of our favorites include cherry muffins and blueberry muffins. During the winter months I make a ton of these cranberry muffins. They’re the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors!

Cranberry Muffins Recipe | Cranberry Orange Muffins #cranberry #muffins #orange #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo Cranberry Muffins Recipe | Cranberry Orange Muffins #cranberry #muffins #orange #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo

Cranberry muffins topped with streusel and orange glaze.

When fresh cranberries are in season, I bake with them almost every week. I just can’t get enough of that sweet-tart flavor combination. These cranberry muffins taste like they came from a fancy bakery, but they’re actually super easy to make.

How do you make cranberry muffins?

This is a simple muffin batter made with flour, sugar, buttermilk, butter and orange zest. A generous amount of chopped cranberries are stirred into the batter and an easy streusel goes over the top. I top my cranberry muffins with a 4 ingredient streusel that takes about 5 minutes to make. If you’re pressed for time, you can skip the streusel, although I love all the extra flavor and texture it imparts to the muffins. The streusel is what really makes these muffins taste like they came from a bakery! The finishing touch is a drizzle of orange glaze after the muffins have baked and cooled.

Muffin batter with a pile of chopped cranberries on top.

Can you use fresh cranberries in muffins?

You can absolutely use fresh cranberries in muffins! I recommend cutting your berries into smaller pieces, I either halve or slice my cranberries. That way the berries are more evenly distributed throughout the batter and you won’t get a huge bite of tart cranberry, just small amounts interspersed. You can also use frozen cranberries in this recipe with great results.

Muffins topped with streusel ready to go into the oven.

Tips for the perfect muffins

  • No buttermilk on hand? You can make your own for this recipe by combining 1 1/4 cups milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
  • I use a microplane to zest my oranges, it works so much better than a typical box grater.
  • These muffins stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you need to store the muffins for a longer period of time, I’d recommend keeping them in the fridge or the freezer. You can microwave refrigerated muffins for about 10-15 seconds to make them taste like they were freshly baked.

Baked cranberry muffins topped with streusel.

Can you freeze cranberry muffins?

Cranberry muffins freeze beautifully, although I’d recommend waiting to add the glaze until the muffins are thawed and ready to serve. You can freeze the muffins after they’ve been glazed, but the glaze can sometimes get watery after it’s been thawed.

A stack of cranberry muffins with one muffin cut in half.

Cranberry muffin variations

There are so many different ways to add new flavors to these muffins, here are a few of my favorites.

  • White Chocolate Chips: Add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips to the batter.
  • Lemon: Swap out the orange zest and orange juice for lemon zest and lemon juice.
  • Apple: Add 1 chopped, peeled apple to the batter.
  • Coconut: Add 1/2 cup flaked coconut to the batter.

A plate of cranberry muffins with one cut in half.

These cranberry muffins are so festive and delicious. They’re perfect for a holiday brunch, or sometimes I even package them up in tins and deliver them to family and friends for an unexpected yet welcome edible gift. Once you try these cranberry muffins, you’ll be as hooked as we are!

More sweet treats

  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Peach Crumble Bars
  • Berry Chantilly Cake
  • Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes
Baked cranberry muffins topped with streusel.
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5 from 17 votes

Cranberry Muffins with Orange Glaze

These light and tender cranberry muffins are filled with fresh berries and orange zest, then topped with streusel and a simple orange glaze. A delicious treat that's perfect for breakfast or after school snacks, and also makes a festive holiday dessert.
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 303kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the muffins

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
  • cooking spray

For the streusel

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter cold, cut into small pieces

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

  • For the muffin batter. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, orange zest, vanilla extract and egg.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tins.
  • For the streusel. Place the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir to combine. Add the butter and use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the tops of the muffins.
  • Bake the muffins for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan; cool on a wire rack.
  • For the glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on November 29, 2018 and was updated on October 15, 2019 with new content.

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Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert

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    Comments

    1. Diane Neufeld says

      November 2, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      May I use frozen cranberries?

      Reply
      • Rebecca Anger says

        November 12, 2021 at 1:29 pm

        I do. No need to thaw.

        Reply
    2. Erin says

      October 18, 2019 at 5:58 am

      5 stars
      These light and tender cranberry muffins are on my must-make list!

      Reply
    3. Catalina says

      October 17, 2019 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      I love this seasons for cranberries. I should make these cranberries muffins this weekend!

      Reply
    4. annie says

      October 17, 2019 at 6:41 am

      5 stars
      These were perfectly moist and delicious! A great holiday brunch!

      Reply
    5. Rebecca Mann says

      December 8, 2018 at 5:32 pm

      Good Evening, Just wondering if you have ever used cranraisians in them?

      Thank you,
      Rebecca

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 8, 2018 at 7:39 pm

        Yes that will work fine!

        Reply
    6. Nailil says

      December 4, 2018 at 7:48 am

      These look delicious. And the recipe seem fairly easy. I need to try it.

      Reply
    7. Courtney says

      December 3, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      Omg can we say yum?!? I just love cranberry! Must give this muffin recipe a try

      Reply
    8. erica ardali says

      December 3, 2018 at 6:06 am

      5 stars
      I love cranberries so this is my idea of a decadent treat. I think I’ll give it a try

      Reply
    9. Debbie says

      December 2, 2018 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve still got some cranberries in my refrigerator so this will be perfect for breakfast tomorrow!

      Reply
    10. NAti says

      December 2, 2018 at 9:51 am

      This is exactly what I was looking for! What a brilliant recipe! I love it that they can be frozen because that helps with the organisation as well, not having to prepare everything the same day. Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Shar says

      December 1, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Ooh these looks so delicious! Put cranberry in anything and you can’t go wrong :). I need to try making these gluten free!

      Reply
    12. Sydney says

      December 1, 2018 at 11:52 am

      I love making homemade muffins for breakfast! These look so good – especially that orange glaze.

      Reply
    13. Kara says

      December 1, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Oh, yes please. Need one of these with a nice cup of tea right now

      Reply
    14. Chad says

      December 1, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Fresh cranberries in muffins! I am definitely trying that this weekend! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe.

      Chad
      http://www.mosaicslab.com

      Reply
    15. Christina says

      November 30, 2018 at 10:39 pm

      5 stars
      Wow this is so YUM to look! I might try this recipe as I’m looking for a new recipe.

      Reply
    16. Alexandra says

      November 30, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      Mmm, delicious. That glaze is just such a beautiful way to finish off a wonderful cranberry muffin. Yum!

      Reply
    17. Stacie says

      November 30, 2018 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      These are the perfect holiday muffins! I love all the seasonal flavors. These are the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning!

      Reply
    18. Kennedi McCall Christopher says

      November 30, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      Oh man! These sound amazing! Definitely pinning them now!

      Reply
    19. Kim Seghers says

      November 30, 2018 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      Your muffins look so delicious! My son would love these to go with his Christmas breakfast. A basket of these would make a great gift for my parents too.

      Reply
    20. Jenne Kopalek says

      November 30, 2018 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      Those looks absolutely delicious! I have been looking for something like this for Christmas morning.

      Reply
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