Description
These Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Muffins are light, fluffy, and bursting with bright citrus flavor and fresh cranberries. Perfect for breakfast or a wholesome snack, they combine a gluten-free flour blend with zesty orange and tart cranberries for a delightful treat suitable for the holidays or any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free measure-for-measure flour blend (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- Zest of 1 orange (about 1-2 teaspoons zest)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup milk (unsweetened almond or cashew milk)
- 1/3 cup avocado oil (or another neutral-tasting oil, like canola or vegetable oil)
- 1/3 cup honey (or pure maple syrup)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon coarse Turbinado sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prep Your Pan: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment muffin liners or grease it well to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, milk, avocado oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients To Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined. Some small lumps are fine; avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
- Fold In Cranberries: Gently fold in the fresh cranberries, reserving a few if desired for topping the muffins.
- Rest the Batter: If possible, let the batter rest for 30-60 minutes to help the muffins rise taller.
- Scoop Batter Into Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups, filling them full. Add any reserved cranberries on top and gently press them into the batter. Sprinkle coarse Turbinado sugar over the tops for a crunchy finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy warm or store as desired.
Notes
- Resting the batter helps create taller, fluffier muffins.
- Use parchment liners or grease the muffin pan well to prevent sticking.
- Coarse Turbinado sugar adds a delightful crunch to the muffin tops.
- Substitute honey with pure maple syrup for a vegan-suited option, though this recipe contains eggs.
- These muffins freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Fresh cranberries can be replaced with frozen, but do not thaw before folding in to avoid bleeding color.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 252 kcal
- Sugar: 23.3 g
- Sodium: 108 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.5 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
