Soft and buttery Cranberry Orange muffins that are quick and easy. This muffin is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or anytime!
Baking bread for the Holidays is such a special thing for me. When I think about a holiday bread, I am not going fruitcake. It’s good for a nanosecond and then I am over it. No, I want soft and buttery Cranberry Orange Muffins. These muffins are just as good for breakfast as they are with my Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas goose. O.k. I have never had a Christmas goose, but you get the idea.
I found this recipe baked as a beautiful loaf of cranberry walnut bread. However, I knew that we wouldn’t be able to get through all of it before it was no longer edible. I turned it into muffins. Muffins are wonderful for breakfast or brunch, and they can be put in the freezer and taken out as you need them. I love making them for company because they’re just a special treat that says you appreciate the people at your table.
One of the things that I have learned about making muffins is that they turn out better if I mix them by hand. Over mixed bakery can be tough, or you can have little tunnels throughout the crumb. That’s from over mixing.
This recipe called for butter, cut into small pieces and then stirred into the dry ingredients. I treated this like I do my pie crust. I cut my butter into pea-sized pieces, and then just dropped them into my dry ingredients, coating them, not blending it in. The wet ingredients are stirred only until they are incorporated, and I gently folded my orange and cranberries into the batter.
Heavens people, these muffins are buttery soft and delicious. They are perfect for breakfast, brunch or any occasion. Take them to work over the holidays and you may get a raise! Freeze them and pull them out when you want a special treat.
Don’t have time to make it now? Pin it for later!
Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup butter cut into pea-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup chopped cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line or grease a muffin tin.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk ingredients together.
- Drop butter into dry ingredients, and lightly stir to coat.
- Add orange juice, zest, and egg. Mix until just combined Fold in cranberries and walnuts.
- Fill muffin pan 3/4 full. (Ice cream scoop)
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely.
- Store covered, or freeze in a reclosable plastic bag.
- Alternately, Bread can be baked as a loaf in an 8 1/2x 4 1/2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 75 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like cranberries like I love cranberries, here are a couple more of my favorite recipes!
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe
Cranberry Vanilla Baked Donuts
Pork Chops with Cranberry Thyme Sauce
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Sally T says
I love cranberries. Add a little butter to a warm muffin (or two?)