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?)
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Gah, Julie. So sorry for the delay in visiting! These are beautiful. I have been so tempted by cranberries this season! A fruit I usually ignore completely due to memories of them just being so bitter. Time to give them another try. Thanks for joining us at #SaucySatudays
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Christine! Give those cranberries another try!
Shari says
P.S. Your pictures are so pretty!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you! I must admit that I was pretty excited about it too. I think the following day I couldn’t get a single good pic. There are days….
Shari says
These look like they would just melt in your mouth! I love the combination of flavors. They would be perfect for Christmas morning. Thanks for sharing them, Julie, and also the tips for not overstirring.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Shari! I always read about not over mixing, but I learned in my bread class that the worm tunnels are from over mixing. These muffins would absolutely be perfect for Xmas morning!
Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons says
Hi Julie, the combination of cranberries and orange is so delicious. I think I saw that bread recipe as well and wondered if it would make good muffins. Thanks for bringing them to FF. I would love one with a cup of tea.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Liz! They are so delicious. Thank you for hosting this week! Hope the remodel is going well!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen ShedSarah James says
Delicious looking muffins Julie, I love the sound of cranberries with the walnuts. I’ve pinned to make later. Thanks for sharing.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Sarah! They are really becoming my favorite muffins.
Baking In Pyjamas says
How gloriously festive Julie, these are one of the most tender muffins I’ve ever seen. [email protected] Baking in Pyjamas
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much! I think these are easily my favorite muffin right now.
kudoskitchen says
Orange and cranberry is such a classically delicious holiday combination. I really love that you can see all the flavors in the muffins that have been split in half. Just gorgeous!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much! I think these muffins are easily my favorite.
Celebrating Sunshine says
Oh, they look so soft and moist and I love the colors! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Ana! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Johanne Lamarche says
How interesting to hAve the butter cut in dice for moistness. Love orange and cranberry together and must make these! If I wasn’t so busy up to my elbows in flour baking yesterday for a breakfast meeting this morning, I would have read this and made them already!!!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Johanne! I think these have to be my favorite muffins of all time. It is getting crazy isn’t it!
Lora @savoringitaly says
I think that muffins are just so very lovely! I know what you mean about not finishing the loaf. It’s so nice to even freeze some of the muffins and enjoy at a later date as a special breakfast treat. A perfect holiday muffin, Julie!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Lora! So many wonderful picks on #Twelveloaves today!
Felice says
Your photos are so beautiful and inviting. I love this flavor combination and will definitely have to try the recipe soon. I usually try and take some baked goods into work every now and again, but I’m sure these would be all gone before I could even think of pacing them up.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Felice! The folks at work would love them. I send treats in with my husband too and they always gobble them up.
pattisj says
You make such pretty things, Julie. I like making muffins. They might be the closest thing to instant gratification in the bread-making world.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Patti! These are just so yummy, and I sure looked forward to having one at breakfast!
Anna says
Julie, these muffins sound incredibly moist, delicious and comforting! Definitely saving this for the very near future … such as as soon as I can gather all the ingredients! Mmm … I can almost smell them baking now! [sigh]
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Anna! They only made 12 muffins so please hide a couple for yourself. The loaf is gorgeous too. Please let me know what you think.
Anna says
They sound wonderful, Julie! So excited to make them! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Anna!
Garden Walk Garden Talk says
What a coincidence, I just made those this afternoon and they look just like they came out of my oven. Only difference, I do not add the walnuts as you list as optional.
Julie Menghini says
We both had a great treat! I don’t always add nuts because my hubby doesn’t always love them, but we sure enjoyed this combo.
Lynz Real Cooking says
These muffins sound so good. your description makes them sound mouth watering! yumm I love the ingredients Julie!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Lynz! They are some of the best muffins I’ve ever eaten!
Lynz Real Cooking says
yumm they sound amazing!!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
These do look and sound delicious! The photos are amazing too!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Karen! They were yummy. The only good thing these cold and cloudy days are good for is taking pictures! 🙂
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
I love this dark and moody look.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Karen! I’m drawn to it too.
Loretta says
Gorgeous muffins, I made a similar loaf last year with cranberries and orange peel/juice, just delicious! Yours look beautifully moist. I also like the dramatic effect of your pictures, from darkness to light featuring the muffins.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Loretta! I have just been craving cranberry orange bread, and enjoyed them for breakfast! It’s been cloudy here for the last 2 to 3 weeks. Not uncommon, and it makes taking pictures a bit easier.
[email protected] says
Great holiday muffin for any meal, love the cranberry and orange combo. And now I want Christmas goose!
Julie Menghini says
Ha! Goose for everyone! Thank you Evelyne!
apuginthekitchen says
Those muffins look so good Julie, what would you think about using leftover whole berry cranberry sauce. I make it with fresh orange juice, do you think I would have to adjust anything?
Julie Menghini says
Sounds delicious Suzanne. I think if yu use the cranberry sauce that you might want to reduce the orange juice just a bit to compensate for the extra liquid in the sauce?
apuginthekitchen says
Thank you!!
Julie Menghini says
You bet! I hope you’ll let me know if you give it a try. Would make a great post?
apuginthekitchen says
Yes it would and I will definitely give a try and link to you. I am intrigued by your technique not creaming the butter bit adding in small pieces to the muffins.
Julie Menghini says
It worked, and they were soft, moist and buttery!
Jenn S. says
Wow, these look incredibly moist and delicious! Love cranberry and orange together!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Jenn! They are just delicious. I love that combo too!
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
Your recipe comes at the right time Julie. I recently had something similar but it came from a boxed mix. It was awful and tasted artificial. Yours look moist, fresh and I am sure delicious. I will have to make these for my friend who was trying to save time 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Judi! These are just delicious! Very bright and flavorful. Let me know what you think!