Fresh Cranberry Orange Muffins
These cranberry muffins will be your family's new favorite! They're so fluffy and delicious. Plus they're made with wholesome ingredients!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
These fluffy cranberry orange muffins will make your house smell like the holidays! I hope they become your new favorite holiday muffin recipe. They’re fluffy and moist and delicious—everything I want a muffin to be.
These muffins are bursting with fresh cranberry and orange flavor. This recipe calls for fresh cranberries, which are generally available in United States grocery stores from October or November through December. You can also use frozen cranberries, but I don’t recommend dried cranberries here.
These muffins are made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt. They’re naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. You can keep those details to yourself, though—no one will guess that these muffins are healthier than most.
You can easily mix these together by hand. No mixer required. Serve them for breakfast or brunch, or bring them to your holiday parties!
It took me eight tries to get these muffins just right, but they were absolutely worth the effort. I’m sharing the recipe again because they’re just so wonderful this time of year.
Cranberry Orange Muffin Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these cranberry-studded beauties:
Flour
I like to use white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour to make these muffins a little healthier. White whole wheat flour (available in health food stores or well-stocked grocery stores) is made with white wheat berries instead of red, and has a more mild flavor as a result. As long as your whole wheat flour hasn’t been sitting on the shelf too long, your muffins will not have a strong “whole wheat” taste. In fact, if your flour smells rancid or your muffins taste bitter, your flour has gone bad.
You can also use all-purpose flour for the most traditional muffin flavor and fluff. To make these muffins gluten free, choose Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose blend. No adjustment to quantity needed with either one.
Tip: The proper way to measure flour is to spoon flour into your measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Do not scoop flour into your cups, or you could end up with way too much flour, and dry/tough muffins.
Baking powder and baking soda
These are leavening agents, which help the muffins rise so they are light and fluffy. These ingredients are not the same thing and are not interchangeable, so be careful with your measurements!
Coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil or butter
Like all muffins, this recipe requires some fat to yield tender, rich and delicious results. I typically use virgin coconut oil and can hardly taste it. If you use olive oil, I recommend a mildly flavored one, like California Olive Ranch’s Everyday variety. You certainly can’t go wrong with unsalted butter.
Honey or maple syrup
Instead of sugar, these muffins are naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup! These do impart some delicious flavor, so choose your favorite.
Eggs
Eggs also act as a leavener, helping the muffins rise while also imparting richness. If you have an egg allergy or you’re a vegan, you can substitute flax eggs (see recipe notes).
Greek yogurt
Yogurt replaces sour cream, but offers the same delicious richness and tang. Yum! Check the recipe notes for a buttermilk alternative (which can be made vegan).
Vanilla extract
You know, for some luscious vanilla flavor.
Orange zest
The zest of one orange to infuse these muffins with flavor. After you take the zest off the orange, you can slice it up and eat it. I do recommend buying on organic orange if you can find one, since pesticide residue sticks to the rind.
Fresh cranberries
One bag is more than enough. You’ll blitz these in the food processor before folding them into the batter. If you’re using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before using. Blitz them in the food processor as directed and promptly fold them into the batter. If you have leftover cranberries, you can freeze them for up to one year.
Dried cranberries are not a good substitute for fresh cranberries, for reasons elaborated in the next section.
Turbinado (raw) sugar
This is optional, but I recommend it. Turbinado sugar is large crystal sugar that lends an irresistible sparkling, crunchy top to the muffins. I bet you could even take a tiny bag of raw sugar home from your local coffee shop!
Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe Development
I thought this recipe was going to be so easy. Take my blueberry muffin recipe, substitute cranberries for the blueberries, add orange zest—done. Not so fast, Kate!
Problem: The fresh cranberries were so much bigger than blueberries and so tart that they left mouth-puckering polka dots in the muffins. Fortunately, I found a clue in America’s Test Kitchen’s cranberry muffin recipe.
Solution: Blitz the fresh cranberries in a food processor for a few seconds to break them up. That way, you get delicious little bits of cranberries in every bite. This also allowed me to double the amount of cranberries for maximum cranberry flavor.
Problem: The muffins were still far too tart, though (and I like tart).
Solution: To counteract the tartness of the cranberries, I added 1/4 cup more honey or maple syrup, which made these muffins perfectly sweet—not too much, not too little.
Problem: The extra moisture from the additional liquid sweetener made the muffins flatten out on the top. I wanted beautifully domed, fluffy muffins, so I tried decreasing the amount of yogurt, tweaking the baking powder and baking soda, and I was almost ready to give up…
Solution: I went back to the original formula and added 1/4 cup more flour. The muffins rose like a dream!
Eight tries later, I landed on perfect cranberry orange muffins! I hope you’ll make them while cranberries are still in season.
Watch How to Make Fluffy Cranberry Orange Muffins
Recommended Equipment
This section contains affiliate links.
USA-made muffin tin: This sturdy muffin tin bakes beautiful muffins and has a non-toxic, non-stick silicone coating. I never have to grease the cups!
11-cup food processor: This Cuisinart is not too big or too small, and blitzes the cranberries in five seconds.
Microplane: It’s so easy to remove the zest from citrus with this handy tool.
Love these muffins?
Here are more of my favorite naturally sweetened, whole-wheat muffin recipes!
- Healthy Apple Muffins
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Carrot Muffins
- Healthy Raspberry Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Please let me know how these muffins turn out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you, and hope the recipe is a big hit.
Fresh Cranberry Orange Muffins
These cranberry muffins will be your family’s new favorite! Don’t tell them the recipe calls for healthy ingredients. These fluffy muffins are bursting with fresh cranberry and orange flavor, plus they’re whole grain and naturally sweetened! Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
- ¾ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest from 1 medium orange (about 1 teaspoon), preferably organic
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin or line them with papers, if necessary.
- In a food processor, process the cranberries for about 5 seconds, until they are broken into little bits (but not puréed—see photos). Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and honey and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and whisk to combine, then add the yogurt, vanilla and orange zest. Mix well.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Gently fold the cranberry pieces into the batter.
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Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (they will be quite full). Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar. Bake the muffins for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
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Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my healthy blueberry muffins.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hello, it’s an amazing receipe with a healthier version. Can I substitute yogurt with sour cream please?
Hi! I haven’t tried it, but it may work. Be sure to report back!
Hi Kate,
Possible to give the measurment in grams?
Mine came out light and fluffy using plain Greek yogurt, olive oil, honey and white whole wheat flour. My husband says they are somewhat bitter and not quite sweet enough. Used the one medium sized organic orange for zest and didn’t scrape too deeply. Is there anything else I can add to add a little more sweetness? Thanks.
I add 3 tbsp sugar to the dry ingredients. This did the trick.
I should think the orange juice would be good for taste and sweetness
The problem is the extra liquid
Since I plan to do them using whole meal Spelt flour it might not be a problem since this flour absorbs liquid more than blotting paper
Mine turned out bitter too, but I think it was old coconut oil. Next time I will use butter. Most muffins are too sweet for me, but that’s probably what your husband is expecting.
These are wonderful I made them with King Arthur measure for measure flour substitute to be gluten free. Cranberry and orange are always a good combination. I’ve got breakfast ready for the week.
My family LOVES these muffins, which truly live up to their name! I incorporate the chopped cranberries at the same time as the liquid so I don’t have to stir twice. And for an economical alternative, I use a different natural sweetener: panela (unrefined cane sugar in blocks), available where Latin American foods are sold. There are dark colored versions, but I prefer the lighter one. You can cook it on low in a little water to make a syrup and then use as if it were honey.
My family LOVES these muffins, which truly live up to their name! I incorporate the chopped cranberries at the same time as the liquid so I don’t have to stir twice. And for an economical alternative, I use a different natural sweetener: panela (unrefined cane sugar in blocks), available where Latin American foods are sold. There are dark colored versions, but I prefer the lighter one. You can cook it on low in a little water to make a syrup and then use as if it were honey. I always double the orange zest because its so yummy.
Such a delicious recipe and easily made egg free and dairy free.
Hi Kate! Do you have the nutritional facts for this recipe? I can’t seem to find it!
Hi! Yes, below the notes of the recipe. You need to click to expand. I hope that helps!
Hi Kate, you have no idea how much I am loving all the recipes that I have tried from your blog. I am trying to lose my post pregnancy weight and your recipes are just perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth guilt free.
This particular recipe has been the best of all so far.
Just wanted to say thank you for giving us such amazing recipes especially for vegetarians like me. Lots of love!
Hi there can I use frozen cranberries for this recipe?
Thanks
phil
Hi Phil, I didn’t try it with this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
I used frozen cranberries. The only change needed was a slightly longer baking time. Turned out great!
Just wondering… I made my own buttermilk substitute skim milk and vinegar ( 1 tablespoon)… total measurement was 1 cup. I found the recipe more liquid than you picture. I had to bake the muffins 3 mins longer for the tooth pick to come clean . They look pretty good , cooling now . I’m wondering when you add the buttermilk as opposed to the yogurt should the baking time be more?
Hi Kate,
Possible to give the measurment in grams?
Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t provide gram measurements right now. I know this table has been helpful to others!
Bizarre texture and flavor
I love cranberry anything, but these were so rubbery and I think the flavor was really disrupted by the faux health friendly Ingredients. I felt like I couldn’t taste anything except coconut oil….
I’m sorry you didn’t love these, Syla.
Rubbery texture in muffins is usually due to overmxing – try using a table knife to mix, only cutting through the mixture from one side of the bowl to the other and turning the bowl. Do not make a beating round gesture with your hand, muffins should not be beaten at all just gently mixed until combined.
can I use whole wheat pastry flour?
Sure, that should work here too. They will likely be more fluffy. Let me know what you think!
Can you use dried cranberries?
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried it with this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
This is my second time making the cranberry/orange muffins. We simply love them and are a frequent on our breakfast table along side our glass of cranberry banana smoothie. I did not add anything or take away from your recipe as it is perfect just the way you made it.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful morning breakfast recipe. Sincerely. JudyAnne
I’m glad to hear you love them, Judy! Thank you for your review.
In Australia, I couldn’t find fresh Cranberry in the market. So I used two small organic apples instead, and I also used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil. It turned up so beautiful and yummy.
Thank you Kate for posting those great recipes.
Maggie
i Got around to making these muffins
I used whole wheat pastry flour and they are so yummy!
I used maple syrup vs honey and evoo vs coconut oil
worked great!
into the rotation
Hello, can i sub the maple syrup for cane sugar? If so how much do i use?
Hi Allison, I recommend this as is for best results. I’m not sure if it will work well with cane sugar is it’s part of the liquid ingredients.
Hi! I was wondering if you could make this recipe and use it for bread instead?
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried it. You could try it, but it will need to be cooked longer.
Hi,
Can almond flour be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
Thanks,
ME
Hi Marilin, almond flour doesn’t make a great 1:1 alternative. You can try oat flour.
We absolutely love these muffins! One of the best muffins I’ve tasted! I use olive oil and maple syrup and add some walnuts as well. I had trouble with the bottoms burning the first time I made them so now I always cook at 375 degrees and make a double batch!!
Thank you for sharing, Kari!
Hi Kate-I made these muffins this morning. They were a bit of sunshine on my taste buds in the cold Vermont November-and so pretty. I kept interrupting a conversation with my cousin today to tell her how good they were, so she asked for the recipe-I think she’ll soon be firing up her oven out there in CA. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll be bringing some to my parents tomorrow on Thanksgiving, as I know my father will love them, and I’ll make them again before the work week starts. Wishing you a peaceful weekend!
I’m glad they were a hit, Kerstin! I appreciate your review.
I love all of your recipes!! This muffin recipe does not disappoint. It is a favorite among family and friends and guilt free makes it even better! Perfect Fall/Winter treat :)
Can I use sour cream if I’m out of yogurt
It can work in other applications. Although, I haven’t tried it here so I can’t say for sure.
Was curious if this would work well in a bunt. Turned out great!! Made this as directed (had to use 1/2 yogurt 1/2 sour cream combo) and added about 15 min to the bake time. Finished off with 3T orange juice and 1 t. powdered sugar glaze while the bunt was still warm. Love having this healthier alternative to a traditional cranberry bread! Thank you!
Great recipe! Just-sweet-enough and perfect texture. Don’t skip the orange zest, it adds such a great pop of flavor. Thought I’d share that I made the recipe as written, using chia eggs – but baked it as a snack cake in 8×8 square pan. I adjusted baking to 350F for 35-40 minutes. Turned out super! Thank you!
OMG these came out fluffy, beautiful, and delicious. I took a chance and doubled the recipe because I had an extra bag of cranberries taking up valuable space. I followed the recipe exactly as written, except for using AP flour b/c that’s what I had on-hand. My plan was to give some away to friends, but now I think I might freeze the extra and keep them for us ;-) They’ll be a yummy bite of sunshine on cold mornings. Great recipe, thank you!
I’m glad you loved it, Beth!
Hi, I love all of your recipes! I’m curious if you think this would work if baked in a loaf tin?
Hi! I haven’t tried it. I would recommend a longer cooking time, but I’m not sure how much. Let me know what you think!
i love your recipes and have made this muffin recipe before and loved it. But this time it didn’t rise hardly at all. The batter was very runny. Double checked the ingredients and all the same as before and new baking powder
Any suggestions
Hi Lynn, I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like something was not measured correctly. Or, baking can be impacted if you are baking at an elevation.
Just made these and they’re great. I used white WW flour, maple syrup, and light-tasting olive oil. I used dried cranberries which I rehydrated in the juice of the orange I zested. Someone mentioned they weren’t sweet enough, so I added a packet of Truvia. I made six jumbo muffins and baked for 25 minutes. Perfect!
These are really good! I made them today with a few small substitutions. I used frozen cranberries instead of fresh, vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain, and reduced the maple syrup to half a cup since I used sweetened yogurt. I also added a few tablespoons of juice from the orange.
They were fluffy and delicious. The only change I would make for next time is using butter or coconut oil instead of olive oil. I didn’t really like the olive oil taste.
Thanks for the great recipie!
I’m glad you loved them, Deserie! I appreciate your review.
Made them with spelt flour. Still very fluffy and very tasty. It had the perfect amount of sweetness. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m glad it turned out!
Thanks for the recipe! I swapped out the sweetener with 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup orange juice (since honey & maple syrup are really expensive by me) and it worked really well. Sweetness and moisture level still seemed right. Everything else I kept the same and I thought it was terrific. Will make again and appreciate the whole wheat flour and yogurt to ease my guilt a little :)
I’m glad it turned out, Becky! Thank you for your review.
My daughter is very sensitive to yogurt. I’ve looked everywhere on the buttermilk adaptation on the recipe but I can’t find it. Can you please tell me how much buttermilk I need to replace the yogurt?
Hi Amanda, See from the vegan note. I hope you all enjoy these. Mix ⅔ cup non-dairy milk with 2 teaspoons vinegar. Let it rest for 5 minutes before adding it to the other liquid ingredients. Or, use 1 cup thick vegan yogurt.
Made these for first time today using regular whole-wheat flour, 2% MF plain Greek yogurt, coconut oil, 2/3 maple syrup and 1/3 honey. They turned out so beautiful, moist and delicious! This will be my go to cranberry recipe from this point on.
Appreciate all the work you did to refine and document this recipe. Incredibly helpful and was the reason my turned out perfectly on the first try.
Anna Fiala
Edmonton, Alberta
That’s great, Anna! Thank you for sharing.
I used a can of cranberry sauce with whole berries and it worked great! I just wisked them in with wet ingredients before adding dry.
I used dried cranberries and the muffins turned out lovely. Thank you for sharing the recipe
These turned out amazing! Moist and delicious. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour to make them gluten-free. I went 1/2 and 1/2 on the honey and maple syrup. My cranberries were frozen (and I have a gas oven…) so my cooking time was 23 minutes. SO good. This recipe is a keeper.
Wonderful, Rosi! Thank you for your review.
Loved these Cranberry Orange muffins.They are so moist and flavorful with 0 fat. Adding this recipe to my favourites. Delicious!
Can you replace fresh cranberries for dried cranberries?
I find this recipe works best as is. I hope you make it!
Hi Kate,
Can I use dried cranberries? I can find fresh or frozen.
Hi Allison, I didn’t try it so I can’t speak to how they will turn out. I hope you try this recipe as is!
Boyfriend approved! He loves orange cranberry muffins and was very happy with this recipe!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Falguni.
This is a great recipe. Made it just like it did here and it was delicious. I should have made more of the game.
Delicious! Did the flax egg and dairy free buttermilk. Didn’t have fresh cranberries so I did the dried ones. So good!! Love it! Thank you :)
These have become my favorite muffin,I make them every week. I love that they use fresh cranberries instead of dried. I sometimes replace 1c.of berries for blueberries and blueberry kefir for yogurt. This week I used fresh pineapple and they always turn out delicious with any variation.I start them out on 425 for 5 min and then turn down to 400. I think that initial blast of high heat puffs them up a little more.
I recently got your cookbook and am thrilled to see so many recipes with Arugula and Farro,my two fave foods. Thank you for so many many healthy recipes,keep them coming.
These have become my favorite muffins ,that I make weekly. I love that they use fresh cranberries instead of dried and whole wheat flour. I have been subbing with 1c.blueberries in place of 1c.of cranberries
and they are delish. I also use blueberry kefir or plain sometimes instead of yogurt. No matter what variation I try they always turn out moist and delicious. I also start them out at 425 for 5 min,then turn down to 400. I think the blast of high heat raises them a little more.
I received your cookbook from a friend and love that you have a lot of recipes using farro and Arugula,my 2 favorite foods.Thank you for all the healthy recipes,keep them coming.
These are my favorite muffins! They’re not overly sweet and have such a lovely texture.
Thank you for sharing, Jackie!
I used dried cranberries and chopped them the same as fresh ones, I also reduced the maple syrup to 1/2 cup and used the juice from the orange. OMG… they worked out and are absolutely amazing. Liked by 5 kids and husband!!
I can not use baking powder, only baking soda.I made your healthy banana bread and it is delish. I was thinking to increase baking soda to a full 1 Tsp. What do you think for this recipe. Maureen
Hi Maureen, sorry to disappoint. I recommend this recipe as is.
These muffins were delicious! Having the cranberries in smaller pieces meant the tartness was evenly distributed. I used 1/2 Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and 1/2 oat flour. The texture was great and they had the perfect level of sweetness. I omitted the sugar on top. Love all your recipes and I really appreciate the substitutions offered!
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Angi! I’m happy to hear it turned out for you.