Description
Cranberry Orange Breakfast Muffins with Holiday Glow are soft, moist winter muffins bursting with bright orange zest and tart cranberries. These bakery-style muffins are lightly sweet, tender, and perfect for Christmas brunch, cozy winter mornings, or make-ahead breakfasts. They bake up beautifully domed with jewel-toned cranberries throughout and stay moist for days, making them ideal for holiday prep, gifting, or freezing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
- Optional: coarse sugar for topping or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk sugar, melted butter, eggs, and milk until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined; do not overmix.
- Fold in the cranberries, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 16–20 minutes until muffins are domed, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter or muffins may become dense.
- If using dried cranberries, soak briefly in warm water for a juicier texture.
- Toss cranberries lightly in flour to prevent sinking.
- For bakery-style tops, sprinkle coarse sugar on muffins before baking.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16-20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
Keywords: cranberry orange muffins, breakfast muffins, holiday muffins, Christmas brunch recipe, winter baking