Breads, Desserts, Recipes

Cranberry Orange Muffins

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Details

Servings

1

Prep time

40

Cooking time

40

When the weather cools down, it’s the perfect time to bake, don’t you think? The oven can really heat up the house, so I tend to avoid it during the hotter desert months, when temps can skyrocket to 120 degrees. But for those few chilly months in the desert, baking these cranberry orange muffins is perfect! Though I will say that “chilly” is relative, the desert does dip down into the 40s / 50s fairly often.

Making my spiced cranberry relish from my little book of recipes made me reminisce about the other recipes I used to make in college and in the few years after graduation, and this orange cranberry cornmeal muffin recipe was the perfect reason to turn on the oven this week. Containing real butter and cornmeal, it’s definitely a Southern recipe – I turned down some of the sugar content by using reduced-sugar dried cranberries, but even so, this is more of a sweet item than anything you’d consider a “healthy” breakfast muffin.

These muffins are delicious year-round as a sweet side for breakfast or brunch. It’s not as moist as most muffins, because of the cornmeal, but I think you’ll love it – it’s great with hot milk tea! The recipe is simple, and makes a dozen standard-size muffins. If you omit the cranberries and add a little extra vanilla, it’s also great as a springtime picnic treat. This is a perfect side dish at holiday meals such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and makes great gifts for friends who like homemade food gifts.

For other delicious baked treats, try my Orange Pecan French Toast, Hawaiian Butter Mochi, and Pillow Mint Brownies!

Two cranberry orange muffins on a small plate, one is split open to reveal cranberry bits inside. In the background, there is a basket of muffins, sliced oranges, and dried cranberries.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (50% sugar)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and yellow cornmeal. 

Add milk, orange juice, and melted butter.

Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Once everything is well combined, fold in orange zest and dried cranberries. Make sure you don’t have clumps of either and everything is distributed evenly, but fold them in so you’re not overmixing.

Spoon into muffin tray. You can also use a loaf pan.

Bake for 30 min, let cool to room temperature before serving. 

Serve with butter and / or cream cheese.