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Lightly sweetened fluffy cranberry orange muffins that will make your mornings so much cozier!
I’m kind of particular about how my muffins are made. I firmly believe to get the best muffins, you need to stop using butter. You know me. I love butter. But here, you’ve got to put the butter down and step away. Grab the corn oil. They give you lighter, fluffier muffins by far. I wanted to use an oil with a neutral taste so the natural flavors in my muffins would stand out, so I made these cranberry orange muffins with Mazola® Corn Oil. Interestingly, a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.
You also need to whip the wet ingredients well until they are well mixed, and as soon as that is done, mix it with the dry ingredients and barely mix them together. The batter needs to be thick, with lots of lumps. The results give you the most tender and fluffy muffins in the world. Guaranteed. I love making these cranberry orange muffins when the weather starts to cool down and cranberries and citrus are everywhere. Citrus treats are my favorite, but orange-based desserts are always so special to me because they always remind me of orange creamsicle every single time.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
Making muffins is a very easy process, it is a matter of mixing the wet ingredients together in one bowl, mixing the dry ingredients in another bowl, then mix the wet and dry together. The sugar is considered a wet ingredient as it will turn to a liquid state when added to the liquid. Many people add melted butter to their muffins, but a better-for-you option that will also give you fluffier muffins is to use corn oil.
I like Mazola Corn Oil because it’s a versatile heart-healthy option. Its neutral taste also means it allows the orange and cranberry flavors to shine. I also stir the cranberries into the flour mixture before you add in the wet ingredients. The coating of flour helps keep the cranberries from sinking to the bottom. To keep the muffins lighter, I also like to swap out sour cream for plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. You still get the nice tang, but it keeps the muffins from being too weight down.
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins
It’s pretty easy to make these muffins gluten-free. There are many methods available, but I recommend using a gluten-free baking mix. I frequently use many of them in my baking with no differences in the final product. For added nutrition you can include pulsed oats or almond flour in your gluten-free cranberry orange muffins.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 ½ oranges
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup Mazola corn oil
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, zest, orange juice, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk quickly until it is fully mixed together.
- Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture until they are fully coated in flour.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. There should be several lumps left in the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter among the muffin liners. Top the muffins with the turbinado.
- Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until a toothpick entered through the top comes out clean.
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