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These gluten-free cranberry orange muffins are a delicious treat to bake up for family and friends this holiday season. Soft, fluffy, and bursting with fresh flavors and so easy to make!
A warm muffin and a hot cup of coffee or tea. Doesn’t this sound like a great start of the day?
These Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins are amazing! Tender, moist, and with delicious light orange flavor throughout and tangy bites of cranberries everywhere. They are great for breakfast or afternoon snack.
While they were baking the house was filled with the most delicious aromas of vanilla, coconut sugar, orange, and cranberry. It’s a great holiday recipe! The beautiful red cranberries make these muffins especially pretty for Christmas morning.
For more delicious muffin recipes, be sure to check out my Healthy Apple Muffins and Paleo Banana Nut Chocolate Muffins!
Why you will love these cranberry orange muffins!
- Dairy-free: Not only are these muffins gluten-free, but they also contain no dairy, perfect if you or anyone you know has intolerances.
- Easy: It only takes about 10 minutes to make a batch of these muffins before they bake in the oven.
- Paleo and Whole30: If you are following a paleo or whole30 lifestyle, these muffins are an excellent addition to your diet.
- Delicious! Whether you are gluten-free or not, you will love these muffins! They really are bursting with flavor and they are so festive!
Ingredients
- Coconut sugar: You can also use light brown sugar.
- Eggs: To bind the dry ingredients together.
- Coconut oil: To make these muffins dairy-free.
- Orange juice: Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor.
- Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour: If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda: So that the muffins rise and get nice and fluffy
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Orange Zest
- Cranberries
How to make cranberry orange muffins
- In a large bowl mixing bowl, beat coconut sugar, eggs, and cooled melted coconut oil for about 2 minutes until well mixed. Add orange juice and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Slowly add baking flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt while beating with the mixer on low. Add vanilla extract and mix for 15 more seconds.
- Add zest from 1 orange and fresh cranberries and stir with a silicone spatula.
- Spoon in a muffin tin lined with paper cupcake forms. Bake at 375 F for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
How long do they keep?
Once the cranberry orange muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for around 5. If storing in the fridge, let them come up to room temperature before enjoying.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, these muffins can be frozen and will keep well for up to three months. You can wrap them individually in plastic wrap and foil and place straight into a container, or flash freeze them and then place in a freezer bag.
Frozen muffins can be thawed at room temperature, or heated through in the microwave.
Can you make these muffins with frozen cranberries?
Yes, these orange cranberry muffins are great with either fresh or frozen cranberries. If you use frozen cranberries, use them straight out of the freezer and don’t allow them to thaw. If they thaw, you’ll end up with pink muffins!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Bake these muffins in a greased muffin tin, paper liners, or silicone cupcake molds.
- Don’t over mix the muffin batter, or your muffins can become chewy. Mix the batter at a low speed when you add the flour.
- Don’t fill the muffin molds all the way to the top or they will overflow as the muffins rise and bake.
More Gluten-free Treats
- Apple Almond Cake (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
- Carrot Cake Bars (Gluten-Free)
- Banana Nut Bread with Orange Glaze (Gluten Free)
- Gluten Free Pie Crust
Cranberry Orange Muffins (Gluten Free)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- zest from 1 orange
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, do not thaw
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl mixing bowl, beat coconut sugar, eggs and cooled melted coconut oil for about 2 minutes until well mixed. Add orange juice and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Slowly add baking flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt while beating with the mixer on low. Add vanilla extract and mix for 15 more seconds.
- Add zest from 1 orange and fresh cranberries and stir with a silicone spatula.
- Spoon in a muffin tin lined with paper cupcake forms.
- Bake at 375 F for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Enjoy!
TIPS & NOTES
- Bake these muffins in a greased muffin tin, paper liners, or silicone cupcake molds.
- Don’t over mix the muffin batter, or your muffins can become chewy. Mix the batter at a low speed when you add the flour.
- Don’t fill the muffin molds all the way to the top or they will overflow as the muffins rise and bake.
NUTRITION
Updated pictures and added process images (November 2020), the recipe is the same as the one originally published.
Use the tag #DeliciousMeetsHealthy when posting a picture of your recipe, and make sure to follow @deliciousmeetshealthy on Instagram!
These look so delicious and yummy! My husband is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Cranberry and orange is such a perfect combination and these will be perfect as a healthy breakfast muffin.
What a delicious recipe Neli! And such a perfect way to use up those festive cranberries! The muffins turned out super soft and so flavoursome too!
What delicious flavorful holiday muffins! I love that you can use frozen cranberries too.
Made with all the healthy and delicious combination of ingredients. Looks fluffy and soft too. Love to have a Tea Time treat this festive season.
Excellent recipe! Followed the recipe exactly and had wonderful results. Husband, who is allergic to gluten, absolutely loved these. And they were moist and delicious. Planning on making it again real soon!
Thank you for this recipe. They came out great! Light, fluffy, lots of flavor and held together well. I will definitely make these again!
Nice receipt & I will definitely make. Can I ask a question. What’s with the Star Wars ads in the middle of the page. First time siye visitor but those ads are just over bearing.
Hi Johnny! Hope you like the muffins!
I don’t have control over what ads are showing but will let my ad network know. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know!
Has anyone tried this recipe?
When I started baking gluten-free, Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free blend was something I always had in the kitchen. I’ve gained so much confidence in baking from using it. Cranberry and orange sounds like a great combination. 🙂
Cranberry and orange is one of my favorite flavor combos. These look perfect!
Just give me one of these muffins and a cup of coffee and I’m ready to start my day!
I need to try these flour already. These muffins looks so tasty, love cranberries in them!
These muffins looks amazing with lots of healthier ingredients. Just what I love!
These look really lovely! I’ve never used fresh cranberries in baking before, must give it a go 🙂
These look great, Love cranberry and orange combination.