Cranberry Orange Muffins • Easy Muffin Recipe • Two Purple Figs

Ingredients you’ll need

• Flour, salt and baking powder. These are the dry ingredients, and baking powder helps make the case rise.
• Oil. While you can use melted butter for flavor, oil creates a sifter muffins that stays moist for days. We use avocado oil.
• Eggs. They bind the muffins and create a soft texture.
• Sugar. Sweetens to right amount while also makes the muffins softer
• Orange zest and orange juice. The zest and juice add an impeccable flavor of orange that shines through the entire muffin.
• Milk. To soften the muffins.
• Cranberries. Since it’s in season we’re using fresh, you can however use frozen as well, just do not thaw them.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins

1. In a large bowl, add the milk, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice. Whisk that well until smooth. 
   
2. Now take the bowl of flour, salt and baking powder and pour it over the large bowl with the wet ingredients already mixed in.
   
3. Use a whisk to blend in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, but avoid overbeating it. Some lumps need to be there and this allows for a fluffier muffin.
   
4. Now, the final step is to add in the fresh (or frozen not thawed) cranberries. At that point you’ll switch to a spatula and gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
   
5. Line a standard size muffin pan with baking paper, or spray it with non stick spray. This recipe makes 12 muffins when filling the muffin pan all the way to the top for the perfect dome.
   
6. Bake the muffins for about 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. 
7. Allow the muffins to cool slightly in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Make the Glaze

While glazing is optional, it’s highly recommended! The muffins are not too sweet at all, and remember the cranberries are quite tart. So a nice hefting amount of sweet orange glaze is the perfect touch to the muffins!

You’ll mix in a bowl the confectioners sugar, and then add in the orange zest and whisk that in. Now add in the orange juice in small amount. Add in a tablespoon at a time while whisking until you’ve reached the desired consistency of the glaze.

If your glaze has gone too thick, add in a touch more of orange juice. While if you feel your glaze has gone too thin for your taste, add a little more confectioner sugar until you’ve reached the desired consistency. 

Now drizzle the glaze over the cranberry orange muffins using a spoon, be as generous as you like!

Tips for the BEST Cranberry Orange Muffins

1. Use a bowl and a whisk for best results, avoid using a mixer or over beating your batter as this will create a tough bread like muffin. 
2. Make sure you see some lumps in the batter after mixing in the dry ingredients , as long as you don’t see dry specs of flour.
3. Have your oven preheated before beginning to make the batter, and line your muffin pans or oil them ahead as well.
4. Use fresh orange zest and juice for maximum flavor. 
5. Zest the orange before juicing it. Then cut in half and juice it using a hand held wooden juicer.
6. We love fresh cranberries as they’re seasonal, but you can use frozen unthawed cranberries as well.
7. Dried cranberries don’t have the same flavor as fresh, and may requires 10 minute soak in boiling water to hydrate slightly.
8. Keep an eye on your oven as each oven operates differently and the heat may not be distributed evenly. 
9. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted along the center of the muffin comes out clean.
10. Keep the muffins for about 8 minutes in the muffin pan before removing them, as they are super tender when hot and may break apart.
11. The glaze will not make your muffins overly sweet, as the cranberries are tart and the muffins are not too sweet to start with.
12. It’s best to glaze the muffins while they are still warm, not too hot or too cold.

How to store those muffins?

Keep them on the counter for up to 3 days stored in an air tight container or covered in plastic wrap.