Tart cranberries, fresh orange zest, and a little Greek yogurt make these muffins soft, fluffy and just sweet enough for breakfast or an afternoon treat. The recipe makes six, so you can enjoy a couple fresh and freeze the rest for another day. I make them when fresh cranberries appear in the fall, but frozen cranberries work when the craving strikes later, too.
So what makes these cranberry orange muffins the best? The magic of this particular small batch baking recipe is the Greek yogurt. It somehow lightens up the entire recipe while still creating a rich, moist texture that's just so irresistible. And the fresh orange juice and orange zest really make these muffins pop with fresh flavor. With only ten minutes of prep time and no electric mixer required, this fall muffin recipe is an absolute must try.
🌿 Ingredients
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen both work; use the frozen berries without thawing them. I prefer their tartness here, though you can use a smaller amount of dried cranberries if that's what you have.
Orange and yogurt: Use a fresh orange for both the zest and tablespoon of juice; the zest brings most of that bright orange flavor. Plain Greek yogurt is my first choice, with sour cream listed as an alternative.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
Freezing and reheating
Freezing muffins individually makes this six-muffin batch especially handy for single-serve breakfasts. To freeze, first make sure they have completely cooled to room temperature. Then, I like to place each muffin in a small plastic bag, and then store those smaller bags in a larger freezer bag. Try to squeeze as much air out of the bags as possible. I find that this double bagging method helps keep their moist texture intact once they're thawed.
When you're ready to enjoy them, simply let one or more thaw on the counter for an hour or two, or reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or until just warm.
If you're in the mood for another small batch bake, try my mini chocolate chip muffins, or browse these small batch baking recipes. 🙂
🍳 Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a 6-muffin tin. Wash and zest ½ orange, and set zest aside (see notes). Then squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice and set aside.
- Place ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon sea salt with the orange zest in a medium mixing bowl, and use a whisk to incorporate.
- In a larger bowl, use a whisk to beat 1 large egg a little, then add the squeezed orange juice, 3 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk again.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just incorporated (don't over mix.) Fold ½ cup cranberries into the batter and then divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
- Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the tins for 5 minutes, and then remove onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Serve, and enjoy!
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