The most perfect cranberry muffins! These are fluffy, soft muffins. They are studded with gorgeous cranberries throughout and topped with a buttery sugar streusel! The combination of cranberry and orange is so good!
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I can’t help but dive into baking with cranberries!
These are the cranberry muffins of your dreams. Think about everything you love about a muffin…this one has it, and more. They are soft, fluffy, pillowy muffins that come together in one bowl.
The pairing of cranberries and orange is delicious. You’ve got tart cranberries paired with sweet oranges. So good!
For more recipes, try Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake, Pumpkin Chocolate Cake, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
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Why this recipe works
- Thanksgiving - A great way to use up leftover cranberries!
- Easy to make – These muffins come together with just a few simple steps.
- Cranberries – When cranberries bake, they lose all that sharp tangy flavour and become sweet like raspberries!
- Orange – Sweet orange is paired perfectly with tart cranberries.
Ingredients Notes
Full recipe and ingredients are in the recipe card below. Feel free to scroll through this section to view certain key ingredients we’re using!
Butter – This will be cold and used for the streusel.
Buttermilk – Buttermilk is an important ingredient in these muffins. The acid in the buttermilk works with the leavening agents to give a fluffier crumb and more of a rise. To make buttermilk, stir 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Allow to sit on your counter for at least 10 minutes before using.
Cranberries – I used fresh cranberries, but frozen work as well. If using frozen cranberries, add them into the batter without thawing.
Cornstarch – Helps to create that tender crumb.
Eggs – Make sure they’re at room temperature before beginning.
Flour – All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.
Orange – Both orange zest and orange juice are used in this recipe.
Oil – I used a flavourless oil. Makes the muffins more moist.
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake these Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins. You will need a 12 muffin tin, 2 large mixing bowls, muffin liners, a spatula, and a whisk.
Step 1 – Prep. Line the muffin liners with 12 liners and set aside. If you need a recommendation, this is my favourite tin.
Step 2 – Make the streusel. In a medium sized bowl, add flour, sugar, and cold butter. Using your hands, mix this until crumbly and combined. Set aside while you make the muffin batter.
Step 3 - Mix dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a spatula, mix until just completely combined and set aside.
Step 4 - Mix orange zest and white sugar. In a large bowl, add in sugar and orange zest. Using your fingers, combine them to release all of the orange oils and fragrances. Do this for a minute.
Step 5 – Whisk wet ingredients. In the same bowl, add in melted and cooled butter, egg, egg yolk, oil, buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Step 6 – Add in dry ingredients. Toss in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until just completely combined.
Step 7 – Add cranberries. Gently toss the cranberries in 1-2 tsps of flour before adding them into the mixing bowl. This will help absorb any liquid they may have from washing. Then add into the bowl and mix in a few times.
Step 8 – Scoop. Evenly divide the batter between 12 liners, they should be almost or all the way full. Using a cookie scooper helps big time to minimize the mess. Sprinkle streusel on top.
Step 9 – Bake. Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes and then lower the oven to 350°F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. The muffins are ready when they bounce back at touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
These muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week!
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
- Do not over-mix! A big reason muffins don’t rise or turn out tough is because the batter is over-mixed. Once you see no flour streaks, stop mixing.
- Streusel: Be extra generous when sprinkling streusel on top of the muffins. When they bake, approximately half of it gets melted into the batter!
FAQ
Why do you bake at 2 temperatures?
The first temperature is a short-term high temperature. The goal here is that the heat is so hot it activates the leavening agents so the muffins grow tall quickly within the first 5 minutes and you get that muffin dome. Then, once you lower it down, it continues to bake inside.
How do I store these muffins?
These muffins are good on your counter for 2 days, and in the fridge in an airtight container for a week! I like to bake them ahead of time and grab them as a snack on my way out the door.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes! You can use the 2x and 3x options on the recipe card to double and triple the recipe when needed.
Can I bake these in regular muffin liners?
Yes! Fill the liners to the top and sprinkle streusel on each one. Bake them at the same temperature for 18-23 minutes. Baking them in regular liners will also make more muffins (15-17 muffins total).
Do I have to make the streusel?
No! But it really brings a nice buttery muffin crunch to them when they bake up. If you don’t make the streusel, sprinkle some white sugar on top.
What do I do with leftover streusel?
Streusel freezes great! Just place any leftovers you may have in a ziplock bag and freeze until needed again. You do not need to thaw it to use it, once you are ready to use it, you can sprinkle it frozen on top of the muffin batter.
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Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk* room temperature
- 1/4 cup orange juice room temperature
- 1 1/2 tbsp orange zest approx 1 large orange or 3 medium
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp flour for dusting cranberries
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
For the streusel
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 7 tbsp butter cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a 12 tin muffin liner with 12 tulip liners and set aside. Melt the butter and prepare to measure the rest of your ingredients as it cools.1/2 cup butter
For the streusel
- In a small bowl, make the streusel. Combine flour, white sugar, and cold cut up butter. Using your hands, mix it together until combined into a crumbly, streusel mixture. Set aside while you make the muffin batter.1/3 cup white sugar, 7 tbsp butter, 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the muffin batter
- In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a spatula, mix until just completely combined and set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- In a large bowl, add in sugar and orange zest. Using your fingers, combine them to release all of the orange oils and fragrances. Do this for a minute.1 cup white sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- In the same bowl as the sugar orange zest mixture, add melted and cooled butter, egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, oil, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.1/2 cup butter, 3 tbsp oil, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 3/4 cup buttermilk*, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tbsp vanilla
- Add in the dry ingredients Using a spatula, gently fold until just combined. It's important not to over mix with muffins.
- In the bowl with the cranberries, add 1 tbsp of flour and gently toss around until evenly coated. The light coating of flour will absorb any extra liquid it may have before adding it into the mixing bowl.2 cups fresh cranberries
- Add the cranberries and mix in a few times.
- Evenly divide the batter between 12 muffin liners. Sprinkle streusel on top.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes and then lower the oven to 350°F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. The muffins are ready when they bounce back at touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- These muffins are best eaten fresh. They stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week!
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