Tart and tangy with a hint of sweetness, gluten free cranberry orange muffins make for a delicious start to the day. They are perfect for breakfast, but also for an afternoon pick-me-up or satisfying dessert!
Keeping things simple is always a good thing, and that's what I love about this recipe! You’ll notice that these cranberry & orange muffins don't call for any of the usual suspects in gluten free baking. You know - the xanthan gum, guar gum or expandex. The reason is that they don't need them. Muffins can often go without these binding agents. So these delicious little treats taste great and they're not too complicated. What more could we ask for?
Looking for more gluten free muffins? Check out these flaxseed muffins, these zucchini muffins, and these chocolate chip muffins.
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Why these cranberry orange muffins are the best!
These muffins are moist and full of amazing flavor, thanks to the cranberries and orange zest. Not only are they delicious, but they're also pretty healthy! There are definitely worse things you can be having for breakfast, snacks, and dessert. Whip up a batch and you'll see (taste) for yourself. Here are a few more reasons you'll love these muffins:
- This recipe is simple and easy - you don't need xanthan gum, guar gum, or any other gluten free ingredient that you may not have already in your kitchen.
- These muffins come together in just over an hour.
- This recipe is gluten free and dairy free with plenty of room for substitutions.
- These orange muffins are bursting with cranberry and buttery flavor - you can taste the fruit flavor in every bite.
Ingredients & substitutions
Measurements for each ingredient, along with instructions for making the muffins are in the recipe card below.
- Gluten free flour mix - This gluten free flour mix was used to develop this recipe. Others may work but haven't been tested.
- Baking powder - There is no substitute for the baking powder.
- Salt - The salt can be omitted or reduced if you are following a low salt diet.
- Granulated sugar - The sugar can be substituted with Swerve sweetener.
- Brown sugar - The brown sugar can be substituted with Swerve sweetener (brown sugar variety).
- Eggs - The eggs can be substituted with JUST egg.
- Vegan sour cream - The Forager brand was used, but regular sour cream will also work.
- Vegan butter - Regular butter can be used instead of vegan if you can tolerate dairy.
- Orange zest - There is no substitute for the orange zest.
- Orange juice - The orange juice can be fresh squeezed or premade juice.
- Cranberries - The cranberries can be fresh or frozen.
- Cinnamon - There is no substitute for the cinnamon, but it can be omitted.
Note about cranberries
In this recipe, you can choose to use either fresh or frozen cranberries. If you use frozen, don't worry about letting them thaw - they can go straight into the batter! It's also important to leave the cranberries whole, so there's no need to chop them up.
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins step by step
Step 1: Whisk gluten free flour mix, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter, orange zest and orange juice for 30 seconds, until combined.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix for 30 seconds, until fully combined.
Step 4: Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed.
Step 5: Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, plus 3 cups of another muffin tin.
Step 6: Make the topping by combining the sugar, gluten free flour and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender to but the butter into the dry mix until you have coarse crumbs.
Baking & serving
Step 7: Once the topping is done and the 30 minutes are up, portion the batter into the prepared muffin cups and use a spoon to sprinkle topping on each muffin.
Step 8: Bake at 375F for 18-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then serve the muffins warm or at room temperature.
💭Pro tips for making these cranberry muffins
1. Weigh the ingredients
For accuracy and the best possible outcome, it's important to weigh your ingredients. I recommend using a digital scale to measure the ingredients that have a weight (in grams) next to them.
2. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes
Rather than baking the muffins right away, you should set aside 30 minutes to let the batter rest before you scoop it into the muffin tins. This time is crucial for the flours and starches to hydrate so they can perform their absolute best!
3. Don't overdo the topping
It may be tempting to sprinkle a hefty amount of the delicious topping onto the muffins. But here's why you only need a little bit: too much topping will soak into the batter and flatten the muffin! Stick to a small spoonful of topping and they will be great.
4. Remove topping from the pan right away
When the muffins bake, you'll inevitably have some topping that falls and gets cooked onto the muffin pan. The best thing is to wipe that off right after you take the pan out of the oven so that it doesn't get stuck to the pan. Future-you that is washing dishes later will thank you!
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins FAQs
Store these muffins in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. They last well this way for about 2 days.
Yes! For longer storage, you can store your muffins in the freezer and defrost when you want to enjoy them.
Dried cranberries will work in muffins, but I really recommend using fresh or frozen. Frozen is a great option if you can't access fresh cranberries or if you want to be able to keep them on hand for longer. Part of what makes these muffins so great is that burst of juicy cranberry in each bite, and you won't get that same texture from dried cranberries.
Other muffin recipes you may like!
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Recipe
How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins (Gluten Free & Easy)
Ingredients
For muffins:
- 227 grams gluten free flour mix about 1 ¾ cups
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 105 grams brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegan sour cream
- 8 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 170 grams cranberries frozen or fresh
For Topping:
- 100 grams granulated sugar about ½ cup
- 33 grams gluten free flour mix about ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup vegan butter cold
Instructions
For muffins:
- In a medium bowl, add gluten free flour mix, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined.
- In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter, orange juice and orange zest. Whisk for 30 seconds, until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl and mix for 30 seconds until fully combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cranberries until evenly mixed.
- Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin plus 3 extra cups in another pan. Set the pans aside.
For topping:
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, gluten free flour and cinnamon. Mix well.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry mix until coarse crumbs form.
For baking:
- Portion batter into prepared muffin cups. Using a spoon, sprinkle a small spoonful of topping on each muffin.
- Bake for 18 -20 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove any topping that has fallen on the pan.
- Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Recipe was developed using the flour mix here, others may work but have not been tested.
- The Forager brand of dairy free sour cream was used, but regular sour cream may also be used.
- The orange juice may be fresh squeezed or purchased juice.
- The cranberries may be fresh or frozen, no need to thaw before adding to batter. Do not chop them.
- The rest time is important to give the flours and starches time to hydrate.
- Use just a small spoonful of topping on each muffin as too much may soak into the batter and flatten the muffins.
- Remove any topping that has fallen on the pan otherwise it will be difficult to clean up.
- Baked muffins store well in a sealed bag at room temperature for 2 days. They may be frozen for longer storage.
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