Orange and cranberry together is such a classic combo for the holidays. I really enjoy baking with fresh cranberries and although they can be tart, they pair really nice with orange or other citrus flavors.

These muffins are super quick to make, perfect for Christmas morning/breakfast. They are packed with orange juice, zest and fresh cranberries. Ok, if you can’t find fresh cranberries where you live, you can use dried ones, no problem.

Let’s start with the recipe and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram because I just posted the video of how I made these muffins. Click HERE.

Yield 7 regular size muffins. You can double the ingredients for a bigger batch.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

2 and 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

zest from 1 big orange or from 2 small ones

1 egg, large at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 orange extract (optional)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries

Also, you need a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of each muffin before baking.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 F and line your muffin pan with paper liners.

1.- In a small bowl sift: flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Mix and set aside.

2.- In another small bowl mix yogurt and orange juice. Mix well until smooth and set aside.

3.- In a bigger bowl and using an electric mixer, cream your butter for 2 minutes. Then, add granulated sugar and light brown sugar, mix for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract, orange extract (if using) and zest. Mix for another minute. Add in egg and mix in medium high speed for 1 minute.

4.- Add in 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix in low speed. Then, add half of the yogurt-orange juice mix and keep mixing. Add the second third of dry ingredients, mix. Add the other half of yogurt-orange mix and mix. Finally, add the last third of the dry ingredients and mix just for a bit, do not overmix otherwise your muffins will be dense and dry.

5.- Using a spatula, fold in your fresh cranberries.

7.- Fill each paper liner with your muffin batter. Fill them all the way to the top so they can have a nice dome. Sprinkle some granulated sugar on the top of each muffin.

8.- Let your muffins rest for 5 minutes and then bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden color and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool and enjoy!