Description
These Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Muffins are light, fluffy, and bursting with fresh cranberries and bright citrus flavor. Perfect for a festive holiday breakfast or snack, they combine a gluten-free flour blend with orange zest and juice, producing a moist and tender muffin with a natural sweetness from honey and a subtle hint of cinnamon.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free measure-for-measure flour blend (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- Zest of 1 orange (about 1-2 teaspoons zest)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Other Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon coarse Turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prep Your Pan: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment muffin liners or grease to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, mix orange zest, orange juice, almond milk, avocado oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients To Dry Ingredients: Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until the mixture is just combined. Small lumps are fine; avoid overmixing.
- Fold In Cranberries: Gently fold in fresh cranberries. Optionally reserve a few cranberries to place on top of the muffins for decoration.
- Let the Batter Rest: If possible, let the batter rest for 30-60 minutes to achieve a taller rise.
- Scoop the Batter into Muffin Cups: Fill 12 muffin cups evenly with batter. Add reserved cranberries on top if desired and gently press into the batter. Sprinkle the tops with coarse Turbinado sugar.
- Bake: Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Muffins: Remove muffins from oven and let cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Serve & Store: Enjoy the muffins fresh, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, refrigerate for 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Notes
- Using a measure-for-measure gluten free flour blend ensures the best texture and rise.
- Allowing the batter to rest before baking helps create taller, fluffier muffins.
- Fresh cranberries add bursts of tartness. You can substitute with dried cranberries soaked in orange juice if fresh aren't available.
- Coarse sugar on top adds a pleasing crunch and sparkle to the muffins.
- These muffins freeze well; thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 252 kcal
- Sugar: 23.3 g
- Sodium: 107.8 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.5 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
