These muffins are moist, light, and fluffy. They are bursting with flavors of lightly zested oranges and refreshing cranberries. They are also incredibly easy to make and come together in just 25 minutes.
Whether you're planning to make these vegan cranberry orange muffins as a delicious snack, part of your annual holiday baking, or as a donation to your local bake sale, this is the best cranberry orange muffin recipe around!
They would be a wonderful addition to my Breakfast Charcuterie Board or served as a balanced breakfast with my Raspberry Oatmeal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light and Fluffy: The texture of these vegan cranberry muffins is incredibly moist and fluffy.
- Vegan: These plant based muffins are fully vegan, egg-free/eggless, dairy-free, making them a great option for many different dietary needs and preferences.
- Easy to Make: It takes just 25 minutes to make this easy recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Flour: I used regular unbleached all purpose flour in this muffin recipe. Be sure to sift the flour to ensure you're getting an accurate measurement.
Coconut Oil: You'll want to heat the coconut oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that it's melted, then allow it to come to room temperature for best results.
Orange Juice: You can use either store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice in this recipe, though I recommend using freshly squeezed for the best possible flavor.
Baking Powder: Make sure you're using fresh baking powder. Once opened, I only use my baking powder for 3-6 months before trading it in for a fresh container.
See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Dried Cranberries: Though this recipe calls for fresh cranberries, you can use dried cranberries in their place. You'll want to soak the dried cranberries in water for about 15 minutes prior to getting started, and use 2 cups of soaked cranberries.
Frozen Cranberries: To swap for frozen cranberries, simply replace the two cups of the fresh cranberries that the original recipe calls for with two cups of frozen cranberries.
Add Nuts: You can add ½ cup of nuts to these muffins when you fold in the cranberries and orange zest. Some good options would be chopped walnuts or pecans. You can also top the muffins with these chopped nuts right before baking.
Make them Cupcakes: Spread your favorite vanilla frosting on top of these cooled muffins to make them cranberry orange cupcakes instead!
Expert Tip: If you want to add extra texture and flavor to these muffins, sprinkle extra sugar, orange zest, or nuts on top of the muffins just prior to baking.
Step by Step Instructions
Image 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl then add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Mix the dry ingredients well and set aside.
Image 2: Melt the coconut oil and allow all wet ingredients to come to room temperature. Mix the coconut oil, olive oil, oat milk, apple sauce, orange juice, and vanilla together in a bowl until well combined.
Image 3: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
Gently fold in the orange zest and cranberries until evenly distributed.
Image 4: Line the muffin tray with muffin/cupcake liners. Fill them to the top and sprinkle any extra garnishes on top (nuts, sugar, etc.). Place the muffin tray in the oven on the center rack and bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake the muffins for 12-14 additional minutes. They are ready when the tops are a light golden color and a toothpick comes out of the center of the muffins clean.
Expert Tips
- Measure your ingredients and set a timer. These sound like basic tips, but they are incredibly important whenever you're baking. Even a small difference in timing or ingredients can drastically change the outcome of a recipe.
- Use fresh baking powder. I typically only use baking powder for 3-6 months after opening it. Using old baking powder can inhibit the rising of your muffins or other baked goods.
- Sift the flour. This will help give you a more accurate measurement and will break up any clumps.
- Use a cookie scooper. Using a cookie scooper when transferring the muffin batter to the tray/liners will help give you a nice clean scoop and will reduce messiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ensuring that your ingredients, specifically the wet ingredients are room temperature before mixing and baking the muffins will help them have a lighter and fluffier texture and consistency.
Yes you can! Just soak the dried cranberries in water for 15 minutes before draining them and measuring out the same amount that the recipe calls for. Note that there will be a slightly different taste and texture when using dried cranberries.
I like to use a combination of coconut oil and olive oil to help make my muffins nice and moist. You'll also want to make sure you're following all of the recipe steps properly and avoid over-baking the muffins.
More Plant-Based Treats You'll Love
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Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
- 12 muffin liners
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup oat milk
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the coconut oil so it is in liquid form and allow ingredients to come to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour then add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients including the oat milk, orange juice, olive oil, coconut oil, apple sauce, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and gently mix together until just combined, be careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the cranberries and orange zest.
- Transfer a large scoop of muffin mix into a lined muffin tray and fill each muffin liner to the top.
- Place the muffin tray in the oven on the middle rack and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- At the 5 minute mark, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for 12-14 additional minutes. Check the muffins frequently at the 12 minute mark to make sure they aren't burning or over baking. They are ready when the tops are a light golden and a toothpick comes out of the middle of the muffins clean.
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