Description
These cranberry orange muffins feature a tender, citrus-flavored crumb packed with cranberries and pecans, topped with a buttery streusel and finished with a sweet orange glaze. They are ideal for winter mornings or brunch gatherings.
Ingredients
- Muffins: 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (halved if large)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Streusel Topping: ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Orange Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and both sugars.
- In another bowl, whisk melted butter, orange juice, eggs, and orange zest until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Gently fold in cranberries and pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about ¾ full.
- Make streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and pecans. Cut in the cold butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle this evenly over each muffin top.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15–17 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly squeezed orange juice.
- If your cranberries are very large, cut them in half before adding them to the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients are combined; a few lumps are acceptable.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Breakfast/Baked Goods
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American