Cranberry Orange Muffins with Greek Yogurt

Cranberry Orange Muffins are the perfect breakfast or brunch muffin recipe to make during the holidays.  The orange zest and tart cranberries are familiar fall flavors that complement each other perfectly in a delicious moist muffin!

If you love baking with fresh cranberries try this cranberry banana nut bread, it is another holiday favorite!

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Why You'll Love These Cranberry Muffins

Tart, tangy with a lovely hint of citrus and buttery, crunchy streusel topping makes these bakery-style cranberry muffins the perfect addition to your holidays. Serve them for a breakfast or brunch on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning and you will definitely not be disappointed!

perfect holiday flavor combination- tart cranberry and the bright citrus flavor from the orange go together perfectly. It is a great flavor combination for the holidays.

bakes large bakery style muffins-these muffins will not disappoint! The muffins are really large and look beautiful with the pops of red from the cranberry and the crumbly streusel topping. If you are hosting a holiday get-together or taking to a potluck or brunch these muffins will look beautiful and very impressive.

easy to make for beginner bakers- muffins are some of the first baked goods I experimented with. I find muffins are so easy to mix together making it the perfect recipe for the new baker!

Equipment Needed

• Large Bowl
• Muffin tin
• Spatula
• Paper Liners

Key Ingredients

all-purpose flour- is the best flour for a tender moist muffin. I have not tested this muffin with alternative flours so you will need to use your best judgement.

baking powder, baking soda and salt- are the leavening agents used to make the muffins rise.

eggs- binds the muffins together and adds moisture.

sugar and brown sugar- gives a good sweet contrast to the tart cranberries. While both add sweetness, the brown sugar also adds moisture and caramel notes from the molasses that is added to brown sugar.

Greek yogurt- adds great moisture to the muffins. I prefer whole milk Greek yogurt because it has a bit extra fat that makes the muffins even more tender.

cardamom- is a spice that is derived from seeds of a plant that are in the ginger family. It has warm notes that blend well with citrus.

orange juice and zest- gives that great citrus flavor.

cranberries- fresh or frozen cranberries work best, and I don't recommend dried cranberries for this muffin recipe.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. I like liners if I'm planning to let the muffins cool completely before serving. Warm muffins will stick to the liners when you peel them off, so if you want to serve them warm right out of the oven, use non-stick spray instead.

In a small bowl, mix together the streusel ingredients melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cardamom and zest. It is important to let the butter cool before adding the other ingredients because hot butter will melt the sugar and form a paste instead of crumbs.

Use a fork to work the ingredients together until it is all coated with butter and no streaks of flour remain. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. The streusel will bake better when chilled.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all dry ingredients, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Reserve 1 tablespoon of flour to toss the cranberries.

In a large bowl, use a hand-mixer to cream the room temperature butter and both types of sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between. Then add the yogurt, vanilla extract, orange juice and orange zest.

Use a spatula to mix in the flour. Mix until just combined without over mixing which can result in dry muffins.

Toss the cranberries in the reserved tablespoon of flour. Using a spatula carefully fold the berries into the batter.

Evenly divide batter into muffin cups. Add extra cranberries (these do not need to be coated in flour) to the tops and gently press into the batter. The cups will be very full.

Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter and gently press down to help the streusel topping stick.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 16-18 minutes, check with a toothpick for doneness around the 16-minute mark. The muffins are done when the toothpick comes out clean. All ovens will vary slightly.

Make Ahead

These muffins can be made ahead and stored for up to a week. They can also be frozen for longer periods. See Storage section for more details.

Serving Recommendations

Serve these muffins warm with a smear of butter, cream cheese or a drizzle of honey. These are a fantastic addition to a holiday breakfast or brunch. To balance the meal you can pair with a savory option like my Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole With Sausage or Hawaiian Roll Egg Breakfast Sliders.

Expert Tips

• Tossing frozen cranberries will help them not sink to the bottom of your muffin so you get those beautiful tart berries scattered throughout for every bite.
• Zest your orange completely in the very beginning. It is so much easier to zest first before you cut the orange and squeeze the juice.
• Test with a toothpick before the recommended bake time. All ovens can very and it is best to check early so the muffins do not over bake and become dry.

Substitutions And Additions

nuts- chopped pecans or walnuts would be a great addition to these muffins.

spices- I used cardamom but if this is a spice you do not like or have on hand you can use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ginger.

yogurt- I always have yogurt on hand so I use this in most of my muffins, but you can always use equal amounts of sour cream instead.

Storage

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

These muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap completely cooled muffins in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave for a few seconds if desired.

Can You Use Dried Cranberries Instead Of Fresh In Muffins?

You can use dried cranberries, however it will change the muffin flavor and texture.  Fresh berries are very tart and they burst in your mouth when you bite into them.
Most dried cranberries have sugar added to them to make them sweeter. They also have a chewy texture because the water has been removed during the dehydrating process.

Can I Use Frozen Cranberries?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen cranberries when making muffins.  I actually used frozen when making this recipe the first time.  It can be challenging to find fresh cranberries year round.  Usually you’ll see fresh cranberries in the stores a few weeks before Thanksgiving, so I like to buy a few extra bags to keep in the freezer.  There’s no need to defrost you can just add them to the batter frozen.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!