Fresh Cranberry Muffins You’ll Want to Make All Season

Fresh cranberry muffins are one of my favorite ways to bring the flavors of fall to the holiday breakfast table. Tart cranberries bake into the lightly sweet muffins while orange zest adds a little citrus flavor, making them especially good for mornings when family is visiting.

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Fresh cranberry muffins baked in white paper cupcake liners sit on a wire cooling rack.

Fresh Cranberry Muffins Recipe

Breakfast can be easy to forget when I'm planning a holiday menu. I'm usually thinking about recipes like Thanksgiving fruit salad and shredded cheesy potatoes, but having something ready for the morning makes hosting so much easier.

These orange and cranberry muffins are especially nice for that because I can bake them ahead of time and have breakfast waiting when everyone wakes up. This recipe is based on my Lemon Blueberry Muffins, with cranberries and orange giving them a festive holiday twist.

cranberry muffins, rolled oats, fresh cranberries and orange slices all sit in a muffin pan, viewed from overhead.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

Here are just a few of the reasons why this orange cranberry muffin recipe is worth making:

The berries soften and burst as the muffins bake, giving you little pockets of fresh cranberry throughout each one.

The oats give them a little more texture than a traditional muffin, so they feel substantial enough to add to a breakfast spread.

These are also easy to serve to a crowd, which is always helpful around the holidays. Set out a batch for breakfast or brunch and everyone can grab a muffin whenever they're ready to eat.

Overhead view of fresh red berries in a metal measuring cup.

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for these cranberry muffins are simple baking staples, but a few are worth knowing more about:

Fresh or frozen whole cranberries give the muffins their tart cranberry flavor. I prefer fresh cranberries when they're available, but frozen work well too. If you're using frozen, add them straight to the batter without thawing first.

Orange zest adds the sweet citrus flavor that pairs with the cranberries. Zest only the orange part of the peel and avoid the bitter white pith underneath. I use navel oranges, but smaller varieties like Clementine or Mandarin oranges will work as well.

Coconut sugar or brown sugar add sweetness to the batter. Either one works, so use whichever you have on hand.

Old-fashioned rolled oats add texture to the muffins. Stick with old-fashioned oats rather than quick or instant oats for this recipe.

How to Make the Cranberry Muffins

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️

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A bowl filled with a dry mixture of all-purpose flour, rolled oats, sugar, and spices.

Orange zest in a glass measuring cup with milk.

Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, oats, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a large mixing bowl. Give everything a quick mix so it's evenly combined.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients: almond milk, yogurt, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla and orange zest. I love how you can already smell the orange once the zest goes in!

A well in the center of a bowl of dry ingredients.

Pouring wet mixture from a glass measuring cup into a bowl of flour, sugar, and rolled oats.

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. This gives you a nice spot to pour in the wet mixture.

Pour the wet ingredients into the well, then gently combine them with a silicone spatula.

Mixing wet cranberry muffin ingredients into dry ingredients in a large glass bowl.

Folding frozen cranberries into muffin batter in a glass mixing bowl.

You don't need to get every little lump out, so stop mixing once you don't see any big streaks of flour.

Fold in the cranberries. Gently fold them into the batter until they're spread throughout. Don't worry if a few get crushed along the way.

A bowl of fresh cranberries next to baked cranberry orange muffins.

Use a cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup to divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. I like using a scoop because it's much less messy and helps me keep them about the same size.

Bake the muffins in the oven until the tops bounce back when they are gently pressed. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 3 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Madison's Tips for Success:

I've tested this recipe and have successfully made it many times. Use my tips to ensure that it turns out perfectly for you, too!

Zest the orange before you do anything else with it. It's much easier to zest a whole orange than one that's already been cut or juiced. I like to get this out of the way while I'm gathering the rest of my ingredients.
Bring the eggs and yogurt closer to room temperature. Coconut oil can firm back up when it hits very cold ingredients, so letting these sit out for a bit helps the wet mixture blend more smoothly.
Save a few cranberries for the tops. Before folding them all into the batter, set a small handful aside and press a few into the top of each muffin before baking. You'll get more of those pretty pops of cranberry on top.

Freshly baked batch of cranberry muffins on a wire cooling rack, viewed from overhead.

Serving Suggestions

These muffins are nice to have as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast or brunch. Serve them as-is with coffee and juice, or add them to a buffet with sausage breakfast casserole or egg bites.

They're also easy to pack up and share with neighbors or bring along to a holiday gathering.

Homemade oat muffins on a cooling rack next to a bowl of fresh cranberries.

Storing and Freezing

Let the muffins cool completely before storing them. For the first 3 days, keep them in an airtight container lined with paper towels at room temperature to help absorb excess moisture.

For longer storage, freeze the cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw them when you're ready to eat, then warm them before serving if you prefer.

A baking pan of freshly baked holiday muffins with red berries.

Cranberry Muffin Recipe FAQs

Can I chop fresh cranberries before adding them to the muffins?

You can, especially if you prefer smaller pieces of cranberry throughout each muffin. A rough chop is enough. Just be careful since fresh cranberries can roll around on the cutting board.

Can I make mini cranberry muffins with this recipe?

You can use the same batter for mini muffins, but they'll bake faster than full-size muffins. Start checking them early and look for the same springy tops to know they're done.

Why did my muffins stick to the liners?

Muffins can stick more when they're still warm. Let them cool before peeling away the liner, which usually makes it much easier to remove.

Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh?

You can certainly use dried berries, but keep in mind that their flavor is much sweeter than fresh cranberries, and they don't have the juiciness that fresh berries have.

Did you make this recipe?

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