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This easy recipe for Cranberry Orange Cornbread Muffins makes traditional, orange-flavored corn muffins studded with fresh cranberries. Great for breakfast, dessert, and even holidays!
I absolutely love cornbread, and this recipe offers a unique and tasty twist on the classic. These muffins lean towards the sweeter side, and they are so, so delicious. The addition of fresh cranberries provides a tangy kick to these cornbread muffins, complemented beautifully by the orange zest that highlights those Fall flavors.
Why We Love These Cornbread Muffins
- Fluffy & Tall: A generous amount of baking powder gives these muffins an exceptional rise, making them fluffier and taller than your average corn muffin.
- Easy to Make: This straightforward recipe ensures a hassle-free baking experience, ideal for bakers of all levels.
- Fruit Fusion: The combination of oranges and cranberries adds a fresh, tangy twist to the traditional corn muffin.
Ingredients For Corn Muffins
- All-purpose flour
- Yellow corn meal: Adds the classic cornbread flavor and texture.
- Sugar
- Baking Powder: The secret to their tall, fluffy texture.
- Salt
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness.
- Corn Oil: Contributes to the muffins’ moist crumb.
- Eggs
- Fresh cranberries: Offer a burst of tangy flavor.
- Orange zest: Infuses a refreshing citrus note.
How To Make Corn Muffins
Enjoy baking and savoring these delicious Cranberry Orange Cornbread Muffins!
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease (or line with cupcake liners) a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Make the Batter: Mix flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.Whisk milk, oil, and eggs in a separate bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten the flour. Fold in cranberries and orange zest; expect a thick batter.
- Transfer the Batter: Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin pan.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown; check with a toothpick.
- Cool the muffins on a wire rack before serving.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Gently Mix the Batter: Avoid overmixing the batter. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins.
- Fresh Cranberries vs Dried: If you’re using fresh cranberries, chop them to distribute their tart flavor evenly. If fresh aren’t available, you can substitute with dried cranberries.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to check for doneness. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cooling: Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. This prevents them from becoming soggy.
- Storage: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for longer storage.
Serving Suggestions
These muffins are a treat on their own or can be enjoyed with a pat of butter or a drizzle of honey. Pair them with your cortado coffee, with a cinnamon dolce latte, or as a side to your holiday oven roasted turkey!
Storing Muffins
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for 3 months. To reheat, simply warm them in the oven or microwave.
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Cranberry Orange Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Corn Oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and eggs.
- Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the flour is moistened.
- Stir in the cranberries and orange zest. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve.
Notes
- Room Temperatures: Use room temperature milk and eggs for a smoother batter.
- Mixing the Batter: Mix until just moistened; overmixing causes tough and dense muffins.
- Cranberries: If you don’t have fresh cranberries, use dried ones.
- Doneness Test: To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin – if they’re done, the toothpick should come out with a few crumbs.
- Cooling: Cool the muffins on a wire rack to avoid sogginess.
- Storage: Keep the muffins in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze them for 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
YUM!! These muffins are so delicious looking! I love the gluten-free option too. Thanks for sharing!
I love the cranberry orange combo! These are perfection.
I could eat these ALL day long! So scrumptious!!
We always serve up muffins, croissant and fruits for an easy Christmas breakfast, and these corn muffins would be perfect!
Love Argo products and these muffins look incredible.
Hi. First, let me say that I love your website and I love your recipes! I am an avid fan of many of your ‘lightened’ dishes. I’ve noticed that in the last week or so when I choose to ‘Print’ one of your recipes an advertisement pops up in the middle of the print. Is there any way to avoid this?!
I know — it’s the little things in life … but this just happens to be one of my pet-peeves, especially when advertisements are already covering 25-30% of the screen and now video advertisements play automatically when a page is loaded. OK — now that I’ve vented, I feel somewhat better ๐ — but I would still like to be able to print without an advertisement in the recipe.
Sorry for the gripe and thanks for sharing your creative self and delicious dishes! Kelley
LOVE these!
Oooo do these look good and festive!! Love that I could literally eat them any time of day or night! They look amazing!
I love that it’s aluminum-free! And these corn muffins look insanely delicious!
Oranges and cranberries? I can taste them now! I love this so much!