Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel Recipe
These Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel are a delightful combination of tart cranberries and zesty orange flavor, topped with a crunchy, buttery streusel for a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Ideal for breakfast or a snack, these moist muffins bring a fresh burst of citrus and berry with every bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest until evenly combined.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula just until combined; be careful not to overmix to keep muffins tender.
- Add Cranberries: Fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries evenly throughout the batter.
- Make Streusel: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Fill Muffin Tin: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Then sprinkle generous amounts of the streusel topping over each muffin.
- Bake Muffins: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw before mixing to prevent color bleeding and keep texture firm.
- For extra flavor, use fresh orange zest and juice from ripe oranges.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- You can substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier twist, but muffins will be denser.
- Ensure butter for the streusel is very cold to create a crumbly topping.
Keywords: cranberry muffins, orange muffins, streusel topping, breakfast muffins, holiday muffins, citrus muffins
