Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel Recipe
These Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel are a delightful blend of tart cranberries and zesty orange, topped with a sweet, crumbly streusel for the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Ideal for breakfast or a teatime snack, these moist muffins are easy to make and bursting with fresh, seasonal taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners to prevent sticking and make clean-up easy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined and aerated.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, large eggs, milk, and freshly grated orange zest until smooth and well mixed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding gently and mixing just until combined to avoid overmixing which can make muffins tough.
- Add Cranberries: Fold in fresh or frozen cranberries gently to distribute them evenly without breaking them apart.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full for optimal rising.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour, then cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Top Muffins with Streusel: Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over each muffin’s batter to create a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Bake Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, preserving their perfect texture.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries; if using frozen, do not thaw to prevent bleeding of color into the batter.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep muffins light and fluffy.
- For extra flavor, consider adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients.
- These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Substitute milk with any plant-based milk to make it dairy-free, although butter should be replaced with a suitable vegan alternative.
Keywords: Cranberry muffins, orange zest muffins, streusel topping, breakfast muffins, holiday muffins
