Cranberry Orange Muffins

I made cranberry orange sauce for Thanksgiving. I make it every year, and I am the only one who eats it. Truth be told, my husband likes the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can, so I always have leftover cranberry sauce. These muffins became my answer to what to do with the leftovers, and they are perfect for transforming into a delicious Cranberry Orange Bread.

What makes a good cranberry sauce?

A good cranberry sauce should strike a balance: tart but not sour, sweet but not syrupy. This version walks that line beautifully. Fresh orange juice and zest bring a zippy freshness, while a touch of honey adds mellow warmth. One cinnamon stick is all it takes to infuse the whole thing with a gentle spiced aroma that tastes like comfort. This combination is essential in Cranberry Orange Bread too.

I love making this cranberry sauce a few days before a big holiday meal; it keeps beautifully in the fridge and actually gets better with time. But don’t stop there! It’s amazing stirred into yogurt, slathered onto toast, or paired with soft cheeses for a fancy-but-easy snack. Leftovers? Think grilled cheese with cranberry, or even a spoonful stirred into cocktails for a festive twist. All these uses make it perfect for a flavorful Cranberry Orange Bread.

This Cranberry Orange Sauce might just become your new kitchen staple. It’s effortless, elegant, and packed with flavor. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll never go back to the canned stuff again. Once you have perfected the sauce – it’s time to make the muffins, or you can try baking a scrumptious Cranberry Orange Bread.

My 5 Tips for Making The Best Muffins:

Here are some reliable, practical muffin-baking tips that make a noticeable difference in texture, rise, and flavor:

1. Don’t Overmix and Dont Overfill

This is the #1 issue with dense, tough muffins. You hear it all the time but its true

• Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
• Lumpy batter is good.
• Use an ice cream scoop and fill 2/3 full

2. Use Two Oven Temperatures for Better Rise

If you want domed, bakery-style tops:

• Start at 425°F (5–7 minutes)
• Reduce to 350°F for the rest of baking
  The initial blast of heat lifts the muffins quickly.

3. Don’t Overfill the Cups

• Standard muffins: fill ⅔ to ¾ full
• Use an ice cream scoop

4. Mix-ins: Coat Them in Flour

For berries, chocolate chips, nuts, candies

• Toss with 1 tablespoon flour before adding
  This prevents them from sinking.

5. Let Them Cool in the Tin Only 5 Minutes

Then transfer to a rack. If you let them cool in the tins too long the bottoms get soggy

More Festive Favorites

As always, I aim to keep my recipes accessible with ingredients you’ll actually use more than once! Here’s a quick spotlight on a few key elements and a quick tutorial on how to make your own muffin papers.

• Fresh Cranberries: These little ruby-red gems bring the perfect tart bite and rich color. Frozen works too, no need to thaw!
• Orange Juice and Zest: Use freshly squeezed juice and zest for the brightest flavor. It’s what lifts the whole dish, especially in a Cranberry Orange Bread.
• Honey: A gentle sweetness that complements the tang without overpowering it. It also gives a silky texture.
• Cinnamon Stick: Adds subtle warmth and spice without turning the sauce into a pie filling. Just one stick goes a long way.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup honey, ⅔ cup water, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, orange zest from one large orange, and 1 cinnamon stick.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and honey are completely dissolved.
3. Add 12 oz fresh cranberries and bring to a gentle boil. Let it bubble away at a low boil, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the cranberries will begin to pop, and the sauce will thicken beautifully.
4. Once most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce is glossy and thickened (it will thicken more as it cools), remove from the heat.
5. Discard the cinnamon stick and let the sauce cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The recipe below would make a dozen muffins that could easily be transformed into Cranberry Orange Bread.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Stephanie Hansen

The recipe below would make a dozen muffins.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course Breakfast, Recipes

Cuisine American, Breakfast

Servings 12

Calories 247 kcal

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 2 large eggs slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup Cranberry Sauce roughly chopped

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

• In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and the orange zest. Stir the mixture together until the sugar starts to turn a bit orange and is fragrant. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder.

• In a separate bowl add the yogurt and milk, cooled melted butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

• Scoop an ice cream scoop of the batter into your prepared pan or tins. With a spoon, dollop the Cranberry sauce pulp onto the batter, then cover the pulp with more batter encasing it into the center of the mixture. With a knife, or a trussing needle or chopstick – swirl the mixture a bit until ribbons of fruit are incorporated throughout the bread or muffin batter.

• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean about about 35 minutes

• Remove the muffins from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin 5 minutes before removing the bread from the pan.

Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 307IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg

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