Description
These vibrant Cranberry Orange Muffins combine the tartness of fresh cranberries with bright orange zest and juice, creating a moist and flavorful vegan treat perfect for breakfast or brunch. Enhanced with a light orange glaze, these muffins are easy to make and use wholesome ingredients like soy milk and canola oil.
Ingredients
Scale
Orange Cranberry Muffins
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen
Optional Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Prepare oven and pans: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and lightly spray them with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix sugar and zest: In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until it resembles wet sand and is fragrant.
- Combine wet ingredients: Add the unsweetened soy milk, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, canola oil, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch to the wet mixture. Stir gently using a large spoon to combine everything without overmixing to keep the batter light.
- Add cranberries: Carefully fold the fresh or frozen cranberries into the batter to distribute them evenly while maintaining the batter’s texture.
- Fill muffin liners: Using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, or a spoon, fill each muffin liner to the top with batter to ensure full, tall muffins.
- Bake the muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the muffins are fully cooked.
- Prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth to form a drizzle glaze.
- Glaze and cool: Drizzle the orange glaze over the warm muffins while still in the pan. Let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to set the glaze and allow the muffins to firm up slightly.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute soy milk with oat or almond milk based on preference or dietary needs.
- Melted vegan butter or alternative oils like avocado or olive oil can replace canola oil; applesauce may work as an oil substitute but is untested in this recipe.
- For gluten-free variation, use a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- Cornstarch can be omitted or substituted with tapioca starch if desired.
- When using dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen, use about 3/4 cup and soak them in warm water beforehand to soften.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
