Best Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe Easy Winter Warmers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Ensure the zest is evenly distributed.
3. Toss the cranberries gently with about 1 tablespoon of the dry sugar mixture. Set aside to help prevent them from sinking during baking.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk/buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla extract until just combined.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined. Stop mixing the moment you no longer see streaks of dry flour; the batter should look lumpy.
6. Gently fold the prepared cranberries into the lumpy batter. Do not overmix, as this develops gluten and leads to tough muffins.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full (or to the brim for extra height).
8. Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
9. Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. If using the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and 2–3 tablespoons of orange juice until smooth, and drizzle over the completely cooled muffins before serving.