Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Muffins

Let’s make Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Muffins! These light, fluffy cranberry muffins are packed with fresh cranberries and bright citrus flavor. (Dairy Free, too!) 

Sometimes, a person just needs a really good baking project.

Sunday baking has become a sort of unofficial tradition at our house, whether that means a treat (cookies, endless rounds of brownies, gooey scotcheroos, etc.), some rosemary focaccia for dinner, or something fun for a slower-paced breakfast.

These light, fluffy gluten-free orange cranberry muffins are one of our most recent projects and we’ve been eating them on repeat ever since. They taste amazing! With their fluffy texture & sweet-tart flavor, they’re perfect for a holiday breakfast, weekend brunch, or a fun fall baking project.

The ingredients are pretty simple and straightforward, but they’re packing BIG flavors and gorgeous colors you won’t want to miss.

Before we dive into the cranberry muffin recipe, I just need to tell you these gluten-free muffins are AMAZING paired with a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce or a smear of honey butter (or cinnamon honey butter!). Good? Ok, let’s dive in!

Simple Ingredients For Gluten-Free Cranberry Muffins

• LOTS OF FRESH ORANGE FLAVOR. Just like in our Triple Berry Muffins, I use a combination of orange zest and orange juice for LOTS of bright, fresh orange flavor. If you don’t have a fresh orange to zest, just know the orange flavor will be less pronounced (you may want to increase the cinnamon or vanilla to compensate).
• MILK. You can use whatever you drink. We’re dairy free, so unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk are my go-to’s. Rice milk, oat milk, dairy milk, coconut milk, etc. will all work!
• AVOCADO OIL + HONEY + EGGS + VANILLA. The rest of our wet ingredients really play up the orange and cranberry flavors and give these a light, delicious texture that’s SO AMAZING fresh out of the oven!
• GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND. I make my orange cranberry muffins gluten free using a measure-for-measure gluten free flour blend. My two favorites are this one from King Arthur Flour and this one from Bob’s Red Mill. If you use another gluten-free flour blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum or the muffins won’t turn out properly!
• BAKING POWDER, SODA, SALT, CINNAMON. I finish up the dry ingredients with plenty of light, fluffy puffiness and just enough salt and cinnamon to round things out and give these a holiday feel. (Like more cinnamon? Add more!)
• FRESH CRANBERRIES. Fresh cranberry season is the perfect time to make these orange cranberry muffins! I love them with fresh cranberries best, since they don’t make the muffins quite as wet. In a pinch, you *can* use frozen cranberries. (See the FAQ for more details!)
• A LITTLE COARSE SUGAR. IF you want to send these over the top, sprinkle on a little coarse turbinado sugar on top of the muffins before baking. It only takes about 1/2-1 Tbsp. for the whole recipe, but that delightful crackly crunch on top makes it seem like you got  these orange cranberry muffins from a bakery.

How To Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Muffins, Step By Step:

1. Preheat Oven & Prep Your Pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners or grease to prevent sticking.
2. Start Wet Ingredients. In a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, and milk. Stir to combine and let the mixture rest for at least 2-3 minutes while you prep your other ingredients.
3. Finish Wet Ingredients. Add avocado oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla to the orange/milk mixture, and whisk until smooth.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
5. Add Wet Ingredients To Try Ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until mixture is just combined and there are no large powdery spots left (some small lumps are fine).
6. Fold In Cranberries. Add cranberries to the batter and gently fold in, to combine. (If desired, reserve a few cranberries for the top of your muffins to make them extra pretty).
7. Scoop the Batter into 12 muffin cups (muffin cups will be full). (Add any reserved cranberries to the tops of the muffins and gently press into the batter, if desired)
8. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar.
9. Bake at 400 degrees F for 17-20 minutes, or until the muffins are puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm muffins right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature 1-2 days, in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer up to 2 months. 

FAQ + Tips For The Best Orange Cranberry muffins

LET’S TALK MUFFIN PANS! If you like some nice browning along the edges, you’ll probably be happiest with a metal muffin pan + parchment muffin cups. If you like super easy clean-up, we love these silicone muffin pans. (After the first 1-2 uses, they’re completely nonstick and don’t require liners or spray! The edges don’t brown as much, but the clean-up couldn’t be easier!)

CAN I USE FROZEN CRANBERRIES INSTEAD OF FRESH? Yes, though they will affect the texture somewhat. Don’t thaw them before using, and know that the muffins will be slightly more wet and dense.

I’M NOT GLUTEN FREE. CAN I MAKE THESE WITH REGULAR FLOUR? Yes! I made my orange cranberry muffins using a gluten free measure-for-measure substitute, meaning you’d use the same amount of white flour.

CAN I USE ALMOND FLOUR OR COCONUT FLOUR INSTEAD? Neither almond nor coconut flour are a direct substitute for gluten free flour, and unless you play with the ratios of liquid to flour, the muffins will not turn out the same. I don’t recommend them for this cranberry muffin recipe.

⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star review and comment below when you make our Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!