Moist Golden Cranberry Muffins (Printable View)

Golden muffins bursting with tart cranberries, moist and perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - ½ cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

10 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, unthawed if frozen
11 - Zest of 1 orange (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and orange zest if using until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Fold in the cranberries carefully to distribute evenly.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The batter comes together in minutes, so you can have warm muffins on the table before your coffee gets cold.
  • Frozen cranberries burst with tart brightness that balanced perfectly against the sweet crumb—no thawing required.
  • Orange zest transforms these from ordinary to the kind of muffin people ask for by name.
02 -
  • Don't thaw frozen cranberries—they release their juice more slowly when frozen, which means less soggy batter and pockets of tart flavor throughout.
  • The fold-together motion is everything; the moment you see a few flour streaks disappear, you're done mixing.
  • If you skip the orange zest, these are still delicious, but with it, they're the kind of muffin people remember.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly—let your eggs and buttermilk sit out for 15 minutes before you start.
  • A spring-loaded ice cream scoop fills your muffin cups evenly every time with zero stress and no mess.

Go Back