Today I’m sharing a recipe for Cranberry Orange Muffins with Struesel Topping and Orange Glaze that would make a great gift or addition to your holiday breakfast table. They’re easy to make – no mixer required! – and are bursting with tart fresh cranberries, crunchy pecans and zesty orange flavor.
One of my favorite holiday flavor combinations is cranberry and orange. I love the balance between tart and sweet and there’s just something about the smell of a freshly zested orange that feels so festive to me. It’s important that you don’t skip on the fresh cranberries. They really make this recipe special and would not be matched by sweetened dried cranberries.
Here’s the scoop on how I made muffin magic happen with these holiday-themed ingredients.
In this recipe I went a mixture of half white flour and half whole wheat pastry flour. I’m typically a “eyeball and don’t measure” kind of cook but when I’m baking I get serious about being exact. One of my most helpful tips to ensure successful baking is to measure out your flour using a food scale. It makes such a huge difference!
After measuring out my flour, I tossed it with the chopped cranberries and pecans. This step is important for ensuring that the cranberries didn’t sink to the bottom of the muffins while baking.
My secret to making no mixer required muffins, quick breads, cakes and cupcakes is to vegetable oil, canola oil or coconut oil instead of having to break out the stand mixer to cream butter and sugar together. It gives the same great taste while keeping prep simple and efficient.
After prepping the cranberry orange muffin batter and equally distributing it into a 12-muffin tin, I made the streusel topping by combining pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon and cold cut butter. I generously sprinkled it on top of the muffins and they were ready for the oven.
After just 20 minutes of baking, my house smelled amazing and the cranberry orange muffins were ready. While I do love coffee cakes and quick breads, you can’t beat the short baking time on muffins.
The glaze is a simple mix of powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest that is whisked together and drizzled over the muffins. I encourage you not to skip the glaze. The extra pop of orange flavor in the glaze really helps to tie together the cranberry orange theme of the recipe.
Give these cranberry orange muffins a try if you’re in search of a quick, easy and festive addition to your holiday breakfast spread or a homemade gift for someone on your list!
Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel Topping and Orange Glaze
MUFFIN PINNABLE
