• About
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Food Photography

Chef Janet

So good, they'll never know it's gluten-free.

  • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Cooking Basics
  • Gluten-Free Diet Tips
Home Β» Baked Goods Β» Moist, Fluffy Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

November 20, 2021 (last updated April 27, 2022)

Moist, Fluffy Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

5 from 2 votes
Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

These gluten-free cranberry orange muffins are moist, tart and just sweet enough for a breakfast or brunch treat. They can also be made dairy-free.

Be sure to check out more of my gluten-free muffin recipes including my signature gluten-free coffee cake muffins with a cinnamony crumb topping and my grain-free banana blueberry muffins.

glass bowl with fresh cranberries tossed with sugar. Wood board with sliced orange in back. Red and white towel on right and metal measuring cup with cranberries on left.

Cranberries

Fresh cranberries are my preference for this recipe. They hold up best once baked and won’t make the muffins soggy. They are VERY tart so you’ll toss them with a little sugar before adding to the batter. The tart cranberries with sweet orange is a wonderful combination.

Can you use frozen cranberries? – Yes, frozen cranberries will work in the recipe but they will break down a little more than fresh ones. Since fresh cranberries have such a short season, this can bea good option. But, do not toss them with sugar as this will start to break them down. Simply stir them into the batter frozen.

Can you use dried cranberries? – Yes. Just like raisins can be used in baking, so can dried cranberries. Since they almost always come sweetened, they do not need to be tossed with sugar.

GLuten-free cranberry muffins on wood board. Fresh cranberries and orange slices on left, green napkin on right.

Ingredients

Gluten-free flour blend – King Arthur Measure for Measure is my go-to flour for gluten-free baking. It works very well in almost all of my recipes and is available in most grocery stores. It is also the most affordable of the flour blends I’ve tested. Be sure to check out more of my recipes with King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour.

Pamela’s All Purpose Artisan Blend is another good gluten-free flour that will work in this recipe. Cup4Cup is another widely available gluten-free flour blend but it contains milk powder so I don’t test with it.

All three of these flours are certified gluten-free and contain binders like xanthan gum, guar gum and inulin. Regardless of which flour blend you use, if yours does not contain xanthan gum, guar gum or inulin add ΒΌ teaspoon xanthan gum to the recipe.

To be sure that these muffins get a strong orange flavor, the recipe includes orange juice and orange zest. One medium sized navel orange does the trick.

Orange zest is the colorful outer layer of the peel which contains the oils and wonderful flavor from orange. It’s a great way to inject citrus flavor without any liquid. If you have not used zest before, check out my blog post how to zest a lemon for a quick tutorial.

A microplane works best for zesting citrus. It is essentially a super fine grater that creates tiny, tiny shreds that disappear into the batter but leave wonderful flavor behind. If you don’t have a zester my tutorial linked above has a different method.

Oil is my preferred way to add moisture to gluten-free baked goods. Butter adds great flavor but the moisture does not hold up as well once the muffins are cooled. Avocado, sunflower, canola or any other neutral flavored vegetable oil will work.

Sour cream adds a wonderful tangy and rich flavor to the cupcakes. I tested the recipe with both plant-based and dairy sour cream and both worked equally well. Follow Your Heart Sour Cream Alternative is a great plant-based option. The only difference was that the ones with dairy sour cream browned a little bit more.

Gluten-free cranberry orange muffing with icing on wire rack. Orange slices and fresh cranberries in front. Spoon with icing on left and red and white napkin on right.

Muffin Toppings

These muffins are moist and delicious as is, but a pretty drizzle or a coating of icing can’t hurt, right? Here are a few options:

  • A simple powdered sugar icing takes 2 minutes to mix up. Mix 1 1/2 c powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water.
  • To bring another pop of orange, use orange juice instead of water and add a little orange zest to the simple icing.
  • For an icing that uses no powdered sugar and just a tiny amount of sweetener, try my Icing with No Powdered Sugar.
Gluten-free cranberry muffin on white plate with spoon above drizzling icing. Orange slices and fresh cranberries on right. Muffins in background.
overhead view of muffin tin with gluten free cranberry orange muffins, orangle slice and fresh cranberries. Bow with ornge icing in upper right.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Baked Goods, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 muffins
These gluten-free cranberry orange muffins are moist, fluffy and perfectly tart and sweet. They are a wonderful breakfast or brunch treat that can be made dairy-free too.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins

Recommended Products

  • King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
  • Muffin Tin – Standard
  • Microplane

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw) or 3/4 c dried cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 medium sized navel orange
  • 2 large eggs
  • Β½ c sugar
  • β…“ c sour cream (vegan options ok)
  • β…“ c oil – avocado, sunflower, canola or other neutral flavored vegetable oil
  • ΒΌ tsp salt
  • ΒΎ c gluten-free flour blend*
  • 1ΒΌ tsp baking powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350Β°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  • If using fresh cranberries, place them in a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp sugar. Initially the sugar will not stick. Keep tossing or gently stirring until the sugar sticks to the berries.
    If using dried or frozen cranberries add the 1 tablespoon sugar with the other wet ingredients.
  • Use a microplane to zest the orange into a large mixing bowl. See my post How to Zest a Lemon for more info on zesting.
  • Cut the orange in half and juice it into a measuring cup to get 3 Tbsps juice (this is 1 Tbsp less than 1/4 cup). Don't worry about being super exact.
  • To the large mixing bowl with the zest – add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, oil, orange juice and salt. Beat with a mixer or wire whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
  • Gently fold in the cranberries with a rubber spatula.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the liners – about 3 Tablespoons each.
  • Bake 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and bounce back from a gentle tap.
  • Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Serve as is or top with icing. See above for icing options.

Notes

*If you use a gluten-free flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, guar gum or inulin, add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum to the recipe.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Posted In: Baked Goods, Breakfast · Tagged: cranberry, muffins, orange

Comments

  1. Karen M. says

    November 21, 2021 at 9:25 am

    5 stars
    These are delicious!! I woke up and was wanting muffins for breakfast and I got online and saw this recipe, I love cranberries!! My husband who isn’t GF didn’t know. LOL I used Cup4Cup GF Four and the only orange I had was mandarin so I used 4 of those. I did use dried cranberries because I didn’t feel like chasing fresh cranberries around my kitchen (if you know what I mean). The batter is pretty thin compared to regular muffin batter but they came out so light and fluffy. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      November 21, 2021 at 9:45 am

      I am so glad that you enjoyed them! And yes, I chased a lot of fresh cranberries around the kitchen when I tested this recipe!

      Reply
      • Karen M. says

        November 21, 2021 at 10:19 am

        5 stars

        5 stars
        New to your website, can’t wait to try your other recipes! Thank you, Karen
        Happy Thanksgiving.

        Reply

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.

Thank you!
Janet

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me
Hi, Welcome! I'm Chef Janet and I create gluten-free recipes that everyone will love, gluten-free or not.

Set up a customized lesson with me to learn basic cooking techniques, gluten-free, menu planning and kitchen tips to make your life easier. Follow me on instagram to keep up with my latest and let me know how I can help.

Follow along on Instagram

These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new fa These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new favorite of my taste testers. They were begging for more the second they took the first bite. If you like sweets with your cocktail, then this is the cookie for you! Link to the brand new recipe in my profile.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
I found that the whiskey flavor faded a little bit in baking so I created a peanut butter whiskey icing to make sure that they taste boozy.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
#peanutbutterwhiskey #glutenfreecookies #peanutbuttercookies #glutenfreepeanutbuttercookies #boozydesserts #boozycookies #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreechef #boozydessert #glutenfreebaking
Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes with berries. These Gluten-Free Fresh Strawberry Muffins are first up! Link to the new recipe in my profile.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
I normally make my baked goods dairy-free too, but I wanted a buttery tasting muffin. So these muffins start with creamed butter and sugar for a muffin with a beautiful texture and flavor. I used Namaste Gluten-Free flour, but the recipe works well with other gluten-free flour blends.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
#glutenfreemuffins #strawberrymuffins #glutenfreebreakfast #muffinrecipe #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreelosangeles #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreechef #muffinrecipes #glutenfreestrawberrymuffins
These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new favorite comfort food. Link to the recipe in my profile.
🧈πŸ₯›πŸ₯„
The recipe includes real butter and buttermilk and just a few more simple ingredients. It is super easy and makes it to the oven in less than 10 minutes if you use a food processor.
πŸ₯„πŸ₯›πŸ§ˆ
#glutenfreebiscuits #dropbiscuits
#buttermilkbiscuits #glutenfreerecipe #biscuitrecipe #losangeleschef #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreebreakfast #glutenfreebaking #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfreerecipe #glutenfreebreakfastideas
These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are a sweet and tart spring treat. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
This recipe is super easy and mixes up in just a few minutes. I include tips for making sure that the raspberries don't all sink to the bottom. I top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting but they'd also be amazing with my pipeable cream cheese frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #raspberrylemoncake #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreedesserts #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreetreats #beautifulcupcakes #prettydesserts #raspberrylemonadecupcakes #raspberrylemonade #glutenfreeblog #creamcheesefrosting
These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine 2 of my favorite flavors. They are moist, fluffy and super easy to make. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ«πŸ‹πŸ«
Top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting or tangy cream cheese frosting. Add a tiny bit of blueberry juice to either one for this pretty purple frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ«πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #lemonblueberrycupcakes #lemonblueberry #glutenfreedessert #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreechef #glutenfreebaking #purplefrosting #blueberrydessert #lemondesserts #springcupcakes
Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basi Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basil Dressing. No chopping, no slicing, the blender does all the work. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
I may post a lot of baked goods on my insta, but I am really a salad person. I live on them year-round. So coming up with new and interesting dressings is key. The combo of sweet basil, tangy lemon and a small amount of sweet and salty, makes for a perfectly balanced dressing. The recipe includes instructions on how you can easily turn this into a creamy dressing if you prefer.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
#lemonbasil #saladdressings #lemonsalad #5minuterecipes #losangeleschef #freshbasil #glutenfreeblog #5minuterecipe #saladdressingrecipe #saladdressing #thefeedfeed #buzzfeedfood #saladrecipe
This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of suns This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of sunshine. It is one of my all-time favorites. If you ask me what cake I would want for my birthday this would be it. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The cake gets a double dose of lemon flavor from lots of lemon zest and lemon extract. I tried lemon juice and found that I had to use way too much to get the lemon zing that I wanted. So I leave it out and rely on the zest and extract.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The recipe is super easy and can be made dairy-free with the use of your favorite dairy-free milk sub. I like soy milk for baking the best.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
#lemoncake #lemondesserts #glutenfreecakerecipe  #glutenfreelemoncake #glutenfreedairyfreecake #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfree #glutenfreecakes #glutenfreebirthdaycake #glutenfreeblog #kingarthurglutenfree
Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milksh Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milkshakes are perfect for a sunny happy hour. Which would you choose? Raspberry peanut butter or cookies & cream and PB? Link to the recipes in my profile.
πŸ₯ƒπŸ₯œπŸ«
Both of these boozy milkshakes start with a base of vanilla ice cream, a big spoonful of peanut butter and a shot or two of peanut butter whiskey. And good news, these can easily be made dairy free and gluten-free. My blog post provides info on the best dairy-free ice cream and creamers to use for a shake as well as gf cookies.
🍫πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒ
#boozymilkshake #peanutbutterwhiskey #peanutbuttermilkshake #milkshakerecipes #happyhourideas #dairyfreemilkshake #veganmilkshake #veganmilkshakes #losangeleschef #veganicecream #boozyicecream #whiskeymilkshake

Copyright © 2022 Chef Janet · Support by Foodie Digital · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy