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Cozy Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins Recipe

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★★★★★

4.3 from 23 reviews

These Cozy Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins combine tart fresh cranberries with bright orange zest in a moist, tender muffin, topped with a sweet and crunchy cinnamon streusel. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack, these muffins offer a delightful balance of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

Scale

Muffin Batter

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 2 tsp fresh orange zest
  • 1½ cups (150g) fresh cranberries
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Streusel Topping

  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven. Prepare your oven by heating it to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
  2. Prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until coarse crumbs form. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator while you make the batter.
  3. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to evenly distribute all the leavening agents and spices.
  4. Combine wet ingredients. In another bowl, thoroughly whisk the granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and fresh orange zest until the mixture is smooth and frothy.
  5. Mix batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold everything together with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy to ensure tender muffins.
  6. Fold in cranberries. Carefully fold in the fresh cranberries to avoid crushing them, preserving bursts of tart flavor throughout the muffins.
  7. Fill muffin cups. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to allow space for rising.
  8. Add streusel topping. Generously sprinkle the chilled streusel mixture on top of each filled muffin cup to add a sweet, crumbly crust after baking.
  9. Bake the muffins. Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs, and the muffin tops are golden and slightly crisp.
  10. Cool before serving. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps keep the streusel crunchy and preserves the texture.

Notes

  • Use fresh cranberries for the best texture and tartness; frozen can be used but may alter the batter consistency slightly.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute with regular milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes before use.
  • Make sure butter for the streusel topping is cold to achieve a crumbly texture.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep the muffins tender and light.
  • Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: cranberry muffins, orange zest muffins, streusel muffins, breakfast muffins, holiday muffins

Find it online: https://foodiecara.com/cozy-cranberry-orange-streusel-muffins-recipe/