Cranberry Orange Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Enjoy this recipe for moist vegan and gluten-free cranberry orange muffins. Dried cranberries combined with fresh orange juice makes this a flavorful and easy muffin recipe to brighten your day.

Slightly sweet with a bit of tartness and hint of citrus, these vegan and gluten-free cranberry orange muffins are full of flavor.

What makes these vegan and gluten-free muffins so good?

Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free and Eggless

Tender and Moist

Easy To Make

These scrumptious homemade muffins come together with only a few ingredients.

Cranberry Orange Muffin Ingredients (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Dried Cranberries

Fresh Orange Juice (Store-bought or Homemade)

Regular or Organic Cane Sugar – Use Coconut Sugar As A Low-Glycemic Natural Sweetener)

Neutral Tasting Vegetable Oil – Try Non-GMO Canola Oil, Safflower Oil or Sunflower Oil

Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour – Try King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

*Important: If using Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour, you may need to add xanthan gum if it’s not already included on the ingredient label. Xanthan Gum is often used as a thickener in gluten-free baking and in foods to stabilize the ingredients.

Egg-Replacer – While adding this is completely optional, the egg-replacer helps the muffins rise and have a nice dome-shaped top.

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Salt

Ground Cinnamon (Optional) – Adds a light spiciness that complements the orange and cranberry flavors.

Homemade Orange Juice With Pulp:

4 Medium Valencia or Naval Oranges

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Filtered Water (If Needed For Thinner Juice)

1.) Wash your fruit before using.

2.) Peel the oranges. Removing the seeds and pith (white part) is optional. 

3.) Halve the oranges and place in a blender with the lemon juice. 

4.) Blend into a liquid. You may need to add 1 to 3 tbsp of filtered water if the juice is too thick. 

Do I Use Dried, Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?

For convenience, this recipe calls for dried sweetened cranberries. 

Cranberries can be pretty tart. If you decide to use fresh or frozen cranberries, you may need to increase the amount of sugar used in the recipe.

When using frozen cranberries, reserve 1/4 cup of the gluten-free flour to toss the berries with before folding into the batter. This will prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom while baking.

Steps to Make These Vegan and Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

This recipe will yield 12 to 14 regular-sized muffins.

Before turning on your oven, position an oven rack in the middle for even baking.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Next, line a 12 cup standard muffin pan with muffin (cupcake) liners.

If you do not have muffin liners, thoroughly grease each muffin cup of your pan with vegetable shortening or a non-stick cooking spray. This will reduce the muffins from sticking to the pan while baking.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, neutral vegetable oil, and fresh orange juice. 

Optional Step – In a separate small bowl, prepare your egg-replacer based on the package instructions. You will need the equivalent of 2 eggs.

Stir until combined. The mixture will gradually thicken. The egg replacer will prevent the muffins from having a flat top.

Next, add the prepared egg-replacer to your batter.

*If you are using frozen cranberries – reserve 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour. In a separate bowl, toss the cranberries in the flour until lightly coated.

Next, gradually add the gluten-free flour with baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt to your wet ingredients.

Fold the dried, fresh or frozen cranberries into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the lined or greased muffin pan. 

Finally, place your muffin pan into the oven on the middle rack. 

Bake the muffins for 25 minutes.

For golden brown muffins, bake an additional 5 minutes at 400°F.

Afterwards, remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool before serving.

For Jumbo-Sized Muffins – The recipe steps are the same, except:

Line a 6 cup large muffin pan.

Bake the muffins for 30 minutes.

Then, increase your oven temperature to 400°F and allow the muffins to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

How To Store Your Homemade Cranberry Orange Muffins

Room Temperature: Once you take your muffins out of the oven, let them cool completely before storing in a container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. 

Refrigerator: For longer freshness, store your muffins in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.  

Freezer: Your muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month by placing in a freezer bag. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn.

When ready to eat, take out the frozen muffin(s) and place in a preheated oven at 350°F. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes.

Love Muffins? Try…

Vegan Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Be well and enjoy!

– Coco ♡ | Nectar Bliss Life

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