Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffin is made from fresh cranberries, orange blossom, spices and oats, making for a delicious quick bread jumbo muffin.
Welcome To Muffin Madness
In my family, I have always been known as the muffin queen, simply because over the years I have created about 25 different muffin recipes, and still creating!
As a single mom of 4, during those insanely disjointed, hectic years of age 6 to 16, with school, hobbies, work and hormones, I needed a friend!
Muffins became my antidote to madness. My friend. How? I needed a quick, healthy and affordable breakfast, a to-go snack and I needed the kids to be able to help make them.
Cranberries Tradition and Nostalgia
Our fascination with cranberries is a mix of history, tradition, sensory appeal and health:
Seasonal Symbolism
Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and are harvested in the fall, just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their natural seasonality made them a natural fit for holiday feasts when fresh fruit was once hard to come by in colder months.
Color and Cheer
That deep ruby red color feels festive and warm, it adds brightness to winter tables, echoing the reds of holly berries and poinsettias. It’s a natural pop of color in a season otherwise filled with browns, whites, and greens.
Flavor Contrast
Cranberries bring balance to the heavy, rich dishes of the holidays. Their tartness cuts through the sweetness of pies and the fattiness of roasts, creating that perfect bite of contrast, something our taste buds crave this time of year.
Tradition and Nostalgia
Cranberry sauce has been a staple of American Thanksgiving since at least the 19th century. Generations grew up with that tangy red sauce beside the turkey, so it’s become more than food, it’s a comforting ritual that ties past to present.
Versatility In Festive Recipes
From sauces to cocktails, breads, relishes, cookies, and even wreath decorations, cranberries are one of the few ingredients that can cross sweet, savory, and decorative boundaries during the holidays.
Healthy Cranberries
Cranberries are little powerhouses of nutrition, rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber, they support immune health and digestion while helping fight inflammation. Their natural tartness comes from beneficial plant compounds that make them one of the healthiest berries of the season.
Where Would The Holidays Be Without Cranberries!
It’s funny how certain foods make us think of certain times of the year. Cranberries arrive on the seasonal scene at the end of September and appear in so many of our culinary celebrations until New Year.
These hard shelled berries (in comparison to all other berries), loaded with antioxidants are produced in the north eastern regions of America are harvested in the fall, mid-September to be exact.
It’s no wonder they are featured in anything from cocktails and desserts, to sauces for our Thanksgiving turkey. But not quite as whimsical as my Chocolate Reindeer Antler Cheese Cake with Cranberry Compote!
I once read that cranberries are so bright in color that they are visible from space during the harvest season. How amazing is that!
Cranberry and Orange
We all know that cranberries and oranges are a marriage made in the kitchen. The sweet zest of an orange, along with sweet fresh orange juice is nothing short of delicious.
Let’s take that cranberry and orange marriage on a honeymoon and add a little orange blossom water! Oh my, you won’t believe how beautiful the flavor and scent will become when the two are baking or simmering. And yes, there are other cranberry recipes with these exotic flavors:
- Mediterranean Cranberry Orange Blossom Pie – with a scrumptious gluten-free almond and coconut crust.
- Cranberry and Almond Yeast Bread – weekend leisurely breakfast never tasted so good.
What Is A Muffin?
Muffins are nothing more than a quick bread. A batter mixed with baking powder and/or baking soda to act as the rising agent. This type of batter can be mixed and baked quickly.
Yeast breads require rising time, usually an hour or more, before they can be baked. Not quick but also scrumptious.
How Is A Cranberry Muffin Different From A Cranberry Yeast Bread?
A cranberry muffin and a Cranberry Yeast Bread may share the same star ingredient, but they’re worlds apart in texture, flavor, and baking style.
- Leavening: Muffins rely on baking powder or baking soda for a quick rise, giving them a soft, cake-like crumb. Yeast bread rises slowly through fermentation, creating that chewy, structured texture and a subtle, yeasty aroma.
- Flavor Profile: Muffins are usually sweeter and highlight the bright, tart burst of cranberries against a tender, moist base. Yeast breads, on the other hand, tend to be less sweet, often balancing the cranberries with warmth from spices, citrus zest, or nuts for a more complex, artisan flavor.
- Texture: Muffins are moist and fluffy, perfect for breakfast or snacks. Yeast breads are hearty, slightly chewy, and slice beautifully, making them ideal for toasting or serving alongside a holiday meal.
- Occasion: Cranberry muffins feel like a cozy morning treat, while cranberry yeast bread brings a touch of bakery elegance to festive tables.
Orange Blossom Instead Of Vanilla
Having grown up with a Syrian mom, Orange Blossom is what she used to add a beautiful floral essence to baked goods and pastries.
Orange blossom is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. The petals from the orange blossoms are distilled, creating a fragrant orange blossom water for cooking, just as the same is done with rose petals.
When I am baking with fruits, I often use orange blossom to flavor it, as it compliments the more delicate flavors of the fruit.
When my baking doesn’t have fruit in it, I then opt to use vanilla extract, simply because the flavor is warmer and compliments in a different way.
Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffin
Obviously we all know that cranberries are in most grocery stores during the months of October through January, but I want them the rest of the year too.
Let me tell you what I do to have the freshest cranberries possible in summer. I simply buy up bags of fresh cranberries, grind them and store them in the freezer in individual bags, ready to use.
Cranberries and Orange Blossom water is an absolutely perfect flavor combination, so why not keep a bottle in your pantry for so many baking uses.
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Cranberries bring bright bursts of tartness that keep each bite lively and balance the sweetness of the batter.
- Eggs provide structure and richness, helping the muffins rise and hold together with a soft, springy crumb.
- Sugar sweetens the batter and enhances browning, giving the muffins that golden, bakery-style finish.
- Sunflower oil, or other mild oil keeps the muffins moist and light while adding heart-healthy fats with a neutral flavor
- Orange blossom water adds a delicate floral aroma that pairs beautifully with the cranberries, creating a subtle, elegant twist.
- Milk adds moisture and helps activate the leavening agents for a soft, tender crumb.
- Oat flour brings wholesome texture, fiber, and a gentle nuttiness, making the muffins more nourishing.
- All-purpose flour balances the oat flour to ensure a light, fluffy structure.
- Baking powder and Baking soda are the key leavening agents, giving the muffins their rise and airy texture.
- Salt sharpens the overall flavor and enhances sweetness.
- Warm spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg for an added holiday flavor.
- Confectioners sugar and butter (optional for glaze), adds a touch of indulgence, a silky-sweet finish that melts into the muffin tops.
- Pistachios (optional for top), add color, crunch, and a hint of earthy richness that complements the tart cranberries beautifully.
Equipment Needed
- Muffin pan or loaf pan depending on the shape of quick bread you are after.
- Food processor or hand mixer.
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons for precise balance in the ingredients.
- Baking paper cups, if not using a silicone pan.
- Spoon or ice cream scoop to easily fill the pan with mixed batter.
- Oven for baking the cranberry muffins.
Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- processor or mixer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Fresh Cranberries
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Sunflower Oil mild flavor oil
- 1/2 tsp Orange blossom water Â
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 cups Oat flour
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Grated orange peel
- 1/2 tsp Warm spices cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
- Glaze optional
- 1/2 cup Confectioners sugar
- 1 tbsp Butter melted
- 3 tbsp Pistachios
- 3 tbsp Dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350
- In a food processor, pulse the cranberries, eggs, oil, sugar and orange blossom. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
- Add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.
- Add the milk, orange peel and pulse again to blend.
- In paper lined muffin tins, silicone muffin pan, or an oiled loaf pan, divide the batter, filling 3/4 way up.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch.
- If a glaze and toppings are desired, whisk the melted butter with confectioners sugar, drizzle across the cooled muffins. Sprinkle pistachios and dried cranberries across the top.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.