Bright, citrusy, and bursting with fruit, these Cranberry Apple Muffins are like a little hit of sunshine in every bite. They’re easy to whisk together in one bowl, perfectly tender, and packed with cozy apple, tart cranberry, and fresh orange flavor that makes winter mornings feel a lot happier.
We Love these Glorious Muffins
I really just believe apple and cranberry belong together. APOP is very well known for it’s protein muffins (these Protein Blueberry Muffins and Double Chocolate Chip Muffins are crowd favorites), but I wanted something with a little more brightness and zest. Enter these apple cranberry muffins. With one full apple, a cup of cranberries, fresh orange zest and orange extract, they are delightful this time of year.
I love that they can be whisked together in one bowl, perfectly make 12 even-sized muffins, full of deliciousness in each bite. Also, they’re simply gorgeous. I’m in awe of the cranberry bursts throughout.
I almost named these ‘Sunshine’ muffins because of their citrusy brightness and it the blues of winter, they really just made me happy (hold onto what we can over here). The orange compliments the apple/cranberry in these sweet treats so so well. Quick prep and ready to eat, I think you’ll love these as much as my family does.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweetener – White sugar + maple syrup.
- Eggs – We’ll use two.
- Greek Yogurt – Adds protein and makes these muffins super moist.
- Orange Extract – Or sub a teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract!
- Flour – I used all purpose flour and have not tried any alternatives, so substitute with caution.
- Apple – Diced small to get a little bit in every bite.
- Cranberries – I first tested these with craisins, but real cranberries turn out so much better! They create super moist muffins with juicy bursts throughout.
- Orange zest – Adds the perfect touch of brightness.
- Turbinado sugar – For topping, giving that perfect bakery style feel.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Switch up the citrus! Lemon or grapefruit zest instead would be a good idea.
- Mix up the fruit! Replace the cranberries with raspberries. Try green apples or diced pears. Note: I recommend adding a couple of extra tablespoons of flour if you use pears since these are generally a bit more moist than apples.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans mixed in would be a great addition for a bit of crunch.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, add sugar, maple syrup, eggs, greek yogurt, and orange extract. Whisk together until smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and whisk again. Switch to a rubber spatula to ensure batter is combined. Pour in the oil. Stir until combined.
3. Fold in the diced apples, cranberries, and orange zest.
4. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar or brown sugar on the tops and press a few more cranberries into the top of each.
5. Bake for 24-29 minutes or until muffin tops are a soft dome and middles are baked through.
PRO TIPS
- Orange and cinnamon are complimentary to each other! Fun fact: instead of chasing a shot of tequila with salt/lime, try an orange/cinnamon next time.
Recipe FAQs
Once the muffins are completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months. Just thaw at room temp or warm briefly in the microwave before enjoying.
Your muffins are done when the tops are lightly golden with a gentle dome and no longer look wet or doughy in the center. You can insert a toothpick into the middle: if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, they’re ready to come out of the oven.
These aren’t overly sticky, so as long as you spray your muffin tin, you should be just fine without paper liners. I do prefer using them for easy clean up and easy serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve these muffins with your brunch spread! Make some Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs and a side of Crispy IHOP Breakfast Potatoes with an Apple Kiwi Smoothie to sip on.
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Cranberry Apple Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- muffin liners
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup oil, avocado or vegetable
- 1 pink lady apple, evenly diced
- 2/3 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp Turbinado sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, maple syrup, eggs, greek yogurt, and orange extract. Whisk together until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and whisk again. Switch to a rubber spatula to ensure batter is combined. Pour in the oil. Stir until combined.
- Fold in the diced apples, cranberries, and orange zest.
- Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar or brown sugar on the tops and press a few more cranberries into the top of each.
- Bake for 24-29 minutes or until muffin tops are a soft dome and middles are baked through.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Cranberry Apple Muffins calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
absolutely phenomenal – I can’t stop making them!
Courtney does it again! Absolutely unbelievable muffins packed with protein and somehow even better out of the fridge cold the next few days.
✅ Refreshing flavor combination ✅ Scrumptious ✅ Devoured quickly 😋
wow I loved these almost as much as the APOP cherry muffins. I will be making again!