Cranberry Moist Golden Muffins (Printable)

Golden, moist muffins filled with fresh cranberries and a hint of orange zest for a bright flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - ½ cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

10 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, unthawed if frozen
11 - Zest of 1 orange (optional but recommended)

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 375°F and arrange paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and orange zest (if using) until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
05 - Fold in the cranberries evenly into the batter.
06 - Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • These muffins stay impossibly moist even days later, making them perfect for grab-and-go mornings.
  • The tartness of the cranberries cuts through the sweetness in a way that keeps you coming back for another bite instead of feeling heavy.
  • You can have fresh muffins on the table in under forty minutes, with most of that time being oven time while you sip your coffee.
02 -
  • Do not thaw frozen cranberries before folding them in—they release too much juice and bleed color throughout your batter, making everything taste watery and creating dense muffins.
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender muffins; fold gently and stop as soon as you can't see dry flour anymore, even if a few tiny lumps remain.
03 -
  • If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by stirring one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and letting it sit for five minutes—it works beautifully.
  • Room-temperature eggs mix more evenly into the batter than cold ones, so take them out of the fridge while you're gathering your other ingredients.

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