Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins have tangy cranberries, fresh orange zest and juice and are gluten free. High in antioxidants and vitamins, they make the perfect grab and go snack and are ready in under 20 minutes. My favorite way to eat them is heated up with a little glaze of butter.
Ingredient Notes and Health Benefits:
Almond Flour: High in fiber and gluten free, this flour is the perfect substitute for wheat flour in baking.
Eggs and Egg Whites: They add protein to the muffins and also help hold them together.
Maple Syrup: I prefer to use maple syrup instead of sugar. It still works as a great sweetener, but helps keep the muffins extra moist. Make sure you use the real stuff!
Orange Zest and Juice: High in vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium. Not only are oranges super healthy, they add so much flavor to these muffins.
Fresh Cranberries: Found in the produce section of your grocery store, cranberries are high in antioxidants, several vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. You can also use frozen cranberries if you do not have access to fresh.
How to Make Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins:
Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins are so easy to make. Grab the ingredients, two large mixing bowls and let’s get started!
1st Step: Place dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, stir together using a fork and set aside.
2nd Step: Place eggs and egg whites into another large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the remainder of the wet ingredients, except the cranberries.
3rd Step: Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients. Using a spoon, fold dry ingredients into wet.
4th Step: Pour in cranberries and stir to combine.
5th Step: Spray a muffin tin with avocado oil spray. Scoop muffin batter equally into muffin tin.
6th Step: Place muffin tin into oven and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick can be pulled out of the middle of the muffin with no batter on it.
Cooling Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins:
Don’t you hate it when you make muffins, you’re super excited to eat them, and then you go to remove them from the muffin tin and they are all stuck?! That could be because you didn’t quite grease the pan enough before you added the batter, but it’s likely because you didn’t cool them properly. When you remove the muffin tin from the oven, follow these simple steps to make sure the muffins come out perfectly.
- Place muffin tin on cooling rack for 2-3 minutes
- While the muffins are still slightly warm, carefully remove the muffins from a muffin tin using a rubber spatula and your hands. If the muffins are a little stuck, use a thin knife to help separate them from the side of the tin.
- Place warm muffins back on cooling rack until they are room temperature (unless you are eating them right away, in that case, by all means enjoy!)
Storing Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins:
Healthy Orange Cranberry Muffins make the perfect fall snack. They stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and the freezer for up to a month. When you remove them from the freezer, simply place the muffin in a toaster oven or microwave for 30-60s to thaw, and then enjoy!
Why Almond Flour?
Almond flour is a great alternative to wheat flour for so many reasons! It’s gluten free, low in carbohydrates, high in protein, packed with nutrients and has a slightly sweet flavor. I mean, what else could we ask for in a flour?! I purchase mine from Trader Joe’s. Make sure to check out these other Chef Nat recipes: Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Aussie Bites.
Dry Ingredients: 1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tin with avocado oil spray.
Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
3 tbsp orange zest
3 tbsp orange juice
1 cup fresh cranberriesInstructions
2. In a large mixing bowl, place flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In another medium sized mixing bowl, place egg whites and eggs and whisk.
4. Add in coconut oil, maple syrup, orange juice and zest.
5. Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into the dry.
6. Using a spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients.
7. Fold in cranberries.
8. Using a spoon, scoop muffin batter into muffin tins.
9. Place in oven for 15-18 minutes. The muffins are done when you pull out a clean toothpick from the middle of the muffin.
10. Place muffin tin on cooling rack for 2-3 minutes.
11. If you are enjoying muffins right away, carefully remove muffins from tin and enjoy.
12. If you are storing muffins, remove the muffins from the tin and place them back on cooling rack until they are completely cooled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for a month.
