• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Brownie Bites Blog
  • Home
  • Food
    • Recipes ->
      • Low Carb and Keto
      • Bars & Barks
      • Beverages
      • Cakes & Pies
      • Candy
      • Cookies & Cupcakes
      • Copycat & Pop Culture
      • Dog Treats
      • Entrees
      • Ice Cream & Frozen
      • Muffins & Breads
      • Starters & Sides
    • Restaurant Tours
    • Party Ideas
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Travel
    • View All
    • California
    • Camping & RV Life
    • Disney ->
      • Bahama Cruise
      • Disney World
      • East Caribbean Cruise
      • West Caribbean Cruise
    • Hawaii
    • Hiking
    • Hotel Tours
    • Japan
    • Seaside Florida
    • Smoky Mountains
    • Washington DC
  • Reviews & Unboxings
    • View All
    • Candy & Sweets
    • Nut Butters
    • Nutrition Bars
    • Snacks
    • Specialty Food
    • Subscription Boxes
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Reviews
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Food » Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins

    Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins

    Posted: 12/01/2021 | Last updated: 07/27/2022 by Erin 1 Comment
    Post may contain affiliate links via Amazon Associates or other programs. (Disclosure)

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe

    These nutritionally dense cranberry orange muffins use some healthy swaps to create a healthier muffin with hearty whole grain flavor punctuated with citrus and fresh cranberries.

    A pile of healthy cranberry orange muffins with one sliced open to see the crumb inside.
    A perfect healthier winter muffin.

    Need a healthier alternative to a traditional muffin for your breakfast or snacking needs? Try these healthy cranberry orange muffins! With primary flavors like fresh cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon, these are a great choice for the holiday and winter months and if you are always looking for something healthy for your lifestyle, look at the best appetite suppressant to help with your cravings.

    These muffins are made using a few healthy swaps:

    • Applesauce instead of oil/butter
    • Whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose
    • Nonfat yogurt in place of other dairy (for richness and moisture)

    Using these swaps, each muffin is only 144 calories and 1.3g of fat. Each one offers up 3.2g of fiber as well!

    How Do I Serve These Muffins?

    Serve healthy cranberry orange muffins in many different ways! You can eat them room temperature or slightly warmed. They are great plain or smeared with a small amount of butter, fresh jam, or honey.

    My personal favorite is eating them warmed up (just a few seconds in the microwave), sliced open, and spread with butter. Yum!

    An overhead view of fresh baked healthy cranberry orange muffins
    These muffins look so pretty on the pan!

    Tips For Working With Whole Wheat Flour

    Whole wheat flour gets a bad rap for being tough or dry, but there's a nuance to using this type of flour to ensure your baked goods turn out soft and tender. Here are my two top tips:

    • Rest The Batter: After your batter is mixed, let it sit in the bowl for a solid 10-15 minutes before scooping into the muffin tins and baking. This gives the flour time to soak in the liquids in the recipe and for the whole grains to become fully hydrated, resulting in moister and more tender baked goods.
    • Better The Next Day: I don't know if there's any science-y science behind this, but I've always noticed that when I bake with whole wheat flour, they go from good to amazing if you wait until the day after you bake them to eat them. I realize this isn't always a convenient option, but I just wanted to put it out there if you're trying to ease your way into whole wheat baking... let 'em sit (in an airtight container) for a day!

    Can I Use Dried Cranberries Instead?

    This recipe was tested using fresh cranberries to make healthy cranberry orange muffins, but you can use dried cranberries (Craisins, etc) if that's all you can grab.

    Because dried cranberries are dehydrated and will soak up the liquid from the batter, you'll need to make some minor adjustments to the recipe.

    • Use Less: Instead of 1 ¾ cups of fresh cranberries, use 1 ¼ cups of dried cranberries.
    • Soak Them: You'll want to soak and rehydrate the dried cranberries before adding them to the batter. To do this, add the dried cranberries to a bowl and cover with water (or if you're feeling sassy, add a tasty liquor to the water). Let sit for 20-30 minutes, and then drain out the water before using.
    A side view of a healthy cranberry orange muffin with tall tops and made with whole wheat flour
    Tall, hearty, fruity, and guilt free.

    Can I Make These Sugar Free?

    There will always be some form of sugar in these muffins due to the naturally occurring sugars in the applesauce, orange, and cranberries. If you want to cut down on the added sugars, however, you can do that.

    Make sure to use a sugar substitute that is a cup-for-cup equivalent to real sugar. That way you can use the same amount of substitute that is called for in the recipe. Products like Swerve measure just like sugar. You can use this in place of both of the white and brown sugars in this recipe, or you can use a brown sugar replacement such as Swerve Brown.

    Are These Freezer Friendly?

    Yes, these healthy cranberry orange muffins can be made ahead and then frozen.

    To Freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely and then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped muffins inside of a large freezer-safe zip top bag and freeze for up to 3 months for best quality and texture. Muffins will still be safe to eat after that time if frozen properly.

    To Thaw: Take muffins out of the freezer and allow to thaw on the counter - it won't take long! You can also zap them in the microwave, use a low power - 30% or so - and heat in 20 second increments, checking after each one.

    Need a quick breakfast? Take one out of the freezer when you go into the kitchen to get your morning coffee. By the time you're dressed and ready to go, the muffin will be thawed. Give it an 8 second zap in the microwave, smear with butter, and enjoy!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Erin
    • Total Time: 48 mins
    • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    An ideal healthier muffin to enjoy throughout the holiday and winter months.  These muffins have lots of fiber and whole grains, dotted with the flavors of orange and fresh cranberries.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 ¾ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
    • ½ cup (heaping) unsweetened applesauce
    • ½ white sugar
    • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt (can use vanilla)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 TBS orange zest
    • 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 TBS fresh squeezed orange juice
    • 3 TBS milk (any kind)

    Instructions

    1. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
    2. Cut all of the cranberries in half and set aside about 36 halves for topping the muffins later.
    3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, white sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.
    4. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Whisk well until smooth and fully mixed.  Stir in the orange zest.
    5. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
    6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 additions, mixing gently after each one.  Add the milk and orange juice and mix until just a few flour streaks remain.
    7. Gently fold in the cranberries, being careful not to overmix the batter.
    8. Allow the batter to rest for about 15 minutes - this will give the whole wheat flour a chance to hydrate and will help your muffins be more tender.
    9. While the batter is resting, preheat oven to 425F.
    10. Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 5 minutes at 425F, and then lower the oven temperature to 350F.  Bake for a further 12-15 minutes (check early and often - ovens vary) until muffins are done and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Be careful not to overbake!
    11. Allow muffins to cool 2-3 minutes in the pan, and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
    12. Serve warm or at room temperature with a smear of butter and/or a drizzle of honey.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place away from sunlight.

    Notes

    Recommended Equipment

    • Standard 12-cup Muffin Pan
    • 11-inch Balloon Whisk
    • Set of Nonstick Silicone Spatulas
    • Set of Ombre Mixing Bowls with Handles and Spout

    To ensure tender muffins, resting the batter is an essential step.  Also, make sure you do not overmix the batter and that you do not overbake the muffins.

    You can replace the sugars with an alternative cup-for-cup measure sugar substitute.

    Make sure to read the blog post for other tips and suggestions!

    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 18 mins + resting
    • Category: Muffins
    • Method: Oven

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 muffin
    • Calories: 144
    • Sugar: 14.3g
    • Sodium: 224mg
    • Fat: 1.3g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.4g
    • Carbohydrates: 28.9
    • Fiber: 3.2g
    • Protein: 4g
    • Cholesterol: 32mg

    Keywords: muffins, healthy swaps, whole wheat

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @ebrowniebites on Facebook or Instagram

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    Want to be able to find this recipe later, when you're ready to make it? Use the photo below to pin to your Pinterest boards! I also LOVE when you guys share my recipes on social media, so please use the buttons at the top and bottom of this post to do just that! Thanks for visiting!

    A pile of fluffy healthy cranberry orange muffins with text for use with Pinterest
    Pin this recipe for later!

    Related posts:

    1. Fluffy Orange Currant Muffins
    2. Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins
    3. Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Mini Muffins + Giveaway
    4. Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
    « Roasted Rosemary Carrots
    Cocoa Pebbles Treats »

    About Erin

    Erin is a mom of two human babies and two fur-covered babies. She loves comfy clothes, eats too much peanut butter, and watches excessive amounts of Netflix. Make her day and toss her a like on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. Post may contain affiliate links including those via the Amazon Associates program

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary

      January 19, 2022 at 4:41 pm

      These were a delight! Thank you for the tip about resting the batter, it really made a difference I think.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    Say Something About This Post: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erin! I love food and I bet you do, too! I cook for my family and share the recipes that we love. Let's have some fun!

    I WROTE A BOOK!

    The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook is Now available! Learn More  about where to order your copy!

    Recent Recipes

    Disney Trip Reports

    More Disney Posts

    Footer

    ? back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure & Terms
    • Sweepstakes Terms

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up to be notified of new posts

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme