Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins

Cranberry and orange is one of my all-time flavor combinations, especially when it comes to breakfast recipes. And spending most of my summertime down in Cape Cod, I have come to love fresh Cape Cod Cranberries. So after spending a week down the Cape this past week, it seemed fitting to share one of my favorite summertime breakfast recipes: Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins. These muffins are jam packed with fresh Cape Cod cranberries and orange zest, and will make your taste buds oh-so-happy with each fruity bite.

The best time of year to get fresh cranberries is in September when they harvest the berries from the cranberry bogs on the Cape. We’ve only seen it once or twice, but it’s an awesome experience when they flood the bogs with water and take the giant machines through to shake the cranberries off and eventually it’s like a sea of red berries bobbing around. Kind of like those Ocean Spray commercials, only much more amazing in-person. I think people sometimes forget to bake with cranberries because they aren’t a fruit that you typically just eat fresh, like blueberries or raspberries – and often it’s hard to find fresh cranberries unless they are in season.

My favorite part of this recipe is the fresh orange zest, which is the best complimentary flavor to cranberries in my opinion. Cranberries can be a bit tangy, but the fresh orange flavor makes each bite zesty and delicious.

I also am obsessed with streusel topping on muffins. No longer can I just enjoy a muffin top without that sugary sweet crunch. I’ve been experimenting with different streusel topping recipes this summer, but I think old-fashioned oats, walnuts and brown sugar are my favorite ingredients to make a sweet and crunchy topping.

So the next time you find yourself with fresh cranberries, bake up a batch of these Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins!

Print Recipe

Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins

Yield: 12 Regular-Size or 8 Jumbo Muffins

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Bursting at the seams with fresh cranberries and orange zest, these muffins are the perfect way to start your morning.

Ingredients:

Muffins

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups granulated all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cranberries, thawed or fresh

Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 8 jumbo muffin tins with paper liners and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. To make the streusel topping, mix together the sugars, oats, flour, walnuts, melted butter and vanilla extract in a bowl, and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cooled melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the batter a little at a time until incorporated.
4. Zest 1 large orange and squeeze about 1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice. Mix both into the batter along with the vanilla extract.
5. Slowly fold in the fresh cranberries and stir gently until they are evenly distributed.
6. Fill each muffin tin almost to the top with batter. Generously top each with streusel. Bake at 400 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!