Cranberry Orange Muffins (Vegan and Gluten Free)

These cranberry orange muffins with a hint of spice are perfect for a special occasion or just a lazy Sunday morning.  They are vegan, gluten-free, and can be made soy-free too, so everyone can enjoy them!

Why this recipe works?

• Orange, cranberry, and nutmeg are the perfect flavor trio!
• There is no egg, dairy, gluten, nuts, or soy, so everyone can eat them.
• They are perfect for a fancy brunch or every day.
• You can make them ahead and still taste great the next day.

How do I make vegan cranberry orange muffins?

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F and prepare muffin tins with either spray oil or cupcake liners.
2. Measure out all the dry ingredients and add them to a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate container (I like to use a large measuring cup) add all the wet ingredients.
4. Give the wet ingredients a good stir and then pour them into the dry mixture and add dried cranberries.
5. Stir with a spatula until it forms a smooth batter and then immediately fill the cupcake tins.
6. Place in oven and turn down the oven temperature to 375° F.
7. Bake for 18 minutes and then allow to cool before adding an orange glaze if desired.

Pro Tips: 

• Make sure you pre-heat the oven.  Pre-heating the oven a little hotter than the baking temperature, allows the oven to cool off a little while you are loading your muffins in the oven.
• Make sure your baking powder has not expired, or it will not rise well and you will have flat muffins.

How do I make an orange glaze?

It is super easy to make a glaze to drizzle over your muffins!  Simply mix 1/3 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tsp of orange juice and a 1/2 tsp orange extract in a small bowl… and you’re done!  (You don’t need the orange extract in the glaze, but it does give it a stronger orange flavor). 

How can I make these muffins gluten-free?

Before I became gluten-free I would make these muffins with 1 cup of white flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour.  This gave them a great flavor and texture.  However, to achieve the same thing, use 1 cup of a gluten-free flour mix and 1 cup of oat flour.

What is oat flour?

Oat flour may sound fancy, but it is simply oats ground down into a powder.  To do this, just put whole oats (GF oats if needed) into a dry blender and pulse for about 30 seconds until they become the desired consistency.

Can I leave out the oil to make these muffins fat free?

Yes, it is easy to make these cranberry orange muffins fat free by simply adding 1/3 cup additional applesauce instead of using oil.

If you liked these muffins, you will also LOVE my Healthy Vegan Muffins with Hidden Veggies, Vegan Pumpkin Muffin, Vegan Spinach Muffins or my classic Vegan Blueberry Muffins.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to get daily inspiration and clickable links to all my recipes!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

18 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

A vegan cranberry muffin with a hint of orange and spice!

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, gluten free, vegan

Keyword: cranberry orange muffin, vegan cranberry orange muffin

Servings: 12

Calories: 219 kcal

Author: Monica Davis | The Hidden Veggies

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour mix (or white flour if not gluten-free)
• 1 cup oat flour (or whole wheat flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice)
• 2/3 cup vegan sugar or sweetener of choice
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup soy milk or any plant-based milk of choice
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/3 cup oil (any neutral flavored oil will work) or sub with 1/3 cup more applesauce
• 1 1/2 tsp orange extract

For the orange glaze: (optional)

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp orange juice
• 1/2 tsp orange extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare muffin tins with either spray oil or cupcake liners.

2.  Measure out all the dry ingredients and add them to a mixing bowl.

3. In a separate container (I like to use a large measuring cup) add all the wet ingredients.

4. Give the wet ingredients a good stir and then pour them into the dry mixture and dried cranberries.

5. Stir with a spatula until it forms a smooth batter and then immediately fill the cupcake tins.

6.  Place in oven and turn down the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

7. Bake for 18 minutes and then allow to cool before adding orange glaze, if desired.

For the orange glaze:

1. Mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange extract in a small bowl until smooth, then drizzle over top of the cool muffins.

Recipe Notes

• Make your own oat flour by simply putting oats in a blender and blending until the consistency of flour.
• You can add a little orange zest to the muffin batter and/or the glaze for a stronger orange flavor.
• Make sure to pre-heat your oven to 400° F (200°C) and that it has reached that temperature before putting your muffins in the oven or they will not rise as much.

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 219 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Sodium 160mg7%

Potassium 182mg5%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 65IU1%

Vitamin C 1.3mg2%

Calcium 80mg8%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.