These gluten-free orange cranberry muffins combine tart, juicy cranberries with plenty of fresh citrus zest for a bright, festive flavor. Made with almond and coconut flour and sweetened without sugar, they are also grain-free, low-carb, and naturally moist and tender. They’re perfect with coffee or tea during cranberry season, whether you serve them for breakfast, brunch, or as a lightly sweet holiday treat.
A seasonal cranberry and orange muffin
Fresh cranberries have such a short season that I always try to make the most of them while they’re available. After making my homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce, I wanted to combine cranberries with one of their best flavor companions: fresh orange.
This recipe was adapted from my grain-free lemon blueberry muffins — because when a recipe works, there is no need to reinvent it completely. A reader had also mentioned using fresh cranberries in those muffins, which planted the idea in my mind.
The cranberries add little bursts of tartness, while orange and lemon zest make the muffins especially fragrant. Poppy seeds are optional, but they add a delicate crunch and look beautiful sprinkled on top.
What makes these muffins different?
These orange cranberry muffins are made with almond flour and coconut flour rather than a conventional gluten-free flour blend. This makes them naturally gluten-free and grain-free, with fewer carbohydrates than traditional cranberry muffins.
They are also sugar-free when made with monk fruit, allulose, or another compatible granulated sweetener. And for those following a Plant Paradox or lectin-free lifestyle, all the ingredients can easily fit within that approach.
Choosing the oranges and cranberries
Because this recipe uses a generous amount of citrus zest, I prefer organic oranges and lemons. Wash and dry the fruit well before zesting, and remove only the colorful outer layer — not the bitter white pith underneath.
Fresh cranberries provide the best texture and those lovely tart bursts throughout the muffins.
How to measure almond and coconut flour
The way you measure the flour is essential for this recipe. Both almond flour and coconut flour can be quite fluffy, so the measuring cups should be packed rather than lightly filled.
Press the flour down with the back of a spoon or your hand, then continue adding flour until you reach the correct mark. If you don’t use enough flour, the muffins may turn out too moist and have difficulty setting properly.
Muffins, cake, or loaf
I usually make this batter into 11 generously sized muffins, although you can divide it among all 12 cups for slightly smaller muffins.
You can also bake the batter in a small loaf pan, a square baking dish, or a small Bundt pan. The baking time will need to be adjusted depending on the size and shape of the pan, so use the toothpick test to check for doneness.
You may also like
If muffins are your love language, you will probably love these gluten-free Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins, or these Chocolate Chip Muffins.
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Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
These gluten-free orange cranberry muffins combine tart, juicy cranberries with plenty of fresh citrus zest for a bright, festive flavor. Made with almond and coconut flour and sweetened without sugar, they are also grain-free, low-carb, and naturally moist and tender. They’re perfect with coffee or tea during cranberry season, whether you serve them for breakfast, brunch, or as a lightly sweet holiday treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic fresh cranberries (about 100 grams)
- 1 1/2 packed cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 packed cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 pasture-raised eggs
- 3 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener or allulose
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of 3 organic oranges
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons poppy seeds, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Wash the cranberries and dry them well.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sweetener, avocado oil, coconut milk, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold the cranberries into the batter with a spatula.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups. The recipe makes 12 smaller muffins or 11 generously sized muffins. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if using.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking early, as ovens can vary.
- Allow the muffins to cool slightly in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Pack both the almond flour and coconut flour firmly into the measuring cups. If the cups are filled too lightly, the muffins may be overly moist.
Use organic oranges and lemons to avoid exposure to pesticides and toxic coatings.
The batter can also be baked in a small loaf pan, square baking dish, or small Bundt pan. Adjust the baking time as needed and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
16 Comments
Lisann
February 4, 2019 at 12:55 pmMade these this morning and the whole family loved them! We are going to try using lemon and blueberries another day. Thank you!
Claudia
February 5, 2019 at 4:35 pmThank you Lisa! There is a different recipe on the website with lemon and blueberries, I’m sure you would love it. xx
Ernie
March 4, 2019 at 10:13 amClaudia I used fresh frozen cranberries in my muffins, I left them out of the fridge for 2 days in a cookie jar,
so disappointed that they got moldy, any suggestions? I am thinking the cranberries might have been to wet.
Claudia
March 4, 2019 at 10:19 amHi Ernie, I’m sorry to hear that, it is possible that the cranberries were to wet, but also, I never keep muffins on the counter for more than a day (the day I cook them). Muffins and cakes, especially if they are made with eggs and fruits, should be stored in the fridge, in a covered glass container. I’m going to add a comment to this recipe about storage.
grace
January 3, 2019 at 3:09 pmClaudia,
I just made these muffins, they were Delicious, everyone in the house loved them, the only thing I changed was replacing the monk fruit with swerve. thank you for all your hard work, the pictures of all your recipes are stunning.
Claudia
January 3, 2019 at 4:22 pmThank you so much Grace, for your feedback; good to know all the family loved them xx
Grace (Ernie)
March 2, 2019 at 9:28 amMade these today again using the monk fruit, again yummy.
My favorite.
Thank you again 🙂
Claudia
March 2, 2019 at 1:23 pmThank you Ernie, so glad you loved them xx
Brenda
December 9, 2018 at 10:55 amJust make these and they were delicious. They will become a fall and winter treat. I used 3 TBSP of the monk fruit. Not at all sweet. Actually I loved the tartness of biting into the soft cranberries.
Claudia
December 11, 2018 at 9:33 amThank you so much Brenda, so happy you loved it xx
Jenna
December 1, 2018 at 5:43 pmCan you use frozen organic cranberries if you defrost them?
Claudia
December 1, 2018 at 5:52 pmHi Jenna. Yes you can, just make sure they are not too moist. Pat dry them and if still moist coat them with a little coconut flour. Let me know how it goes xx
Leah Bruhn
November 28, 2018 at 5:40 pmHi, for the cranberry orange muffins do you just use the fresh cranberries as they are (not cooked, hard)? Thanks!
Claudia
November 28, 2018 at 5:46 pmYes, fresh. They’ll cook with the muffins (I had this dilemma too, until someone told me they did it) xx
Mel
December 3, 2018 at 8:48 pmThe monk fruit sweetener (first time I’ve used it) is sickening sweet with a very strong after taste. Ughhh…throwing the whole batch of muffins in the trash!
Claudia
December 4, 2018 at 9:09 amHi Mel, what brand did you use? And did you add only 3 tbsp? I never make my baking stuff sweet, and 3 tbsp of granulated Lakanto sweetener don’t do much to this recipe. It is in fact more sour and salty than sweet. So I really wonder what happened there. Maybe you used the syrup instead of the granulated one? 3 tbsp of Lakanto syrup is something I would describe as “sickening sweet”. Let me know.