Cranberry, Orange and Pecan Muffins
These Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Muffins are the perfect combination of tart and sweet. By using fresh cranberries rather then dried cranberries (which are packed with sugar) these are naturally sweetened with just honey and orange juice. They are Paleo, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Gluten Free & Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
Cranberries are a great fruit to stock up on during the few short weeks between late October and mid December when they are available fresh in stores. I buy bags of cranberries and store them in the freezer to use throughout the year in a variety of dishes. I have always found cranberries to be under appreciated, eaten primarily as a condiment alongside turkey or dried as craisins. I used to love snacking on craisins or adding them to salads but after discovering the amount of sugar they contained (1/4 cup has 4 teaspoons of sugar!), I quickly nipped that habit in the bud.
I have previously steered clear of cranberry muffins and loaves as I found the batters were always too sweet, over compensating for the sour berries. I can truthfully say that these are the first cranberry muffins I have ever tasted that I absolutely love. I used fresh cranberries rather than dried, to ensure each bite has a hint of tart flavour which is perfectly contrasted with the sweet orange zest. I love how juicy the cranberries become once baked, together with the crunchy pecans this results in a delicious muffin with lots of great texture. I have managed to quickly eat my way through a batch, enjoying them slightly warm for breakfast or as healthy protein packed afternoon snack. These Cranberry Orange muffins also freeze well so you can double the recipe and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Love tasty muffin recipes? Here are a few others you might enjoy:
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Chunky Monkey Muffins
- Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins Topped with Pecans
- Butternut Squash, Spinach & Feta Muffins
- Zucchini, Cheddar & Pancetta Muffins
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups Almond Flour
- 1/3 cup Coconut Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a muffin tray with liners
- In a mixing bowl add the eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, honey, orange juice and zest. Add the baking soda on top of the orange juice so that it begins to foam and then add in the flours and stir on low speed until just combined, don’t over mix
- Using a spoon, gently stir in the fresh cranberries and chopped pecans
- Fill each muffin cup to the top with batter and gently press down on the batter to make sure they are firmly filled. I usually top each muffin with a few extra cranberries to make them look pretty.
- Bake in the over for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely for at least 20 minutes before removing from the tins.
Nutrition
These muffins look delicious. Can they be made with regular flour. ?
Wow I will try to bake it. Thank you so much for sharing greatly appreciated
I made mine in mini-muffin tins and I used Craisins. I thought they were moist and flavorful. I put an extra tablespoon of orange zest. I don’t eat sugar so I thought they were sweet enough. My husband didn’t care for them because they weren’t sweet enough.
I do not have coconut flour, can I substitute regular flour or just round up almond flour? Also, I have frozen cranberries, can I use them instead as fresh ones aren’t available in March? This recipe sounds delicious.
I’m making these for the second time. They are sooooo delicious!!!
Oh my gosh these were amazing. At first I thought how are these going to rise enough with just salt but they did and the taste was like no other muffin I’ve ever made. That first bite was like biting into a warm orange heaven with sweet/ tart cranberries mixed in! It was the best first bite!!! I probably had two teaspoons of orange zest and used canola oil instead of coconut. I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
Love this recipe. You can play around with the type of nuts n the number of cranberries or raisins if you desire. I do put more coconut oil in my recipe since it adds more moisture to the muffin.
I make these muffins with variations every week. No more store bought muffins for me.
Can you used dried cranberries also?
I see many comments, but no answers. Ii realize they are comments. Is it possible you could answer them? I have the same questions & that would be be helpful.
Question – is it possible to omit the coconut flour and substitute an additional 1/3 c of Almond flour?
I was too lazy to make muffins, so I made a loaf! The house smells FANTASTIC!!!! It’s yummy; definitely a keeper recipe