Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins are super moist and bursting with flavor. They come together so quickly and are packed with delicious flavor. While they’re totally scrumptious on their own, it is fun to dress them up with a little glaze on top.

If you enjoy the cranberry and orange combinations in muffins try these Orange, cranberry, and pistachio shortbread cookies.

What you need to make Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins:

Equipment:

1 large bowl
1 wooden spoon
1 standard muffin pan

Time:

30 minutes

Produce:

2 tablespoon orange zest (muffins)
1 tablespoon orange zest (glaze)
¼ cup orange juice (muffins)
2-3 tablespoon orange juice (glaze)
1 ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Dairy:

½ cup milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoon soft butter for greasing the muffin pan

Pantry:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans
1½ cup confectioner sugar (glaze)

Start by preheating the oven to 350 and generously grease a muffin pan with soft butter. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I like to use baking soda and baking powder in my muffins because they are both leavening agents but they rise at slightly different times and it helps give muffins a great crumb structure.

In a second bowl, add the sugar and the orange zest. Flavor Hack: Take a minute and rub the orange zest and sugar between your fingers to release the flavor of the orange into the sugar.

Next, add the orange juice, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to the sugar and orange zest and gently mix. Once the wet ingredients are fully combined, scoop in the remaining dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. I would do this with a fork or spoon rather than in a stand mixer. This recipe does not like to be over-mixed.

Now it’s time for the cranberries and pecans. If you have whole pecans just crunch them up in your hands as you add them into the mix. I love getting the combination of small and big chunks of nuts in these muffins.

Scoop the batter evenly into your muffin pan and place in the oven for 20 to 24 minutes. Take them out of the oven when the edges are just golden brown.

The toothpick trick can be deceiving because of the cranberries in this recipe. I still do it but try to pay attention to the difference between cranberry juice and underdone batter.

If you’re looking for the addition of a decadent glaze on top, start by combining the lemon juice and melted butter in a bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar in, one spoonful at a time, mixing thoroughly between. When the glaze runs off the spoon, mix in the orange zest.

Drizzle the glaze on top and enjoy these sweet and tangy Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins for a delicious breakfast or snack. These Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins will store well in Tupperware on the counter for a couple of days, if they last that long.

Love Muffins? Try some of these great muffin recipes: