Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

Moist, fluffy, and bursting with holiday flavor, these Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins are a perfect treat for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or gifting during the holiday season. Made with wholesome ingredients, these homemade muffins are simply delicious and incredibly easy to make—vegan, oil-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free, packed with tart cranberries and bright orange flavor.

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These Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins are naturally sweetened, loaded with fresh cranberries, and brightened with fresh orange juice and orange zest. They're made with whole grains, a flax egg, and are oil-free, making them a wholesome, nutritious choice you can feel good about.

From Sparkling Euphoria Cranberry Mocktail, Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread, and now these orange cranberry muffins, it's cranberry season, and I'm completely obsessed with these tart red fruits all over again! And this time of the year, especially in the fall and winter months, it's so easy to find whole cranberries that add an irresistible, juicy burst to these muffins. And what better to pair them with zesty orange flavors, my favorite combo. These vegan cranberry orange muffins are fluffy, naturally sweet, made with wholesome ingredients, and simply the best. But don't take my word for it, let's make them!

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This post is sponsored by One Degree Organics - A company that aligns with The All Natural Vegan Mission. Thank you for supporting brands that make The All Natural Vegan Possible!

Ingredients To Make These Vegan Cranberry Muffins: 

Here's what you need to make these wholesome, vegan orange cranberry muffins:

• Sprouted Spelt Flour: I love the one from One Degree Organics. This whole grain adds a soft texture and a beautiful structure.
• Date Sugar: This natural, unrefined sweetener adds mild caramel-like sweetness.
• Leavening Agents: I use both baking soda and baking powder to get fluffy vegan muffins.
• Pinch of Sea Salt: It enhances the overall flavor.
• Fresh Cranberries: Adds tartness and a juicy burst of flavor.
• Orange Zest: It concentrates bright orange flavor throughout the muffins, and some is used to enhance the citrus flavor in the orange glaze.
• Fresh Orange Juice: It naturally brightens the flavors in the muffins; fresh juice is best. And I'm using some to create a smooth glaze.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: It acts as an oil-free binder and adds natural sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: You only need a bit to balance the tart cranberry flavors with warm, sweet notes. I personally always use Mexican Vanilla, simply because I think it has a significantly better taste, and I use it in many of my other recipes, like this beautiful Pistachio Loaf Rose Cake.
• Maple Syrup: It adds a little extra sweetness and richness to both the muffins and the orange glaze.
• Flax Egg (ground flaxseed + water): This vegan egg substitute provides structure and moisture.
• Coconut Butter: It's the perfect base for making the glaze because it's thick, creamy, and rich in nutrients.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Them:

This orange muffin recipe is so easy to make, and you'll have them grazing your table in no time. Let's have a look.

• Make a Flax Egg: Mix ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl, then let it gel for 5-10 minutes.
• Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, date sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix flax egg, fresh orange juice, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
• Combine & Fold: Add wet to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in fresh cranberries and orange zest.
• Scoop & Bake: Divide batter into a muffin tin with muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
• Cool & Glaze: Let muffins cool 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack. Mix glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over muffins. Enjoy!

Top Tips: 

• Room Temperature Ingredients: For best results, have all ingredients at room temperature.
• Even Cranberries: Fold in cranberries gently to prevent them from sinking.
• Avoid Dry Muffins: Store in an airtight container to keep muffins moist.
• Zest Matters: Orange zest provides concentrated orange flavor, so don't skip it!
• Flax Egg Tip: Ensure flax egg gels before mixing. It helps achieve that fluffy texture.

Variations And Substitutions:

• Add Nuts: These fluffy muffins are naturally nut-free, but you can add walnuts or pecans for extra crunch, like in my Vegan Maple Candied Pecan Cookies.
• Sweetener Swap: Use coconut sugar or brown sugar instead of date sugar.
• Extra Citrus: Add ½ teaspoon orange extract for an even brighter orange flavor, similar to my Double Chocolate Orange Cookies.

Storage: 

Store these homemade muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. 

Equipment Needed:

• Muffin Tin: To bake the muffins.
• Muffin Cups: To line the muffin tin.
• Whisk and Spatula: For sifting and folding.
• Large Mixing Bowl: To sift the dry ingredients.
• Medium Bowl: To combine the wet ingredients.
• Small Bowls: For flax egg and glaze.
• Spoon or Ice Cream Scoop: To divide batter in muffin cups.
• Cooling Rack: To cool the muffins.

Recipe FAQs: 

More Amazing Vegan Muffins To Try Next: 

If you try this Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

Katie

Moist, fluffy, and bursting with holiday flavor, these Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins are a perfect treat for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or gifting during the holiday season. Made with wholesome ingredients, these homemade muffins are simply delicious and incredibly easy to make-vegan, oil-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free, packed with tart cranberries and bright orange flavor.

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 6 muffins

Equipment

• 1 muffin pan
• 1 Mixing bowls
• 1 stand mixer optional
• 1 wire rack

Ingredients

  

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Dry Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups One Degree Organics Sprouted Spelt Flour
• 1 cup date sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 Juiced oranges about 1 cup (if making a single batch)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoon water (1 : 3 ratio - if doubling do 4 tablespoon with 12 tablespoon water, etc.)

Orange Glaze:

• 3 tablespoon maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut butter
• ½ orange juiced
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

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Instructions

 

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350.
• While the oven is preheating, prepare your flax egg. Simply combine the flaxseed and water together and set aside for about 10 minutes (you may have to stir it a couple times throughout the 10 minutes.
• Sift all dry ingredients except the cranberries and orange zest together in a large bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Add the orange zest and cranberries and mix until the cranberries are evenly distributed.
• Scoop the mixture evenly into 6 large muffin cups and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes. While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. Simply combine all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and mix until super smooth. You want to be sure that there aren't any chunks of coconut butter.
• Pour the orange glaze over the muffins and enjoy!

Keyword cranberry orange, muffins, vegan cranberry orange muffins

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