Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

Get ready to enjoy these tender and soft gluten-free cranberry orange muffins made with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, fragrant citrus notes, and sweet dried cranberries. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I want to introduce you to a sweet and tender gluten-free treat that combines the tangy sweetness of cranberries with the refreshing citrus flavor of oranges.

These Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins are incredibly easy to make, offer a pound-cake-like texture, and will remind you of a warm bakery-style muffin.

And just because it’s free from gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats, doesn’t mean it’s free from taste or has a bad texture.

In fact, these muffins offer a soft and tender texture, have great structure (e.g., they aren’t crumbly), and have a beautiful golden crust that makes them look as good as they taste.

Enjoy these irresistible muffins for breakfast, pack them in your child’s school lunch, or serve them as a sweet after-dinner treat.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

(1) Start by gathering the following ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, large
• ½ cup milk (dairy-free milk ok)
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup white or dark chocolate chips

I have only tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, which contains xanthan gum. If you’re using another gluten-free flour blend, be sure it includes xanthan gum, an essential binder in gluten-free baking. If the flour blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add 3/4 teaspoons of it.

(2) Preheat the oven to 375°F and line the muffin pans with paper liners (cupcake liners). You’ll make about 18 muffins.

(3) Now that everything is ready to go, it’s time to prepare the muffin batter.

Start by whisking the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.

Next, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange juice, oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest in another bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined before folding in the dried cranberries and white or dark chocolate chips.

Just look at this beautiful batter! It’s smooth and thick, and it smells wonderful citrusy.

(4) Fill the prepared muffin pans about 2/3 full and bake them for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

The muffins should bounce back when gently pressed with your finger. Allow the muffins to fully cool before handling.

FAQs and Substitutions

Leftovers: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or up to a month in the freezer.

The Flour:  I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour in this recipe. If you use a different gluten-free flour that doesn’t have xanthan gum, be sure to add ¾ teaspoon of it to the dry ingredients. I haven’t tested this recipe with other gluten-free flour blends, but if you use another blend, be sure to measure it carefully according to that flour blend’s instructions (see Measuring Flour).

Measuring Flour: Be sure to measure the flour correctly to ensure a tender muffin that isn’t dry. There are two ways to measure gluten-free flour:

(1) Measure the flour by grams using a kitchen scale. For example, 1 ¾ cup of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour equals 259 grams of flour according to the measurements on the back of the package. However, another flour blend might have a slightly different weight for the same measurement. Look at the packaging for the gluten-free flour you’d like to use to determine the precise weight in grams.

(2) Measure the flour using the spoon and level measure technique. To do this, use a smaller cup or large spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then use the dull end of a butter knife to level the flour. Do NOT pack the flour into the measuring cup. Doing so will result in a dry muffin due to the higher flour-to-moisture ratio.

Dairy-Free:  To make the muffins dairy-free, use dairy-free milk or substitute an additional ½ cup of orange juice for the milk, making for a total of ¾ cup of orange juice. Also, use either dairy-free white chocolate chips, dairy-free dark chocolate, or omit the chocolate chips altogether.

Chocolate Chips: I highly recommend using dark or white chocolate chips for this recipe. While adding the chocolate chips is optional, it will add sweetness and texture.

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Additional Recipes

Try these gluten-free muffin recipes, too:

• Soft and Moist Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins [Dairy-Free]
• Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Almond Flour Blackberry Muffins
• Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Muffins
• Vegan + Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins