Every time I make Orange Cranberry muffins it smells like Christmas. A friend I used to work with came back from Ireland and while staying at bed and breakfast they made a version of this bread and she was very impressed. I was on a mission to find the recipe and thanks to Epicurious I found one and made a couple tweaks.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small squares
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Turn oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor or in a bowl with a pastry blender blend together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together the zest, the juice, sour cream and the eggs, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined.
- Stir in the cranberries and the pecans and transfer the batter to a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean. The muffins typically bake for 25 minutes.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and turn it out onto a rack.
The recipe can be made into either a loaf or muffins. I like making muffins because they are great for sharing and keeping the serving size small. These muffins would be a great treat for co-workers during the holiday season as well as Christmas morning breakfast. Serve warm with a little bit of butter. (Kerrygold Butter is my favorite).
Couple Tips for the best Orange Cranberry Muffins:
- Use a food processor to chop the cranberries
- When blending the dry ingredients with the butter, I also use the food processor. It mixes the ingredients well.
- Always toast your nuts before adding to the batter






Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small squares
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Turn oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor or in a bowl with a pastry blender blend together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together the zest, the juice, sour cream and the eggs, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined.
- Stir in the cranberries and the pecans and transfer the batter to a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean. The muffins typically bake for 25 minutes.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and turn it out onto a rack.