Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins are moist, zesty, and packed with tangy citrus flavor. Made with all wholesome ingredients, they are a healthy treat!
Not that I’m trying to tell you how to live your life, but eat this immediately!
While that may have sounded aggressive, or just the right amount of assertive, but I’m coming from a place of support and love.
Moist, fluffy, rich, and an explosion of orange yumminess, this is one of my favorite muffin recipes to date!
These healthy muffins are made with almond flour, orange zest, pure maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, and dried cranberries. The end result are moist and fluffy muffins that are packed with orange flavor!
I love that these flavor bombs contain a nice dose of protein, some healthy fats, and are a great option for those who enjoy sourcing their food from clean ingredients.
Ordinarily, I add avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil to muffin recipes as the fat source, but because almond flour already contains enough fat, there is no need for added oil.
Looking for a coconut flour option? Make my Coconut Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for cranberry orange almond flour muffins.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins:
Almond Flour: Taking the place of all-purpose flour, almond flour adds plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats to the muffins. I enjoy using it as a gluten-free alternative because it generates great texture and adds health benefits to treats.
I recommend sticking with finely ground almond flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour.
Tapioca Flour: Bringing a little starch to the recipe, tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch) combines well with almond flour to result in a texture that is remarkably similar to almond flour.
The combination of almond flour and tapioca flour makes a lighter texture, which I find yields the best results.
Eggs: A couple of large eggs brings fluffy texture to the muffins and helps the batter rise. I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg replacer like flax eggs.
I generally don’t recommend egg replacers for almond flour recipes because grain-free recipes turn out dense without regular eggs.
Unsweetened Applesauce: Adding moisture and a little natural sweetness to the muffins, we need some unsweetened applesauce.
Pure Maple Syrup: Used to sweeten these refined sugar-free muffins, we need a little pure maple syrup. Honey works here too if you enjoy the flavor.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla adds warm flavor to the muffins.
Fresh Orange Zest: Adding zesty orange flavor to these healthy orange muffins, we need fresh orange zest. To obtain enough, you will need two large navel oranges, or three small oranges.
Dried Cranberries: Adding pops of sweet and tangy flavor, tart cranberries are a lovely complement to citrus fruit.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agents that helps the batter rise.
Sea Salt: A sprinkle of sea salt enhances flavors and makes the muffins taste sweeter without the need for additional sweetener.
The sum total of these ingredients means these muffins are grain-free, gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and dairy-free. Ideal for those with dietary restrictions.
Optional Customizations:
- Use cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or almond milk instead of unsweetened applesauce.
- Prefer baking with oats or oat flour? Make my Healthy Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Muffins.
- Replace the tapioca flour with 1/2 cup of arrowroot flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or 1 cup of additional almond flour.
- Swap out the orange zest for lemon zest.
- Replace the dried cranberries with one cup of fresh blueberries.
- Add ½ to ⅔ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Replace the dried cranberries with fresh cranberries. If you go this route, I recommend carefully cutting the fresh cranberries in half.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this easy cranberry orange muffin recipe.
How to Make Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with muffin papers.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, pure maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
Pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well.
Add in the orange zest and dried cranberries and mix well.
Pour the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling the holes 3/4 of the way up.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown around the edges and fully baked.
Insert a digital thermometer into the center of a muffin. The muffins are cooked through and have the best texture when the internal temperature is between 190 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Allow the almond flour muffins to cool completely before removing the papers and eating.
Storage Tips:
- Room Temperature: Transfer the muffins to an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftover muffins in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Bake a batch of these almond flour cranberry orange muffins the next time you’re craving something sweet and zesty!
There’s no need to wait until the holiday season or cranberry season to enjoy these orange cranberry muffins! This is a great recipe any time of year!
They come together speedy quick and require little to no baking experience, which is one of the amazing features of these delicious muffins. Enjoy one alongside Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for
If you enjoy baking batches of muffins, also try out these reader favorites!
More Muffin Recipes:
- Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
- Oatmeal Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Spiced Apple Carrot Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins
Enjoy these healthy cranberry orange muffins!
Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda.
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest*
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with muffin papers.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, pure maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well.
- Add in the orange zest and dried cranberries and mix well.
- Pour the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling the holes 3/4 of the way up.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown around the edges and fully baked.
- Insert a digital thermometer into the center of a muffin. The muffins are cooked through and have the best texture when the internal temperature is between 190 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the almond flour muffins to cool completely before removing the papers and eating.
Nutrition
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