These Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Muffins are the perfect combination of tart and sweet. By using fresh cranberries rather then dried cranberries (which are packed with sugar) these are naturally sweetened with just honey and orange juice. They are Paleo, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Gluten Free & Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
Cranberries are a great fruit to stock up on during the few short weeks between late October and mid December when they are available fresh in stores. I buy bags of cranberries and store them in the freezer to use throughout the year in a variety of dishes. I have always found cranberries to be under appreciated, eaten primarily as a condiment alongside turkey or dried as craisins. I used to love snacking on craisins or adding them to salads but after discovering the amount of sugar they contained (1/4 cup has 4 teaspoons of sugar!), I quickly nipped that habit in the bud.
I have previously steered clear of cranberry muffins and loaves as I found the batters were always too sweet, over compensating for the sour berries. I can truthfully say that these are the first cranberry muffins I have ever tasted that I absolutely love. I used fresh cranberries rather than dried, to ensure each bite has a hint of tart flavour which is perfectly contrasted with the sweet orange zest. I love how juicy the cranberries become once baked, together with the crunchy pecans this results in a delicious muffin with lots of great texture. I have managed to quickly eat my way through a batch, enjoying them slightly warm for breakfast or as healthy protein packed afternoon snack. These Cranberry Orange muffins also freeze well so you can double the recipe and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Love tasty muffin recipes? Here are a few others you might enjoy:
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Chunky Monkey Muffins
- Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins Topped with Pecans
- Butternut Squash, Spinach & Feta Muffins
- Zucchini, Cheddar & Pancetta Muffins
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups Almond Flour
- 1/3 cup Coconut Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a muffin tray with liners
- In a mixing bowl add the eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, honey, orange juice and zest. Add the baking soda on top of the orange juice so that it begins to foam and then add in the flours and stir on low speed until just combined, don’t over mix
- Using a spoon, gently stir in the fresh cranberries and chopped pecans
- Fill each muffin cup to the top with batter and gently press down on the batter to make sure they are firmly filled. I usually top each muffin with a few extra cranberries to make them look pretty.
- Bake in the over for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely for at least 20 minutes before removing from the tins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
I love cranberry “anything” but only cook with flour. Could you show how to make this recipe with white flour? Would greatly appreciate it.
I am excited to try this recipe tomorrow. I have everything but fresh cranberries since my local store ran out well before Christmas. I have unsweetened dry cranberries which I will bloom in hot water to rehydrate them the same way I do raisins for my banana muffins.
My goodness, so many crtics (and goofs) over 6 years, but so many well deserved accolades! For Personal Chef w/client on carb restriction – if you can’t figure it out, get a different job. Don’t sue the blogger based on your inabilities! Carbs – 18g w/5g fibre so net 13. You can lower that by making sugar free maple syrup to replace honey. I use this a lot. I figure it changes taste slightly but trying to get rid of the white death – same as AP Flour. I would be all for adding lemon pieces and zest but I am a lemon lover. I would NEVER change the fresh cranberries, not many things like the burst of a fresh cranberry! These look absolutely great.
I haven’t made these yet, but I did read the commentary and it mentioned that the sweet orange zest balanced out the tartness of the fresh cranberries….I don’t think of orange zest as sweet and the time I used cranberries in a smoothie it was extremely sour. Does the orange zest actually help a very tart berry?
Hi! Can I use avocado oil instead of coconut oil?
Can I use gluten free 1:1 flour in place of the almond and coconut flour?
I don’t cook/bake much, but these look delicious! Can regular flour be substituted for the coconut & almond flours? If so, how much? Would that change the taste? Thanks!!
Amazing!! One alteration I did was use my maple fermented cranberries. So yummy. Thank you for sharing this!
Have you tried this recipe using gluten free flour instead of almond flour? If one is allergic to almonds, this is a no go recipe.
Hello, I’m very limited on Saturated fat. Would there be a way to reduce saturated fat on this recipe? thanks