Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins are bursting with fresh cranberries, sweet orange and dark chocolate. They’re hearty, wholesome, and dairy-free, and make the perfect addition to your holiday brunch or breakfast!
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with new text and photos. The recipe remains the same.
Have you been able to get your hands on any fresh cranberries yet? They usually start popping up in grocery stores around here in late September, but become more plentiful as the holiday season gets closer.
I have a slight obsession with fresh cranberries and usually freeze a few large bags during the fall so I have enough for baking and cooking throughout the year. That’s the thing about cranberries. They’re just as great frozen as they are fresh.
Here are a few of my go-to cranberry recipes:
Details on a few ingredients to make these cranberry orange muffins
- Fresh cranberries: A full cup adds a pop of colour and tart flavour. If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen or dried cranberries.
- Steel-cut oats: For muffins with a nutty texture, you’ll want to go with steel-cut oats. They need to soak for a few hours (or even overnight), so if you’re short on time, just use rolled oats and soak them for 30-60 minutes.
- Nut milk: If you don’t have unsweetened almond or cashew milk, feel free to use cow’s milk. (Just note that the recipe will no longer be dairy-free).
- Orange (juice and zest): For maximum flavour, go for freshly squeezed orange juice. To get 3 tablespoons of juice and 1 tablespoon of zest for this recipe, you’ll need about half a large orange.
- Whole wheat flour: These muffins are made with whole wheat flour to keep them on the healthier side. If you prefer all-purpose white flour, you can make a 1:1 substitution.
- Dark chocolate: I usually go for dairy-free dark chocolate chunks or chips, but you can use whatever chocolate chips you like if you don’t need this recipe to be dairy-free.
How to make cranberry muffins from scratch
- Soak the oats and milk overnight, or for at least 5-6 hours.
- Whisk together the egg and oil. Add in the orange juice and zest, along with the oat mixture. Stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chunks.
- Divide the muffin batter into a greased muffin pan and bake on 425F for 15-17 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make these cranberry muffins with frozen cranberries? Yes, you can add frozen cranberries right to the muffin batter. No need to defrost them or adjust the bake time.
Can you make cranberry muffins with dried cranberries? Absolutely. Just keep in mind that the muffins will be a little sweeter and less tart. Dried cranberries are usually sweetened, but their flavour and chewy texture really work with the orange and dark chocolate in these muffins.
How do you store these muffins? They should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
How long will they last? If stored properly, they will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze cranberry muffins? Yes. Just arrange the muffins in a single layer in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before eating.
Additional tips and recipe substitutions
- To zest your orange, just use a zester or the small holes on a box grater. Also, refrigerate your orange before zesting. The cold will keep the peel firm and it will be easier to zest.
- If you don’t have oranges, try using fresh lemon as a substitute.
- I find darker coloured bakeware tends to brown baked goods more quickly than lighter coloured. I normally use a dark muffin pan, so if you’re using a lighter coloured pan, you may need to increase the bake time by a few minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
Other oatmeal muffin recipes you might enjoy
- Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Blackberry Lemon Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
- Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins
If you make these cranberry oatmeal muffins, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Print
Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins are bursting with fresh cranberries, sweet orange and dark chocolate. They’re hearty, wholesome and dairy-free, and make the perfect addition to your holiday brunch or breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks (dairy-free)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the oats and milk. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 5-6 hours.
- Once the oats are soaked, preheat the oven to 425F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and oil. Add in the orange juice and zest, along with the oat mixture, and stir until combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chunks.
- Using a cookie scoop, divide the muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- The total recipe time includes time for the oats to soak.
- Steel-cut oats need to soak overnight, or for at least 5-6 hours. If you’re short on time, you can use rolled oats and soak them for 30-60 minutes.
- If you don’t have unsweetened almond or cashew milk, you can use cow’s milk. (Just note that the recipe will no longer be dairy-free).
- To get 3 tablespoons of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of zest, you’ll need about half a large orange.
- If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen or dried cranberries.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
Perfect for Fall! I do love a whole wheat muffin and these with the steel cut oats are a step above the rest. And, yes 100% for using the fresh juice – delicious!!
Thanks Sharon! Love using steel-cut oats in muffins. I highly recommend for the hearty texture.
Love oatmeal muffins, and I’m so excited for cranberry season! These look amazing, Leanne! My idea of the perfect breakfast!
Thanks Michelle! Love cranberry season!
Love the steel cut oats in this yummy recipe! Cranberries with oranges is a favourite combination of mine. The chocolate makes these so decadent!
The dark chocolate chunks are a must for a little something extra! Thanks Elaine!
I love the healthy ingredients in these muffins. And the cranberry-orange flavor combination is one of my faves!
Thanks so much Joss!
Yay I sure have…I bought my first bag of cranberries in the store yesterday. I can’t wait to use it up in muffins, next I am trying your recipe.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins, Bernice! Thanks!
What a fantastic recipe! Orange and cranberry is such a great combo.
Thanks Cindy!
I haven’t seen fresh cranberries here yet, but as soon as I do I will need to whip up a batch of these muffins Leanne. They look just delicious!
Thanks Mary Ann! Hope you find some soon!
YUM! I’m loving the addition of orange and dark chocolate!
Thanks Annie!
Yay for these muffins Leanne! I haven’t seen fresh cranberries here yet, but I know they are coming. These will be perfect for the holiday season!
Thanks Tasia! They’re definitely Christmas morning muffins for us!
I am already adding these muffins to my holiday to-to list. They are perfect to make on Saturday morning and enjoy through the day – delicious, too!
Thanks Danielle! Hope you like them!
I love these muffins!! The balance of the tartness in the cranberries and the sugar is just perfect. They are perfect for a Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast. I also like to the fact that I can grab and go with these muffins. Thanks for sharing!
What a yummy breakfast and filled with so many good things! I love oatmeal in muffins and the flavors of the cranberry and the orange sound delicious!
I love how festive and delicious looking these are! I’ve bought too many cranberries for a recipe and this is exactly what I’m going to do with the rest of them!
Thanks Terri! I’ve been stocking up on cranberries, and I’m planning to freeze some for the winter. Hope you get to try these!
Yummmm! Great way to start the day with these lovely little muffins.
Thanks Yvonne!
Hi Leanne! Such a great idea your overnight muffins! And bravo for the cranberries! I’ll try your recipe but I will use chia seeds egg instead of the egg.
Thanks Nathalie! I definitely need to try this recipe with a chia or flax egg. If you try it, be sure to let me know how it goes!
Cranberries, Orange and Chocolate make such a fab combination!!! Also, I absolutely LOVE the video!!
Thanks Lizzy! So glad you like the video! A blogging friend of mine did it, and she did an awesome job! And yes, the trio of cranberries, chocolate and orange are great together!
This overnight soaking is a technique that I have not tried in making muffins and it sounds wonderful, Leanne. There are so many great ingredients in your recipe that I really enjoy using – I will definitely be trying them. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks Denise! Soaking the oats adds a great texture to the muffins. Hope you like them!
I’ve never tried overnight oatmeal muffins before! It’s on my list for weekend baking!
Thanks Riz! Hope you like them!