One-Bowl Cranberry Orange Muffins are just what you’re looking for in a muffin. Perfectly tender, slightly sweet, vanilla-scented, and bursting with sweet and tangy orange and cranberry. They’re easy to make in just one bowl so they’re ready with very little fuss! Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, too.
For a person who claims to not be a baker, I sure have been posting quite a few baking-related recipes lately (see exhibits a) Pumpkin Pancakes, b) Old Fashioned Apple Crisp and c) Apple Cornmeal Muffins).
I guess I should say I wasn’t a baker. These days, however, I find myself whipping up sweet treats in the kitchen because when I’m craving treats I want something satisfying without a bunch of white flour and refined sugar.
Also, baking is one of my favorite ways to spend time with Elle in the kitchen. She loves dumping ingredients in the bowl and mixing everything around. We’re almost to the point where most of the mixture stays in the bowl.
These muffins are our recent favorites, and they are as delicious to eat as they are pretty to look at. The cranberries lend just the right amount of tartness, and the orange juice and apple sauce give a sweet depth that we love. I usually make a double batch so we have a dozen in the freezer for lunches, snacks, and breakfasts on the go.
In addition to the cornmeal, these muffins use oat flour, which can easily be made at home by grinding whole oats in the blender. No need for a fancy high-speed blender, either, any regular blender will work. If you’d rather skip this step, though, you can purchase pre-made oat flour at well-stocked grocery stores and online (either regular or gluten-free).
I recommend using silicone liners for this recipe, as they allow the muffins to pop right out of the pan with no sticking. If you don’t have them, though, just grease the pan really well before adding the batter. And the best part is that all the ingredients can be mixed together in one bowl, so clean up is minimal. Yay for super-easy, super-yummy muffins. Let’s get to it!
RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Invite your child to help make the muffins! He can dump the ingredients into the bowl, stir everything together, and sprinkle the apple chips on top.
2 | If she doesn’t like the cranberries in the muffins try adding fewer or substitute dried, apple juice-sweetened cranberries.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Naturally Gluten-Free (as long as you use gluten-free oats), Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, and Vegetarian
Yield:
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One-Bowl Cranberry Orange Muffins are just what you’re looking for in a muffin. Perfectly tender, slightly sweet, vanilla-scented, and bursting with sweet and tangy orange and cranberry. They’re easy to make in just one bowl so they’re ready with very little fuss! Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, too.
Scale
Ingredients
¼ cup melted coconut oil
¾ cup apple sauce
½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups oat flour*
½ cup finely ground cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the melted coconut oil, applesauce, orange juice, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
- To the same bowl, add the oat flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda, stirring until well combined. Add 1 cup cranberries and stir again until well incorporated.
- Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan with silicone liners. Spoon 3-4 heaping tablespoons of batter into each cup. Sprinkle each with the remaining 1/4 cup cranberries (a few on top of each muffin).
- Bake the muffins for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve warm, or store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, freeze the cooled muffins in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 month.
Notes
*Make your own oat flour for this recipe by placing 1½ cups whole oats in a blender and blending until a coarse flour forms. Alternatively, you can buy pre-made oat flour at well-stocked grocery stores and online (either regular or gluten-free). Be sure to buy gluten-free oats if you want to keep the recipe gluten-free.
Invite your child to help make the muffins! He can dump the ingredients into the bowl, stir everything together, and sprinkle the apple chips on top.
If she doesn’t like the cranberries in the muffins try adding fewer or substitute dried, apple juice-sweetened cranberries.
