Bright and sweet Paleo Cranberry Orange muffins are the best breakfast especially during the holiday season. Gluten free and the best texture from a mix of almond and tapioca flour. (Updated 12/6/20)
It took me way too long to have these muffins in my life. I mean, literally 7 years paleo and it never dawned on me to recreate one of my favorite flavors of muffins.
When I was pregnant with my firstborn (pre-paleo or gluten free anything) I ate all the baked goods that crossed my path. At the time I worked on a floor as a RN that had a lot of muffins in the fridge for patients.
Cranberry orange was always in there. And I always ate them.
Now that your life is better knowing that story about me lets chat why these are delicious.
- The texture is pretty damn perfect for paleo. I love when you get a crumb that doesn't taste or look almond floury...which I did. Boom.
- If you haven't had cranberry orange you have been missing out on winter fruit combo heaven. They are made for each other. The sweet orange helps curb the tartness of the cranberry. They both pair together, brightly and vibrantly.
Ingredients for Paleo Cranberry Orange Muffins
I don't know how you feel when you see a recipe that uses a few flours in the same recipe, but for paleo recipes it is just a must.
- cranberries
- almond flour
- tapioca flour
- coconut flour
- coconut sugar
- cinnamon
- baking soda, baking powder, salt
- eggs
- vanilla
- orange juice
- avocado oil (or your choice)
For the glaze you just need a few more
- honey
- orange juice
- tapioca flour
Substitutions
Almond flour/tapioca/coconut- A few notes about the flours. I am going to recommend you stick to these flours instead of trying to sub in something else. Coconut flour absorbs a lot liquid so you for sure do not want to add more of that or less, as you will need to change the amount of another flour.
Also note that almond flour is not the same as almond meal. While it will probably work, the texture is grittier and so the the overall texture may change.
Coconut sugar- you could sub in any granulated sugar you would like for this recipe. Using something like maple syrup or honey would add too much liquid into the recipe.
Baking powder- baking powder as is, is not paleo. If you are super strict check out this recipe for a paleo baking powder.
Expert tips and how to store
I love to use parchment paper muffin liners for my baking. It just makes life a lot easier.
Don’t over saturate the top with glaze or you may end up with a soggy top. Also be sure to glaze just before eating for best results.
If your almond flour or tapioca seems clumpy you can always use a sifter.
Storage
These muffins do well in all situations. I do encourage you to wait to glaze them for best results if you are not eating right away. With that being said, I didn't and they still do fine!
These muffins freeze great after they have baked and cooled. Just store them in an airtight container!
They also do ok in the fridge or at room temperature for 3 or so ish days in an airtight container.
Need more muffins?
Try these Paleo Carrot Cake Muffins or these Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins
Eat up my friends!! Let me know what you think below! I can’t wait to hear from you.
Recipe
Paleo Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Total Time: 26
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
Bright and sweet paleo cranberry orange muffins with a honey orange glaze. The best texture and perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Muffins
- ¾ cup of fresh whole cranberries
- 1 cup of almond flour (see notes)
- ½ cup of tapioca flour
- ¼ cup of coconut flour
- ½ cup of coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of orange juice (be sure to use 100% juice )
- ¼ cup of avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 teaspoon of orange zest (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder (see notes)
- 1 pinch of salt
Honey Orange Glaze
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice
- 4 teaspoons of tapioca flour
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by greasing muffin tins liberally or using parchment muffin liners.
- Place whole cranberries in food processor. Process for about 15 seconds, until you have small even pieces of cranberry. Do not mince.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coconut sugar. Whisk the dry ingredients until combined well.
- In a separate mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla, orange juice, oil, zest if using. Whisk until well combined and mixture is ribbon like when the whisk is lifted from the liquid and falls back until the bowl.
- Add wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.
- Use ¼ cup measuring cup to fill measuring tins. Each tin will receive a rounded ¼ cup scoop. This should fill your muffin tins ⅔ of the way full. If you have remaining batter divide evenly among tins.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove and cool on a cooling rack the remainder of the way.
- While muffins cool, prepare your glaze. Place the honey and orange juice in a small bowl and whisk. Whisk in the tapioca flour 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. These freeze well after baked as well.
- Prep Time: 6 minutes
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: paleo cranberry orange muffins, paleo muffins, cranberry orange
Leave a Note