Name: Dried Cranberry Muffins with Pecans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries; 2 cups+1tbsp plain/all-purpose flour; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger (each); 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 cup+1tbsp milk; ⅓ cup+1½tbsp vegetable oil; ½ cup less 1tbsp sugar; Zest of 1 orange; ½ cup pecans (roughly chopped); 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar/icing sugar; 1 tablespoon orange juice (plus more orange zest for decorating (optional))

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These dried cranberry muffins with pecans make a perfect festive season breakfast or snack. Lightly spiced and with a hint of orange they are easy to make and super delicious!

Muffins with icing and orange zest on top of rack.

Today I am posting a simple recipe for dried cranberry muffins with a festive touch. These lightly spiced cranberry orange muffins make a fantastic breakfast idea for the holiday season. They are super quick and easy to make and are a great way of using up extra cranberries left over from making Christmas stuffing, festiveroasted brussels sprouts and braised red cabbage.

If you love easy festive baking you might also like this gingerbread muffins recipe.

Dried cranberry muffins ingredients

These muffins are sweetened with cranberries and a moderate amount of sugar. I flavoured them with a combination of cinnamon, ginger and orange zest and added a handful of pecans for texture.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 5 and line the muffin pan with 12 paper cases (or lightly grease if using a non-stick pan). In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon and stir using a whisk.

Flour and spice mixture in large white bowl with green whisk in background.

2. In another bowl whisk together the egg, sugar, oil, milk and orange zest until smooth.

Milk mixture and orange zest in large white bowl with green whisk.

3. Add the cranberries and pecans into the flour mixture and stir.

Dried cranberries, pecans and flour in white bowl with spoon.

4. Pour into the egg mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overstir.

Muffin batter with flour still visible in large white bowl with spoon.

5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Unbaked cranberry muffins in 12 red paper cases in muffin pan.

6. Make the orange icing by stirring the icing sugar and orange juice until smooth and drizzling over the top of the muffins. Sprinkle with more orange zest if you like and enjoy!

You might also like persimmon bread recipe which comes with a similar icing drizzle.

Top tips

Substitutions: Use any nuts you like, not necessarily pecans. You could also use lemon zest instead of orange zest if you prefer.
Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon and ginger but you could use either one or the other or use mixed spice/pumpkin spice instead. You could also omit these spices altogether and just add a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste (or extract) into the muffin batter.
Batter: The batter should be lumpy. Stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Best served a little warm. Pop in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. Keep in a plastic container for up to 3 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

Muffins, dried cranberries, halved orange on top of paper case, pecans and fruit zester on top of dark tray.

More dried cranberry recipes

You may also like this collection of easy vegetable breakfast recipes.

Keep in touch!

If you make these cranberry orange muffins I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Did you use different spices or nuts? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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