These Sourdough Orange Cranberry Crumble Muffins taste like Christmas morning- bursting with juicy cranberries and infused with fresh orange zest and juice. Each muffin is topped with a buttery crumble that melts in your mouth, and a drizzle of bright orange glaze ties it all together. The result is a cozy, vibrant muffin that fills your kitchen with the warm aroma of holiday cheer.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

The flavor of this muffin is bright and tangy, with the combination of orange and cranberry you get a lovely pop of tart and sweet citrus. With a perfectly soft light texture and a crisp crumble for contrast, you’ll love the bakery-style muffin results of this recipe!

Drizzle these muffins with an orange glaze or skip it, either way they’re absolutely delicious. You can also mix this recipe and ferment overnight to fit your busy schedule, or mix and bake right away. Your choice!

Why Use Sourdough Starter in Muffins?

Using sourdough discard in muffins adds a flavor, enhances moisture retention, and makes the crumb softer and more tender. The optional fermentation process also helps break down gluten, making these muffins easier to digest.

Do I have to long-ferment these Sourdough Cranberry Orange Crumble Muffins?

No! You can mix up this batter and bake immediately if you want muffins quickly. Just skip the fermentation step!

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Tools You’ll Need:

Standard 12-cup muffin tin- for baking muffins. I love these pans from USA Bakeware linked here.
Muffin liners- to avoid burned edges. I love these bakery style parchment muffin liners linked here.
Citrus Zester or Microplane- I love this zester linked here that works so fast!
Digital kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking.
1/4 cup scoop – for scooping batter. I love this scoop for muffins linked here.
Whisk + spatula- for combining ingredients.
Mixing bowls- for mixing batter, crumble, and glaze.
Hand mixer or sturdy whisk- for mixing batter and glaze.
Cooling rack– to cool muffins.

Sourdough Cranberry Orange Crumble Muffins

Gather Your Ingredients:

Sourdough starter- (can use flat or past peak, can be cold or room temperature). Adds depth of flavor and moisture without making these muffins “sour”. Key for fermentation if you’re resting the batter overnight.
Avocado Oil- Adds moisture and keeps the muffins soft and tender. You can substitute for any neutral cooking oil.
Sour Cream– Adds moisture and acidity to balance sweetness and enhance tenderness of the crumb. You can also substitute for full-fat Greek yogurt.
White Sugar– Boosts sweetness and supports the rise and golden color.
Whole Milk- you can use whole milk or substitute with buttermilk in the muffins.
Orange Juice + Orange Zest– adds bright citrusy flavor to the muffins and the glaze.
Vanilla extract– Enhances the flavor and brings warmth.
Unsalted butter– Binds the crumble to give it crisp buttery texture and gives muffins moisture and flavor.
Eggs (room temperature)– provide structure and lift with moisture, works as a binder for ingredients.
All-purpose flour- Gives the muffins structure while keeping it soft and cakey. You’ll also use flour in the crumble.
Baking powder + Baking soda– Ensures the right rise and bakery-style domes for the muffins.
Cardamom (optional)- you can skip cardamom if you don’t have it or substitute for cinnamon, but I love cardamom in this muffin and it balances the citrus so well.
Salt- Balances sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
Cranberries– adds pockets of tart cranberry flavor to the muffins. I prefer to use fresh cranberries for the amazing flavor and color, but you can also used dried, frozen, or freeze-dried if needed.
Powdered Sugar- sweetens and thickens the orange glaze. Don’t use granulated white sugar or the glaze will be gritty.

Now let’s make some muffins!

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the Muffin Batter

Wash your orange and zest the amount needed for the muffins. Slice orange and then remove the juice and set aside for the muffins.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, sourdough discard, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, avocado oil, melted butter, eggs, orange juice and orange zest. Whisk ingredients together until blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking together until no streaks remain. It’s important to not overmix the batter, as this will make the muffin tough.

Whisk till smooth — Add the wet ingredients to the bowl

Overnight Ferment Option: At this point you have the choice to ferment the batter overnight. If fermenting the batter overnight, cover the bowl with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

If you’re batter was fermenting in the refrigerator overnight, allow to rest at room temperature for an hour to warm up. Skip this step if you aren’t fermenting the batter overnight. .

The next step is to fold in the cranberries. I personally like to use fresh for the amazing flavor, but I will give you directions on frozen and dried too below depending on your needs.

Adding fresh cranberries: Cut cranberries in half, then add to the batter and fold into the muffin batter.

Adding frozen cranberries: Weigh out frozen cranberries and allow to rest in a bowl of warm water to thaw. After 5-10 minutes, strain cranberries from water and transfer to a bowl lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture (you can also just strain and blot). After water has been absorbed, remove the paper towel and toss the cranberries in 2 Tablespoons of flour to prevent sinking. Add cranberries to the muffin batter, gently folding into the muffin batter until distributed evenly.

Adding dried/freeze-dried cranberries: weigh and add directly to the batter, folding into the batter until evenly distributed.

Step 2: Mix the Crumble

Melt the butter for your crumble in a microwave-safe bowl. Once the butter is melted, add the flour, sugar, and salt to the crumble. Mix the ingredients with a fork until the butter is incorporated, and you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

Step 3: Bake Muffins

Preheat your oven to 425°F (175°C).

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment papers, and lightly spray with oil to avoid muffins sticking to the parchment.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. This is typically roughly 1/3 cup for a regular sized muffin.

Spoon 1 big spoonful of crumble on top of each muffin.

Bake for 6 minutes at 425 F, then drop the heat to 350 F and bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note about baking temperatures: Baking for 5 minutes at a higher heat gives muffins a more domed, bakery-style appearance. If you would like to skip this step, you can bake your muffins at 350 F for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 4: Add the Orange Glaze

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice and powdered sugar. You want the consistency to be thick, but running off the spoon slowly. Add more powdered sugar if needed to thicken the glaze, or add more orange juice if you need the glaze to be more runny. Remember, a little liquid goes a long way!

Drizzle the orange glaze over the cooled muffins. Allow the glaze to set up for about 15 minutes before serving the fresh muffins.

Yields 12 large muffins or 16 regular muffins

How to Store:

Room Temperature– Store muffins in an airtight container on counter for up to 5 days.

Freezer– Freeze muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw and gently reheat in oven or microwave to serve.

FAQ’S:

Can I make these without the overnight fermentation?

Absolutely. They’ll still be moist and flavorful baked right away, but they won’t be fermented.

What if I don’t have cardamom?

You can substitute the cardamom for cinnamon.

Drop a comment and leave a review if you loved this recipe and don’t forget to try more of my sourdough muffin recipes!

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