Sourdough Cranberry Orange Crumble Muffins
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 filled your kitchen with the warm aroma of holiday cheer.
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin - for baking muffins.
- Muffin liners - to avoid burned edges.
- Citrus Zester or Microplane - to zest oranges.
- Digital kitchen scale (optional) - for accurate measuring.
- 1/4 cup scoop - for scooping batter.
- 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.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard
- ⅓ cup (80g) full-fat sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60g) milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup (120g) fresh orange juice
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (60g) avocado oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp (8g) orange zest
Dry Ingredients:
- 3¼ cups (400g) all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
Mix-Ins:
- 1 1/2 cup (150g) cranberries fresh, frozen, or dried
Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup (75g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
Orange Glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30g) fresh orange juice
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.1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar, ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard, ⅓ cup (80g) full-fat sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt, ¼ cup (60g) milk or buttermilk, ½ cup (120g) fresh orange juice, 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted, ¼ cup (60g) avocado oil, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp (8g) orange zest
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt.3¼ cups (400g) all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- 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.
- 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.1 1/2 cup (150g) cranberries
- 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.½ cup (75g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted, ⅛ tsp sea salt
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!1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, 2 tbsp (30g) fresh orange juice
- 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
Notes
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. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!