Higher-Protein Cranberry Orange Muffins
These Cranberry Orange Muffins are such an easy way to add a little extra protein to breakfast or snack time. The cottage cheese blends right into the batter, adding protein while keeping the muffins light, fluffy, and incredibly moist. I promise you won’t taste it at all, but it makes a big difference in texture. If you loved my Classic Cottage Cheese Muffins, you’ll love this fun cranberry orange holiday twist!
With fresh orange zest, orange juice, and tart cranberries, every bite has a bright, festive flavor that feels special without being overly sweet. I also love that the batter comes together in a blender, making these muffins super quick and easy. A fun way to change up classic muffin flavors like Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins and Lemon Blueberry Muffins, this recipe is one I know your whole family will love!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy – Just blend, mix, and bake. With just 10 minutes of prep time, the oven does all the heavy lifting so you can finish your meal prep or just sit back with a vanilla latte.
- SUPER Fluffy – This recipe makes a lot of batter, which means the muffin tin cavities are filled all the way to the top, and the batter rises super tall as it bakes.
- Orange Cranberry Goodness – The cranberries add a tart flavor without being overpowering, and the batter is perfectly balanced with the right amount of sweetness.
- Protein-Forward – Refined sugar-free and made with 8 grams of protein, these cranberry orange muffins are a lot lighter than most recipes, but still taste like a treat!
You’ll Also Love: Gluten-Free Healthy Rhubarb Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- Cottage Cheese – This is my secret to creating the tallest, softest muffins! It’s crucial to use whole milk cottage cheese for the best taste and fluffiest consistency.
- Maple Syrup – Agave also works.
- Vanilla
- Coconut Oil – Feel free to substitute melted unsalted butter.
- Eggs – I do not recommend using an egg substitute like a flax egg, or your muffins are likely to be smaller and a little more dense.
- Orange – I use both orange juice and orange zest to infuse the muffin batter with a sweet, citrusy taste.
- All-Purpose Flour – You can use regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder/Salt
- Cranberries – I’ve tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen cranberries. Both are great! However, I prefer frozen cranberries because they have a slightly more tart taste that works really well in the batter.
- Glaze – Whisk cottage cheese, maple syrup, coconut oil, orange juice, and water for a smooth, sweet topping.
How to Make the Best Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe
One of the easiest muffin recipes ever, these orange cranberries come together using a blender, a bowl, and a muffin tin. Then, I use an extra bowl for the icing. Here’s how to make this Orange Cranberry Muffin recipe:
- Combine the wet ingredients – Process all the wet ingredients in a blender until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients – Pour the batter into a large bowl, and add the flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking just until no streaks remain. Then, fold in the cranberries.
- Portion – Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Each cup will be super full, but this recipe makes 12 equal-sized muffins that are tall and fluffy like you find in bakeries!
- Bake – Transfer the muffins to the oven, and bake until they’re lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The muffins will rise super high in the oven and deflate a bit as they cool.
- Add the topping – While the muffins cool, whisk the glaze in a small bowl. Then, drizzle it over the cooled muffins, add a sprinkle of orange zest, and enjoy!
Tips
- Blend the wet ingredients until completely smooth. This ensures the cottage cheese fully breaks down so the muffins bake up soft with no curd texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the dry ingredients, whisk just until the batter is just combined and no streaks remain. Then, gently fold in the cranberries to keep the muffins light.
- Fill the muffin liners all the way. These are bakery-style muffins and are meant to rise tall. The batter may look like a lot, but it bakes beautifully!
- Bake a few minutes longer than you think. The muffins rise high and slightly deflate as they cool, so baking them fully helps set the centers.
- Let muffins cool before glazing. Drizzling the glaze onto fully cooled muffins keeps it from melting and soaking in too much.
RELATED: Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Variations
- White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Muffins – Fold ½ cup of white chocolate chips into the batter to balance the tart cranberries and make the muffins extra dessert-like.
- Lemon Cranberry Muffins – Swap the orange zest and juice for lemon zest and lemon juice for a bright, tangy twist.
- Orange Blueberry Muffins – Replace the cranberries with fresh or frozen blueberries for a slightly sweeter, classic flavor.
- Glaze-Free Muffins – Skip the glaze and enjoy these as simple, lightly sweet muffins.
- White Chocolate Drizzle – Skip the cottage cheese glaze, and drizzle with melted white chocolate mixed with a little coconut oil for a festive finish. Finish with a little extra orange zest, and let the chocolate set.
- Mini Muffins – Bake the batter in a mini muffin tin for smaller portions. Reduce the bake time to about 14-18 minutes, and check for doneness early.
My Favorite Ways to Serve
I love to serve this cranberry orange muffins recipe as part of a holiday brunch with other breakfast favorites like pomegranate pecan cottage cheese parfaits, high-protein egg bites, and a pecan spice chai latte! They’re delicious on their own and even better with a bit of butter or almond butter.
How to Store
Refrigerator – Store these cranberry orange muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Enjoy cold, at room temperature, or warm them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds before serving.
Freezer – These muffins also freeze really well and will keep fresh for up to 3 months! Let them cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container to store. When you’re ready to enjoy, just thaw them overnight in the fridge, or pop them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds until warm.
Easy, Healthy Muffin Recipes
- Carrot Cake Muffins
- Blueberry Quinoa Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Protein Muffins
- Easy Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
- Wholesome Peach Muffins
More Ways to Use Cottage Cheese
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Waffles
- Cottage Cheese Brownies
- Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
- Cottage Cheese Pancake Bars
- Cinnamon Roll Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Looking for more? Find 35+ cottage cheese recipes!
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Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted & cooled)
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- zest of 1 orange (approx. 2 teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (from approx. 1 large or 2 small oranges)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Glaze
- 1/2 cup 4% cottage cheese
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon water
Garnish
- orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin tin with liners. Spray all muffin liners with cooking spray (these muffins will stick otherwise).
- Combine the cottage cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, oil, eggs, orange zest and orange juice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the cottage cheese mixture into a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Fold in the cranberries. Don’t overmix!
- Scoop the batter into the muffin liners, filling them all the way.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes. The muffins will rise very high, and deflate slightly once taken out of the oven, so I’d recommend cooking them a bit longer than you think.
- While muffins are baking, blend the Glaze ingredients until smooth. Add an extra 1 tablespoon of water if you want a thinner glaze.
- When muffins are ready, set the pan onto a cooling rack and let cool for ten minutes before removing from the pan.
- Drizzle the glaze over fully cooled muffins. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- It’s important to use whole milk cottage cheese for that super fluffy texture!
- Optional Alternative Icing: Melt 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons coconut oil, mix, and use a whisk to drizzle over each muffin. Top with a little extra orange zest, let it set, and enjoy!
Caroline says:
I was skeptical at first because there was so much batter. After dividing it into a standard muffin tin and baking them, I had 12 beautiful and very tasty muffins. Everyone liked them and the 8g of protein per muffin is a bonus. I used fresh cranberries as they are in season. I’ll definitely be making them again soon.