Cranberry and orange are two of my favorite flavors, and these delicious copycat muffins from Panera truly highlight this delightful combination. Bake up a batch of these Panera cranberry orange muffins, and your whole family will love their soft texture and delightful taste!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a jumbo muffin pan with liners or squares of baking parchment.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Combine Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined to form a batter.
- Add Zest and Cranberries: Gently fold in the orange zest and cranberries until evenly distributed.
- Fill Muffin Liners: Scoop ½ cup of batter into each jumbo muffin liner and sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top.
- Bake: Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
VIDEO
NOTES
- Accurate Measurements: Measure your ingredients precisely, especially the flour and leavening agents. Using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups can significantly improve accuracy.
- Avoid Overmixing: Be cautious not to overmix the batter, as this can lead to tough muffins.
- Cranberry Preparation: Rinse and drain fresh or frozen cranberries thoroughly before adding them to the batter. There’s no need to defrost frozen berries before using.
- Oven Calibration: Check your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure it’s baking at the correct heat.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 389 kcal (19% of Daily Value)
- Carbohydrates: 61 g (20% of Daily Value)
- Protein: 6 g (12% of Daily Value)
- Fat: 14 g (22% of Daily Value)
- Saturated Fat: 3 g (19% of Daily Value)
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg (14% of Daily Value)
- Sodium: 552 mg (24% of Daily Value)
- Potassium: 102 mg (3% of Daily Value)
- Fiber: 2 g (8% of Daily Value)
- Sugar: 31 g (34% of Daily Value)
- Vitamin A: 109 IU (2% of Daily Value)
- Vitamin C: 7 mg (8% of Daily Value)
- Calcium: 110 mg (11% of Daily Value)
- Iron: 2 mg (11% of Daily Value)
